Not upheld: account access and email address registration complaint against PayPal UK Ltd

Decision detail

Summary

Mr M complained that PayPal UK Ltd refused to allow him to add an email address he owns to his UK PayPal account. PayPal explained the email was already registered to a restricted overseas PayPal account and their system prevents duplicate emails for security reasons. The ombudsman found PayPal acted in accordance with its User Agreement terms permitting restrictions to maintain service integrity and security. The ombudsman rejected Mr M's argument that the overseas account's restriction meant the email should be available, as this would still pose a risk. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that PayPal UK Ltd acted in accordance with its User Agreement clause 'Actions We May Take if You Engage in Any Restricted Activities', which permits PayPal to apply restrictions to maintain integrity and security. The ombudsman determined that allowing Mr M to use an email associated with another restricted PayPal account would pose a risk to PayPal's services. The ombudsman also found that confidential information about third parties could be withheld under DISP rules and that this information did not materially change the outcome.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website