Clusterfuck for PayPal Germany in Progress?

Clusterfuck for PayPal Germany in Progress?(stopmebeforeiblogagain.com)

2 points by blacktar 13 years ago | 9 comments

blacktar 13 years ago |

German law basically dictates that if you tell someone they won a prize, you have to give them that prize, no ifs or buts:

§ 661a Gewinnzusagen Ein Unternehmer, der Gewinnzusagen oder vergleichbare Mitteilungen an Verbraucher sendet und durch die Gestaltung dieser Zusendungen den Eindruck erweckt, dass der Verbraucher einen Preis gewonnen hat, hat dem Verbraucher diesen Preis zu leisten.

jagermo 13 years ago | |

Yes, but there is also §119 BGB, disputability due to an error (not correct translation). http://dejure.org/gesetze/BGB/119.html

If it was a technical mistake (which it seems it was), Paypal should be able to avoid payment (again, not a lawyer. But yes. A clusterfuck (and one with the potential of much lulz).

blacktar 13 years ago | | |

We'll see how it turns out. Bring popcorn.

blacktar 13 years ago |

PayPal Germany confirms as mistake http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=...

blacktar 13 years ago |

Another German legal blogger chimes in on the gaffe: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=...

blacktar 13 years ago |

TNW broke the story in English http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/06/07/paypal-accidentally...

blacktar 13 years ago |

TL;DR PayPal Germany seems to have sent mass-emails claiming German customers have won 500,- EUR when they have in fact not. Kaspersky Labs have verified emails as legit, coming from PayPal.

blacktar 13 years ago |

(Mental note to self: Never ever use "clusterfuck" in title when posting to HN ever again. Karma mod trolls do not approve.)

danbar87 13 years ago |

Let's asume 500.000 PP-Users got this message - legal will force PP to pay out - this is a 250 million EUR gift :D