Overzealous payment verification?

[Dave McM]

Kay's recently been trying to outsource content writing on ScriptLance. It hasn't been easy.

First of all, we tried depositing into her account via our PayPal account, which is a verified business account.

First, SL told us that we could have saved money if we'd used Mass Payment. (We did try doing that, but PP told us we weren't set up for it - which is odd, because I'm certain we used it to buy a domain once.) Then I had to verify the email address.

Then after all that palaver, SL rejected the payment because the project allegedly required programmers to place an abnormal bid. Kay reopened their rejection ticket to explain why it didn't.

So then we trotted through the whole process again. This time the payment was rejected within half an hour because it didn't pass their fraud screening.

The next time round we used a debit card, which was processed through MoneyBookers. All went through OK that time.

However, when Kay asked me to do a top-up a few days later, although the payment went through I got an email from MoneyBookers a day later asking me to send copies of valid official ID and a recent utility bill. They apologised for any possible inconvenience, but said they "must adhere to strict security standards which are there to protect your payment privacy" and that we wouldn't be able to use MB again until we'd done that.

It appears to be a genuine email - there aren't any signs of spoofing. Except that bit about protecting my payment privacy doesn't sound right. I can understand that sending MB my personal documents might help them guard against fraud, but how the hell does it protect my payment privacy? I'd have thought it did just the opposite.

[Clinton]

... but how the hell does it protect my payment privacy? I'd have thought it did just the opposite.

This type of doublespeak has, sadly, become standard nowadays. Corporates speak with a forked tongue, they don't understand normal talk anymore. Their minions fall back on Data Protection Act, Health and Safety etc., as excuses to cover their illegitimate demands or to evade responsibility.

On a different matter, PP changed the bulk payment option recently to make it more difficult/more expensive. As usual, don't expect them to state the facts; buried somewhere on their site will be some drivel about "improvements" they've made.

[Dave McM]

Thanks, Clinton. I had a nasty feeling of inevitability that that was all it was.

I'm tempted to write asking MB to explain, even though the likelihood of getting a sensible response is pretty low - it might at least prompt someone at the other end into using their brain a little.

Edit: Aah, what the hell - I've done it.

Dear Skrill (Moneybookers) Security

Before I send you these documents, could you please explain how it can possibly protect my privacy to send them to you? Doesn't it do exactly the opposite?

Kind regards