Not if you’ve given your account information to Paypal.

If you’ve given your account information to Paypal, your account now belongs to Paypal, too.

Some time ago, I signed up for a newsletter that was paid for through Paypal via recurring debit. This week, I tried to cancel the subscription. The fellow I bought the subscription from didn’t respond for more than 48 hours. In the meantime, I notified Paypal that I’d canceled the subscription, and requested that they stop the payment from posting.

I got a form response directing me to their online dispute tutorial. Big help — not.

When I took the documentation of my attempts to cancel the subscription to my bank, they told me there was nothing whatsoever they could do.

I realize that banking transactions are handled by a massive, computer-driven virtual machine with cogs that grind on despite the protestations of mere customers.

But this isn’t right. I should have the ability to control who takes what from my account. I shouldn’t have to jump through arcane hoops to stop transactions. The burden should be on Paypal, and on my bank, to prove that the withdrawal is legit. Not on me.

I will never, ever authorize Paypal to make a recurring debit from one of my bank accounts again.

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