PayPal slaps down Dr Who ‘charity book’

This can only end in tears: a PayPal processing ban has stalled production of a charity book based on celebrity’s memoirs of Dr Who.

Just ten days after the producer of the book began his “crowdfunding” experiment by accepting pre-orders for the book, PayPal stopped accepting payments, according to the producer’s blog.

Profits for the compilation, called Behind the Sofa, were to be donated to Alzheimer’s research, according to Steve Berry, the project organizer.

Radio Times says PayPal is “talking” to Berry.

According to Berry: “They [PayPal] would like to investigate my account first. They are asking me for documentation about my business (I am not a business) and proof of invoices/suppliers, etc (which I cannot give, because I am still in the process of completing the final manuscript of the book with design and layout all being carried out by some excellent volunteers). So there is no way for me to resolve the situation using their ‘resolution centre’.”

Berry now states he is looking for other ways to fund the project, and since PayPal is holding the funds while its investigations continue, nobody will lose their money.

While El Reg is inclined to sympathise with a charitable effort, the incident underlines, once again, that anyone planning to accept PayPal payments needs to understand all of its terms and conditions before they start. ®