[Air-L] deception of paypal

[Michael Zimmer]

Dear Gene:

I'm sorry to hear of this.

Yes, Bill Me Later is a financing provider operated by PayPal. When anyone uses PayPal to complete an online transaction, an option is provided to use Bill Me Later rather than a credit card.

For example, here's a screen shot of the PayPal page that is shown to people purchasing an AoIR membership: http://michaelzimmer.org/images/PayPal_AOIR.png. I've added a red arrow to where the Bill Me Later option is.

If you click on the Bill Me Later link, you're taken here: https://www.billmelater.com/cm/paypal/landers/ppbmlcore5iwG.html, which describes the service.

There is no way for AoIR (or any merchant, as far as I can tell) to prevent this option from appearing within the PayPal payment processing screens. It is something PayPal does automatically, and without our asking or endorsement.

Again, I'm sorry to hear of how PayPal is handling these payments. We're currently in the process of considering new membership management systems, and include your experience in part of our deliberations.

Best,
Michael Zimmer
Treasurer, AoIR

-- 
Michael Zimmer, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies
Co-Director, Center for Information Policy Research
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
e: zimmerm at uwm.edu
w: www.michaelzimmer.org


On Jul 12, 2011, at 4:06 PM, gene loeb wrote:

> Attention all,
> I wanted to make readers aware of the deception of the services  used to pay
> for membership in AIR in May6.
> At the membership site, there was a choice of paying by pay pal. I an not
> acquainted with purchasing on line and use a credit card to payThey some
> bills. Pay Pal appeared to be a convenient way to pay my 45 dollars
> membership. I thought they would send me a bill.
> 
> Buried deep in my email, I saw a note from "Billme later.." I thought it was
> an ad, not knowing what was sent to me. I had no recognation of how to pay
> my paypal and thought it was linked tpo my visa bank card.
> 
> Today, I received in the mail a bill from "Billme later", my first such
> bill. It was for $109, when membership is only $45. I also received a phone
> message from their customer service. In this conversation, the deception
> became aware to me.  BILLMELATER is an online FINANCE COMPANY linked to
> PAYPAL. The notice I did see today was difficult for an old guy to realize
> that Io needed to sigh into a website to get my bill. Further shock: while
> Congress has recently passed legislation to regulate bank fees, this online
> company, *billmelater is chaging maimum fees *BECAUSE IT IS REGULATED.
> Because I didn't realize what was going on, the billing company for PAYPAL
> purposely waited TWO months to call me and send a bill. *The late fee was
> $25 FOR THE FIRST MONTH AND $35 +$2 FOR THE SECOND MONTH.* Outrageous and
> unregulated. The professional organization of Internet researchers allows
> this to happen or is not knowledgeable. This is not a way to get members.
> AIR needs to find another way, not allowing PAY PAL to operate.
> 
> Gene
> Gene Loeb, Ph.D.
> 
> .
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