←back to thread

Ask HN: Stripe holding funds for 120 days for no reason

158 points interesting_att | 1 comments | 22 Oct 22 15:43 UTC | HN request time: 0.2s | source

Hi Guys--

I started a Stripe account (even incorporated through them) for a basic graphic design and web design service business.

I process a few charges and even though I didn't get a single chargeback or dispute, Stripe decided to deactivate my account and said they would refund all the charges that were processed.

Which would have been fine with me. They said they would refund on Oct 17, but that date came and past. So I kept emailing.

Now they're saying they're holding all the funds for 120 days because of "elevated risk".

Which is insane because they have already withdrawn all the funds, meaning their risk would be zero if they refunded everyone.

I am beyond hurt and confused as I did need this money for my daughter. These decisions have real impacts on real families.

What do you do in this scenario? I have tried contacting support at Stripe but seems to be of no help.

Show context
nodesocket ◴[22 Oct 22 17:22 UTC] No.33300189[source]▶
HN is not the forum to file customer support tickets. Stripe has great customer support and even live chat support.
replies(7): >>33300283 #>>33300299 #>>33300311 #>>33300385 #>>33300545 #>>33300633 #>>33302597 #
xwowsersx ◴[22 Oct 22 17:36 UTC] No.33300299[source]▶
The fact that OP (and many others) have felt they need to post on HN in order to escalate is a reflection of the fact that, however good Stripe support may be (and I've no doubt they are swamped, trying their best, etc.), it is clearly not "great." This is the third or fourth time just this month I've seen people at their wit's end, reaching out on HN because they have nowhere else to turn. As in the other posts, Edwin usually responds. I agree HN isn't a support forum, but let's not pretend Stripe customer support is great or that people aren't feeling they have to come here as a last resort after having exhausted conventional support channels.
replies(2): >>33300327 #>>33300596 #
smoldesu ◴[22 Oct 22 17:39 UTC] No.33300327[source]▶
I don't have to pretend Stripe Customer Support is great to know that Hacker News is the wrong place to whine about it. At least, it severely dilutes the intellectually gratifying content with banal, emotional diatribes. Every company experiences this, regardless of the quality of their customer support.
replies(3): >>33300398 #>>33300998 #>>33301373 #
1. xwowsersx ◴[22 Oct 22 17:46 UTC] No.33300398[source]▶
This wasn't mere whining and characterizing it as such is uncharitable at best.

> What do you do in this scenario? I have tried contacting support at Stripe but seems to be of no help.

OP is clearly asking for advice, not just idly whining. The fact that Stripe is a YC company (no, I'm not saying that this means HN becomes the de facto support channel for any YC company) and the fact that many developers in the HN crowd use Stripe means HN is as reasonable a place as any to ask for advice on how to proceed.

(Let's also have a bit of empathy towards someone whose funds, which could quite possibly be the livelihood they depend on, is locked up by an unresponsive, faceless company.)