Is my personal name visible using a Paypal business account?

August 9, 2005 3:42 PM

I need some privacy! I recently upgraded my Paypal premier account to a business account in hopes that my personal name would not be easily accessible to buyers and/or others I'm in contact with in online auctions. I chose a business name but my personal name is still parenthetically listed beside it. So, now I'm wondering if my name will still be visible to buyers?

Since I haven't gotten any response from Paypal customer service, I thought I'd ask here. I've recently sold some high-dollar merchandise on ebay and I've invariably been contacted by non-bidders offering to send "an agent" over to pick it up, if I would just give them my name and address. I'm imagining that if they had my name they could simply zabasearch it, find my address and then send "an agent" over to pick it up, perhaps when I'm not even there. So any suggestions about conducting secure auction transactions would be appreciated.

posted by anticlock to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Well I don't think you've got anything to worry about on the agent issue. These are scammers sending out this message to as many people as they can, looking for one who will agree -- like the Nigerian e-mail scam. If you don't respond, they won't even know that they contacted you.

As for the name thing, get together with another PayPal user and test it out. Send them a payment request to see if the name appears there. Have them initiate a payment to see if they see your name. etc. I don't think your name appears anywhere but I haven't thoroughly tested it.
posted by winston at 3:53 PM on August 9, 2005

BTW, from what I've read in alt.marketing.online.ebay, the agent is a courier -- usually a FedEx pickup charged to a stolen account number.
posted by winston at 3:54 PM on August 9, 2005

FWIW I have a business account with Paypal and only my business name is visible, although I have no idea why - it has just always been that way. So I presume it is possible.

I have never had a single piece of merchandise bought through Paypal addressed to me personally so I've no reason to believe that other users have access to my real name via any other means, despite the fact Paypal have my name and details on file.

Sorry this isn't much help.
posted by fire&wings at 3:57 PM on August 9, 2005

*Since I haven't gotten any response
*from Paypal customer service,

°snort°, dream on. Paypal customer service consists of one mentally challenged monkey working all by himself in a dark and lonesome back room. He's doing the best that he can. They do in fact pay him peanuts.

My experience is that PP is good at anything that can be done by computer, but really does not want to get involved in anything that requires an actual human.

My advice? Don't try to bug them. Work with it. Use it to your advantage. Get a credit card with your company name on it, listed for an address that is not your house. Set up a new PP acount as Mr./Mdm anticlock, Inc. Everything you register with that account has the company name and addy. Now they can cross link and present it however they like, you don't care. Squinty-eyed Nigerians with renta-trucks won't be parked outside watching your house.
posted by Ken McE at 4:03 PM on August 9, 2005

I would try asking/searching on the Paypal board on eBay.
posted by smackfu at 4:24 PM on August 9, 2005

Does anyone have a good way to complain to paypal?
posted by drezdn at 4:49 PM on August 9, 2005

PayPal's customer service line is 1-888-221-1161
posted by winston at 7:30 PM on August 9, 2005

I would call rather than try e-mail. I've never received a
reply from a human every time I've e-mailed PayPal.
posted by bat at 1:12 AM on August 11, 2005