PayPal shuts down Hackers For Charity - Johnny kind of stranded...

[doj at primeinfosec.com (Dave Ockwell-Jenner)]

Disclosure: I'm a big HFC fan and contribute where I can; Johnny is 
doing great work and is certainly heading toward greater things.

I'm not trying to be controversial here, but having been through the 
exact same issue in the past, I do see another side here.

Bottom line, it sounds like HFC/Johnny's PayPal account was set-up with 
incorrect information. Unless HFC is a *registered* Non-Profit, then the 
account should not have been set-up -as- non-profit. It's a *business* 
PayPal account, and so will require all the supporting documentation 
that any business -should- have: bank account in the name of the 
business, etc.

I run a networking group for small businesses in my local area. We use 
PayPal. I had selected 'non-profit' back in the day when the account was 
created, as it was closest to what we are. We do not make money from it, 
but it's not a registered Non-Profit. Therefore, when our account was 
frozen by PayPal, we had to jump through these same hoops. We have a 
bank account in the name of the 'business' (which is just our 
organization) and the switch from Non-Profit to an appropriate business 
class was handled over the phone, with PayPal's resolution center agent. 
Of course, we submitted the necessary paperwork electronically. Whole 
process took maybe 2 days.

 From another perspective, PayPal are merely ensuring that account 
holders are not mis-representing themselves (i.e. claiming to be 
non-profit when they are not). It is their service, and if that's how 
they choose to run the service, it's up to us (as consumers) to use 
them, or not. I continue to use PayPal and have been very happy with the 
service.

Now, that's not to say I'm insensitive to Johnny's plight... but perhaps 
he needs someone to manage the 'business' of HFC whilst he can go on 
doing the good work?

Just a thought.

Robin Wood wrote:
> 2009/7/15 Matt Hillman <cybereagle at gmail.com>:
>   
> > http://www.hackersforcharity.org/259/paypal-shuts-us-down/
> >
> > Not only is this screwing up Hackers for Charity's operations, but Johnny
> > and his family are kind of being screwed as well! Spread the word, a lot of
> > annoyed people might help this get resolved quicker.
> >
> > Its also on digg, if anyone still remembers there account heh
> > http://digg.com/security/PayPal_shuts_down_Hackers_for_Charity
> >
> >     
>
> This is bad, there has to be someone out there who has a contact
> inside Paypal who can help out.
>
> A charity I deal with got stuck in a similar position, a manager left
> and Paypal refused to talk to anyone else even though it was a
> business. They couldn't get cash out  till they went through a whole
> raft of paperwork and proving things. Paypal were not helpful at all.
>
> Robin
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