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If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

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Re: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

#231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a difference between reading the EULA/TOS and lying to gain access to something you shouldn't. If you're knowingly lying to gain access something, you don't need a EULA/TOS to know you shouldn't be doing it.

17 or 18 years old. It's an arbitrary distinction. I don't think many people would have an issue with anyone saying they were 18 to get an online account. This isn't the same as lying with the intent to cause harm. It would have been simpler for everyone if PayPal had given him an option to agree to new TOS now they've picked the discrepancy. Anyway, children can have bank accounts and own real estate and shares. Hav…

> It's an arbitrary distinction.

Paypal can enforce the contract terms against people 18 years old or older. They can't (in england) against people aged 17 or younger.

> children can have bank accounts

Those accounts are restricted.

Re: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

#232
post #200
post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> something sane like a bank transfer FTFY. Zero fees, zero megacorps taking their cut, zero social graphs in the US growing a few extra tuples

transferwise is a pretty cheap option for sending money between different countries.

World First and any number of money transfer companies. I am not sure why there seems to be a constant mention of Transferwise on HN. They are not even close to the only companies doing what they do. It almost feels like they monitor HN to find an opportunity to recommend it. I don't have anything against them but it is odd how they are the only company that seems to get mentioned in stories like these.

Re: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

#233
post #124
post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the threat model you envision with giving Facebook your credit card number? Transactions are reversible by calling up your credit card company, and Facebook, for what little reputation it has, still has more of a reputation to uphold and more internal security controls than the local diner where you physically hand your card to a waiter and let them take it out of your sight.

1. Banking industry has some legal requirements. More than Facebook does, for sure. 2. I If you want my purchase history, you can subpoena a bank for it. Whereas I wouldn't be surprised with "App Permissions" to allow to view 'previous purchases'. 90% of people wouldn't know/care. 3. I don't want, nor need every account under the sun hooked up to a SPOF. In this case, it's Fb. That also applies to Google as well. 4.…

What are you even talking about?

Re: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

#234
post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the threat model you envision with giving Facebook your credit card number? Transactions are reversible by calling up your credit card company, and Facebook, for what little reputation it has, still has more of a reputation to uphold and more internal security controls than the local diner where you physically hand your card to a waiter and let them take it out of your sight.

Facebook is an ad company. Credit card companies collect and sell purchase history. Giving them your cc number explicitly links your purchase history to your facebook account. Realistically they've probably already made the jump using your name and DOB, but at least they had to work for it...

Credit card companies sell data in aggregate. They don't sell your specific card history.

Re: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

#235
post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not many people are big enough to sue PayPal, and if they are, they probably aren't using it.

PayPal added a forced arbitration clause in 2012[0]. It seems likely that most PayPal users did not opt out and are now unable to sue PayPal. [0] http://www.citizenvox.org/2012/10/15/opt-out-of-paypal%E2%80... Edited for minor formatting.

Doesn't matter. That clause is invalid in most countries.

Re: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

#236

As someone who uses PayPal on a multiple times per week basis and who has never had any issues, this type of story (as well as the general sentiments of many of the comments) makes me worry that my time will come soon enough. Can anyone recommend a service like PayPal that would be good for online transactions between individuals, but that also allows for credit card use? Fees are to be expected, it's just that I hav…

Venmo ... Oh that's PayPal too. I'm not a fan, but maybe Bitcoin? What about mailed checks, as a backup?

How do you explain Bitcoin and actually how to use it to a normal person. It's a niche "currency" and not something you could expect your typical non-tech person to use. You might as well tell someone to pay you in put options or bearer bonds.

Re: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

#237
post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He did not commit financial fraud. He might have broken a TOS, but bringing up financial fraud is just silly. Honestly, in many jurisdictions (except for the punishment happy ones) being under certain age, ie. 18 or 17 automatically makes you non-persecutable for a lot of the "soft" offenses. So even if you tried to claim opening a PayPal account is a financial fraud, it would likely never stand up in court.

It also makes you an infant and unable to contract for anything other than legal employment and "necessaries" (except with a next friend ). Language may change from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but the upshot is that an account created while underage would not be legally valid, and transactions for anything other than necessaries become revocable pretty much at will.

> It also makes you an infant

What?! No it doesn't. Infants are under one year of age. An older teenager has much more legal, financial, and criminal self-determination and responsibility than an infant does.

Re: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

#238
post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

transferwise is a pretty cheap option for sending money between different countries.

World First and any number of money transfer companies. I am not sure why there seems to be a constant mention of Transferwise on HN. They are not even close to the only companies doing what they do. It almost feels like they monitor HN to find an opportunity to recommend it. I don't have anything against them but it is odd how they are the only company that seems to get mentioned in stories like these.

They have a reputation for being cheaper, I think. Don't know if it's justified still, but I think they were noticably better at one time.

Re: If you opened your PayPal account before you were 18, close it

#239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it would be like you're employer sacking you because you have a criminal record for something serious but you had put 'No criminal record' on your CV/resume when you applied.

PayPal had known for a decade that he signed up before he was 18 years old, but did nothing about it. At the time they closed his account, he was well over 18 years old so why would it matter? Besides 'a criminal record' and 'signed up for a service a bit before you were eligible' are hardly comparable.

Exactly. It's actually not like the ticking "no criminal record", it's like putting down "yes, a minor conviction" and the employer saying "well that's fine" until ten years later they fire you for having a conviction.

It's ridiculous. There has to be an expiry on things like this. And the most ridiculous thing is that they are holding onto those monies.

I'd take them to the small claims court. In the UK we're not going to settle for this shit and if they want to operate here then they need to take their shoes off at the door and show some damn respect. This is a civilised country and we have rules.

Good day to you, sir.

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