Open letter to PayPal Taiwan
Like many online sellers, traders, businesses and individuals, I have used PayPal for several years. I have for the most part been satisfied with the service you offer, even if the fees are high.
However, this year PayPal Taiwan made a huge mistake by signing a deal which made their service less attractive, more difficult to use and created hassle for its users.
From April, PayPal Taiwan signed an exclusive agreement with E.Sun Global Bank stipulating that users of the online service who are in Taiwan are required to open an E.Sun account if they want to withdraw their funds.
This is not only unfair to users who cannot choose into which bank they wish to deposit funds, it is also time-consuming and costly for those making a living through online sales or small businesses, as these people have had to waste precious hours opening new accounts.
To further complicate the process, foreigners with less than a year left on their visas are not allowed to transfer funds from PayPal to their E. Sun account, meaning that in some cases, their money is literally stuck online.
This is a real injustice to those wishing to do business in Taiwan and it will have an adverse effect on the general development of the country’s online retail sector.
I hope that PayPal Taiwan is ashamed of its actions and I believe it owes its customers an apology.
Oliver Drewett
Kaohsiung
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