Paypal wants to possibly close our account - all your ideas and help in this thread

[Stark]

I’ve just received some very troubling information from Paypal.

In short paypal thinks we are not complying with their policies of:


Your account has been limited for violating PayPal's Acceptable
Use Policy. Under the Acceptable Use Policy, PayPal may not be used to
send or receive payments for items that promote hate, violence, racial
intolerance or the financial exploitation of a crime.

So you see guys we are in a tight spot atm, the problem is that AC is heavily relying on paypal donations to pay for the montly server bill, and this is the very
First time I am completely stumped on what to do.
I can of course get rid of the WAR is hell 18+ Gallery section which they have outlined in their email, but I am not sure if this will be enough.
I have heard of problems with another webpage in where I know the webmaster pretty well, but given the fact that I have to pay for the server by the end of the month and since I also know that I with the baby on the way I will not be able to just pay for this with my credit card I am as I said for the very first time in three years since AC is online completely out of options.
I have send them an email to advice them that I have taken the 18+ section down but I am not sure in how much this will satisfy them.

I have created a Forum thread in where I once more ask for your ideas and help to keep AC online.

[Razboj]

There exists many other sevices like "paypal". PayPay, Alertpay, Liberty Reserve, Moneybookers, E-Gold, Digital River, 2Checkout, Trialpay, E-junkie...

[elzee]

Stark,

tell Paypal to GAGF! There are plenty of online Credit Card facilities that are used by Pr0n sites to allow subscription (and possibly donation).

Ring up your bank or Credit Card facilitator and ask them to put you in touch with the right department. They want your business!

Failing that and if it's getting all a bit too hard, life is too short my friend. Put this AC shit on hold. We'll still be here when you get back from having a family. Some things are more important than websites! :)

Wish you a safe and happy family!

[Stark]

Thanks man, but you see the problem is and I am fully aware of this, if I leave now thats it, we all have worked too hard for 3 years to make AC what it is todate.

There are a couple of things I will try,

1) Our own Credit card donation system
2) Epay with a merchant account

But man this looks bad right now

[olewhiskey]

Stark you can link through a credit card service like Merchant Warehouse or others asap. they want your money like Razboj said no problem, they will charge you 1.5 to 2% per transaction. NO WAY give this site up, its not for us but you have put waaaaaaaay to much into this, I understand 110%. Just ask your bank if you can't find a mechant service but I am sure you can. Email me if you hit a wall . I'll ask my friend Ken if knows of a faster way to get set up, it might take a day for you to hear from him.
This will happen.

[Chaser]

that stress with paypal is not new for me, i have do the follow with one of my old sites (a sex-contact site) and after that i had no more problems with paypal:

make a new "soft" domain with paypal-button and link to the site from the mainpage.

[Blazuhhh]

Although I haven't donated frequently, switching to a credit card payable/donating system will not give me an other option to donate since I don't have a credit card. (just don't need one)

Paypal says that you are promoting violence and such. Can't you explain the purpose of AC in a way that the site is purely a journalistic medium that uncompromisingly depicts the situation in the Middle-East today from just the military perspective only?

[joelee]

Stark, first of all thanks for all you have done so far. It is greatly appreciated by all of us, as I'm sure you are aware.
If you could set up a post office box, and accept checks you would have mine every month.
I guess I'm behind the times, but I don't like to give my card # on the web.
I know it would add a step to the process, but you would have total control, and no one could question the content of the site.
And my first check would be in the mail the day you post an address. :)
Good luck

[eaglethebeagle]

there are sites like godaddy.com that offer shopping cart webpages. just create a page with the shopping cart and make the merchandise optional donation prices. I am not as tech knowledgeble as most but this sounds like it can work. Thank you for all your time and efforts to the site it is appreciated. If this doesnt work I will miss it but if your family life is being affected then i say it isnt worth it and take care of family. Good luck and God Bless..

[pickup]

I've send 5 dollars via paypal today. And i proofed it again as I read this. The money is transfered to you. HAHAHA now I#m a paying thug. Aja a credicard systeme is not goo. I have no credit card and I become no card. Jobless sorry guys.

