Unfortunately, Even Skype Can’t Get PayPal Payments Right
January 27, 2007Unfortunately, Even Skype Can’t Get PayPal Payments Right
If you don’t already know, the online payments processor PayPal is owned by eBay, who also owns the Skype VoIP soft client and service. I finally convinced myself that the N. American Skype promo,which is only US$14.95 for a full year of unlimited calling, is worthbuying. Even though I won’t use it much until after I move to Torontolater this year, the $14.95 deal ends in a few days and increases to$29.95 after Jan 31st.
So, with PayPal being a sister company,you’d think Skype could get the payment process simplified. I just wentthrough the process, and clicked on the “pre-approved” checkbox (forsimplifying later Skype purchases), online to find that instead oftaking money out of my PayPal account, the transaction wanted me to adda credit card. I don’t use them, plain and simple. So that means I hadto start the whole process over, but without the preapproved setting.Which means that if I want any additional services, I have to gothrough the process again.
Of course, Skype doesn’t yet haveSkypeIn numbers for my area (soon to be Toronto), and the promo givesme free calling within Canada and the US for a year, so the point ismoot. That is, I don’t need the preapproved option yet, but I will. Andthen again, this is a PayPal problem that I repeatedly encounter when Itry to buy subscriptions or give pre-approval for something. Thatmeans, with my forgetful nature, businesses lose out on sales from me.I just wish they’d display a clear message saying that that such andsuch an option requires a credit card.