How to trade without PayPal? Is it possible?

[OpenSource Ghost]

This is slightly off-topic. Last year I changed my phone number and carrier (to T-Mobile) for a new number that used recently-created area code for my residence. Since then I wasn't able to properly login to my PayPal account and use it because I wasn't able to receive mobile phone number confirmation SMS...

The error I see when trying to login and confirm my mobile phone number is "Unable to confirm with your carrier". I get SMS without issues from everyone else to that new phone number, but not from PayPal, even when all carrier (T-Mobile) spam blocking features are disabled.

Calling PayPal results in PayPal agents blaming my T-Mobile and T-Mobile of course blames PayPal. As I mention earlier, I get SMS from everyone else without issues. Not only that, but when calling PayPal to complain about this, they transfer me to some different agent from their security team and send verification SMS (for one-time login) that does come through! You'd think that is good enough of a mobile phone number confirmation, but that SMS (for one-time login) cannot be used to verify my mobile phone number and to get it, I have to spend 30-180 minutes on the phone with PayPal agents to complain. I try just about every trick, including changing PayPal account type from Personal to Business and then back to Personal. It doesn't help me verify my phone number.

Household members on the same T-Mobile account, but with old (common) area code for my residence do get all needed SMS from PayPal and have no problems using it. Can it be that phone numbers with new area code are not registered correctly in some PayPal database? How can I convince them to check? I ask for higher-level techicians, but PayPal "doesn't have any"... Should I sign up for some VoIP to get a number to use just for PayPal?

I am not changing my mobile phone number just for PayPal. It usually takes weeks to notify all my contacts of a new phone number and it is unknown whether new phone number doesn't have problems with PayPal, but I don't know how to go about selling, buying, and/or trading when just about everyone uses PayPal for such personal transactions... I hear there is now Zelle, but its unreliable.

 

[LFaWolf]

If you have no Heatware or relatively few feedback, and ask for Zelle or any payment method without buyer protection, I doubt anyone would be willing to buy from you. However, if you are trying to buy, you can ask if the seller is willing to accept Zelle, Venmo or cash app. Note that Venmo is owned by PayPal.

That said, why not get a Google voice number (it is a phone app) with a local or your previous area code, and once you have that contact PayPal to try that number?

 

[Gillbot]

If you have no Heatware or relatively few feedback, and ask for Zelle or any payment method without buyer procreation, I doubt anyone would be willing to buy from you. However, if you are trying to buy, you can ask if the seller is willing to accept Zelle, Venmo or cash app. Note that Venmo is owned by PayPal.

That said, why not get a Google voice number (it is a phone app) with a local or your previous area code, and once you have that contact PayPal to try that number?

Google voice is also hit and miss with PayPal. It used to work for me but currently the messages don’t come through, but it’s worth a try.

 

[LFaWolf]

Google voice is also hit and miss with PayPal. It used to work for me but currently the messages don’t come through, but it’s worth a try.

I used it without issue.

 

[Domingow]

Grab a Google voice number and have that be your primary contact for PayPal. That way if you need to change your mobile number again your PayPal contact info will not change.

 

[toast0]

Can it be that phone numbers with new area code are not registered correctly in some PayPal database? How can I convince them to check?

Yeah, that's not unreasonable; I ran phone verification for a well known app, and would have to update our validation database when new area codes came in, and if people had trouble getting codes, I'd have to hound our SMS providers to enable it too. Our customer service team was decently good at escalating to me though, sounds like PayPal may not have a good escalation process, as is common in larger companies. Have you mentioned to them that it's a new area code, if you get the right rep, that might be enough to get them to escalate. Really, this is a 5 minute fix, plus their release process, but you've got to get the request to the person who can fix it; complaining on Twitter might work, or messaging random peeps on linked in that say they work for PayPal, or email to CEO (although, knowing PayPal, they probably just print those and burn them for fun); maybe complaint to regulator?

Does PayPal offer to send a code via a voice call? That's probably got different routing, and is often more likely to work for new numbers, but still might be broken if it's really only a PayPal issue.

Does your number show up as valid on https://libphonenumber.appspot.com/ (start with +1, substitute your last 4 digits with 0, like +17145550000) look for Result from isValidNumber() in the table (which is very messy, but it's not intended for regular people! )

 

[Eulogy]

Just 2FA with something else like Authy or any of the myriad of other 2FA options. Done.

 

[LFaWolf]

Just 2FA with something else like Authy or any of the myriad of other 2FA options. Done.

I don’t think PayPal has that .

 

[Eulogy]

I don’t think PayPal has that .

It absolutely does. I use Authy with mine all the time. SMS is probably the worst 2FA option you can use on any site.

As with most 2FA, you can use most code generators.