[eaglethebeagle]

Although I haven't donated frequently, switching to a credit card payable/donating system will not give me an other option to donate since I don't have a credit card. (just don't need one)

Paypal says that you are promoting violence and such. Can't you explain the purpose of AC in a way that the site is purely a journalistic medium that uncompromisingly depicts the situation in the Middle-East today from just the military perspective only?

If you dont have a cc you can go pay cash at most stores wal-mart target pharmacies like walgreens cvs sell reloadable credit cards or that have a selected balance like 50 or 100 dollar amounts so then you pay $50 for a $50 card. This also helps those who are not wanting to use their personal cc or debit online because the card is low balance and not connected to a bank account.

[Stark]

okay folks,

Thanks for all your ideas I look into them, I have complied with Paypal and have send them all relevant documentations.
Lets see what they say.

I'm not even sure if I can open a PO box in Ireland but I look into that as well.
I also will look into the shopcart option but I feel very uneasy to store credit card details on the server - never mind how good our hoster is.

I think I change Apacheclips slogan from Like a Box of chocolate to Like a fucking rollercoaster

[eaglethebeagle]

you might offer ad space on the site? There has to be some people who have something to market and would like to use your site as a placement. weapon manufactures ammo manufactures other video upload sites that want to cross promote their site. Since alot of members are men maybe a 1800flowers.com since we need to be reminded to buy stuff for our wives and girlfriends. Jewelery websites for the gift reminder again. optics websites, gun sales webstie like gunbroker.com, there has to be some ad sales out there somewhere.

[scumbag]

that site had the same problem, and I think came up with a solution! Fuck paypal I will never do business with them, nothing but horror stories!

[deadmike]

Do not go with a merchant account or ePay or PayMerica or anything like that. You are going to get ripped off with excessive fees and monthly charges and if you ever decide to leave, they are like the Mafia and will make you regret that you ever did business with them to begin with.

I have used PP for years and I'm sure I speak for a lot of people in saying I will not sign up for another payment service unless there is a really good reason ...

I'm not saying my support with AC would stop, but PP is the common denominator and many AC members already have become comfortable with it's security and services.

I definitely agree with CHASER, talk to him and prevent this from ever being an issue again, remove any tight coupling of the donation to AC and have it associated with a site they can never find issues with.

You are chasing a moving target and they are in charge of deciding whether or not you can use their service, so they can keep moving the target and you will never have a final resolution.

[rocky5544]

Paypal did the very same thing to my movie site as we had some adult material on it. There was no way we were going to cut out 30% of our paying membership just because some pissed off asshole decided to report us. I simply switched from paypal and business carried on as usual. Here is a page that may help you.

screw-paypal(dot com)/alternatives/alternatives.html remove the (dotcom) and put in the symbol. Cant add link! also add the www at the start.

[Markoxx]

check this out http://www.screw-paypal.com/alternatives/alternatives.html

[PAGhillie]

There exists many other sevices like "paypal". PayPay, Alertpay, Liberty Reserve, Moneybookers, E-Gold, Digital River, 2Checkout, Trialpay, E-junkie...

I agree with Raz,many other companies out there just do some research.Screw PayPal,someone just has there panties in a wad,or there towl on there head too tight!!!!

[mickk]

You have missed something Boss.

Why has Paypal recently done this? I think your friend who you are having a stoush with that you posted the other day might be the answer. Someones complained, I bags him. I didnt find a thread about his threats so I post this info here.

Re that bloke, you should read the email I sent you re this site from the US Govt stating that there is nothing they can do about sites like this one as there are freedom of the press issues and the problem of exactly where sites are actually published.

I am about to send you a very Australian solution to your dilemma with Paypal. That means it is shifty but 100% legal and will cost you nothing. Comes from the Convict background you see.

[GoMotherRucker]

Another safe alternative is to use something like GoogleCheckout for donations. I think their fee is less than PayPal as well.

And for another source of income I would sign up for a Google Adsense account and I'm sure that they make a vBullitin plugin for aiding you in setting this up. You can also look into Kontera - (I would post a link but I guess I'm not allowed to yet)