PayPal says U.K. customer breached her contract by dying

“You are in breach of condition 15.4(c) of your agreement with PayPal Credit,” the letter said, “as we have received notice that you are deceased.” Not only that, it continued, “[t]his breach is not capable of remedy.” Despite the recipient’s status as no longer living, the letter included an instruction to “READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY.” [Kevin Underhill, Lowering the Bar; Leo Kelion, BBC]

7 Comments

  • Administrator of the estate should write them back and express:
    I am so sorry for dying. It was sorta unexpected. I promise to never do it again. Thanks for your forgiveness.

  • So that thing I signed in blood with the feller with the pointy tail … still enforceable?

  • I read the BBC article. I was the executor for my Mother’s estate. I got a few letters like the one mentioned in the article. I contacted the people involved and took care of the issue. I didn’t go running to the media. I wonder when the lawsuit against PayPal will be filed.

    • Jim, that was mature of you. However, don’t you think that people should talk to people like people?

      A friend of mine had his mother die. About a month later, one of the utility companies sent a letter saying approximately “We understand that our long-time customer, Mrs. xxx has passed on. We are sorry to hear this. We would appreciate whoever is handling the bills for the estate contacting us about her outstanding bill.”

      If lawyers didn’t use the language of overweening d**kheads, they wouldn’t be thought of as overweening d**kheads.

      Bob

      • I agree with what you said about people talking to people like people. I it was a person who wrote the letter that would be one thing, but, if somebody checked the wrong selection box or if it was a programming bug or error then it was just a mistake. PayPal apologized, forgave the loan and is looking into the issue. That would be enough for me. I see no reason to go running to the media unless he is looking for a payday.

        • Some person wrote that program. Some person probably told him to write that program and checked it. Or do you think programs just write themselves?

          Some person got that letter and didn’t say anything about it. This person did. As my mother used to say, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

          Bob

  • What lethal remedies are available to cure the death? Please advise further.