 

[LFaWolf]

It absolutely does. I use Authy with mine all the time. SMS is probably the worst 2FA option you can use on any site.
View attachment 538540

As with most 2FA, you can use most code generators.

Very nice. I just set mine up. When I first used MFA that was not an option. I guess they have added it since.

 

[OpenSource Ghost]

Yeah, that's not unreasonable; I ran phone verification for a well known app, and would have to update our validation database when new area codes came in, and if people had trouble getting codes, I'd have to hound our SMS providers to enable it too. Our customer service team was decently good at escalating to me though, sounds like PayPal may not have a good escalation process, as is common in larger companies. Have you mentioned to them that it's a new area code, if you get the right rep, that might be enough to get them to escalate. Really, this is a 5 minute fix, plus their release process, but you've got to get the request to the person who can fix it; complaining on Twitter might work, or messaging random peeps on linked in that say they work for PayPal, or email to CEO (although, knowing PayPal, they probably just print those and burn them for fun); maybe complaint to regulator?

Does PayPal offer to send a code via a voice call? That's probably got different routing, and is often more likely to work for new numbers, but still might be broken if it's really only a PayPal issue.

Does your number show up as valid on https://libphonenumber.appspot.com/ (start with +1, substitute your last 4 digits with 0, like +17145550000) look for Result from isValidNumber() in the table (which is very messy, but it's not intended for regular people! )

That link worked for my number and almost everything was detected correctly, including residence, but carrier was not detected...

Who should I ask for when I reach the first customer service representative? They often refuse to escalate unless all the typical solutions are presented and tried.

 

[OpenSource Ghost]

It absolutely does. I use Authy with mine all the time. SMS is probably the worst 2FA option you can use on any site.
View attachment 538540

As with most 2FA, you can use most code generators.

I had 2FA for PayPal for a very long time and in this case PayPal requested for login, but the last step was always to confirm my mobile number.

 

[OpenSource Ghost]

If you have no Heatware or relatively few feedback, and ask for Zelle or any payment method without buyer protection, I doubt anyone would be willing to buy from you. However, if you are trying to buy, you can ask if the seller is willing to accept Zelle, Venmo or cash app. Note that Venmo is owned by PayPal.

That said, why not get a Google voice number (it is a phone app) with a local or your previous area code, and once you have that contact PayPal to try that number?

What if I trade only with reputable buyers/sellers and offer to send my products without being paid until product arrives and is examined by the trader?

I'll think about Google Account if nothing else works.

 

[toast0]

That link worked for my number and almost everything was detected correctly, including residence, but carrier was not detected...

Who should I ask for when I reach the first customer service representative? They often refuse to escalate unless all the typical solutions are presented and tried.

Carrier not detected is pretty normal, libphonenumber only has that information in a few countries, not in the US or Canada where blocks are assigned in 1000s; and there's portability anyway.

Ideally, you'd want to be escalated to the person who works with the libphonenumber data, but you can't really say that and expect it to work. You might ask if anyone handles updates to the numbering plan? Or if there's a dedicated queue for number verification, and maybe they'll help. Definitely tell them I'm having a problem with this phone number in a new area code, and it seems like your system doesn't understand the new area code. But it's luck of the draw if you get someone who has time to breathe and think about how to escalate to the right team.

 

[OpenSource Ghost]

After another try PayPal stated that I wasn't receiving SMS because my carrier was blocking short codes and it was something to discuss with carrier... I've read about short codes, but how do I test if such is the case? Why do other lines on the same account do get short codes? There are no carrier account settings that specifically block or unblock or even mention short codes... T-Mobile specifically lists that its spam blocking feature does not block short codes - https://www.t-mobile.com/support/plans-features/message-blocking .

 

[sleepeeg3]

PayPal sucks. Don't use it. You can also use crypto, cash or money order.

 

[OpenSource Ghost]

It isn't about what sucks and what does not suck. Its about what other buyers/sellers use to make transactions as easy and as secure as possible. Aside from PayPal, what is the next likely accepted method of fund transfer when it comes to private (non-business) second-hand PC hardware sales? Zelle? As someone without previous sales experience and functional PayPal account, the only thing I can think about is dealing exclusilvey with reputable buyers/sellers/traders and willingness to ship items ahead of being paid for them. PayPal has relatively good refund and anti-scam mechanisms and is generally trusted.

 

[dogDAbone]

PayPal has relatively good refund and anti-scam mechanisms and is generally trusted.

They may be more or less trusted in general, but the rest of that statement is, well, to put it politely, B.f'n.S.... since in the case of disputes involving non-receipt, not as advertised, or defective stuff...PP almost always sides with the buyer and the seller gets shafted not only of their stuff but their money as well.... been there, done that, never again....