Paypal Power Up – Scam?

So I received this e-mail one day, and RSVPed immediately. I thought to myself how interesting the event was going to be, and somehow I suspected anyone with a Paypal account in Malaysia will be getting this invitation.

I was right; after asking around on both Facebook and Twitter, there were many responses and all were eager to find out what Paypal would be surprising us with in Malaysia.

From Facebook:

From Twitter:
 
pir8by: RT @kruel74 @sotongzai Ini pasal PayPal Power Up? @spinzer @saadkamal @sotongzai @saimatkong @thechannelc @xescx looks like a tweetup

thechannelc: @icednyior Paypal xmas party. @kruel74 @sotongzai @spinzer @saadkamal @saimatkong @thechannelc @xescx apakah itu Paypal power up?

icednyior: @kruel74 @sotongzai @spinzer @saadkamal @saimatkong @thechannelc @xescx apakah itu Paypal power up?

lightyoruichi: http://twitpic.com/rns3r – Is this the one? RT: @dustyhawk: @lightyoruichi Paypal Power Up Event

blogjunkie: anyone heard of this PayPal Power Up event? what’s it about?

 

Mind you they are all prominent social media figures with certain expectations.

 

Soon after, I got this:

 

… wait say that again?

 

Please do not make arrangements to come to the event as we’ll not be able accommodate your attendance.

 

3 words: what on earth?!?
 

FIRSTLY: there SHOULD be a “TO” between ‘able’ and ‘accommodate’, it’s MISSING in that sentence and it reeks of POOR english! (yes I’m anal like that)
 

SECONDLY: why the hell are they thinking we would gatecrash the event? Well excuse us, but in case you didn’t already know, a few of us cancelled on other events on that day so we could always go where we are wanted. Honestly, it wouldn’t do us any harm just by telling us that there’s no more space, so WHY insinuate that we WOULD come anyway?
 

It is honestly really disappointing to many of us, no offense to those who DID get their invitation accepted.

The response on Twitter speaks for itself:

icallitart: @BervinCheong Mine too. I’m pretty chissed at their unprofessionalism about it. Think other’s got rejected too. @spinzer @kruel74

icednyior: @icallitart @BervinCheong @spinzer @kruel74 @spinzer @thechannelc the Paypal Powerup email was just DOWNRIGHT RUDE

kruel74: @icednyior @icallitart @BervinCheong @spinzer @thechannelc I was just saying to another guy PayPal now appreciate Msia. Yeah, rite

lightyoruichi: @joshuaongys http://kimag.es/share/36690069.png @icednyior @icallitart @BervinCheong @spinzer @kruel74 @spinzer @thechannelc

ICallItArt: I sent an email complaining to them ady. @icednyior @BervinCheong @spinzer @kruel74 @spinzer @thechannelc

theChannelC: @kruel74 @icednyior @icallitart @BervinCheong @spinzer @spinzer who’s the event company behind Paypal is what I want to know also.

ICallItArt: @thechannelc @kruel74 @icednyior @BervinCheong @spinzer @spinzer They also pulled shit on @Bakizainal who was supposed to host.

Kruel74: RT @icallitart @thechannelc @icednyior @BervinCheong @spinzer Also pulled shit on @Bakizainal who was supposed to host

Spinzer: Okay, something’s definitely wrong here. Gonna blog this. RT : Almost everyone I know got rejected. It’s a hoax people!! #paypalparty

SotongZai:: @spinzer @arzumy I think @dustyhawk got invited.

Dustyhawk:: @sotongzai didn’t get it apparently its a hoax @spinzer @arzumy

 

The. Worse. Event. PR. Ever!
Not only did it create bad publicity, it actually spun off in all those confusion to create the perception that this program is a hoax, done to collect data from everyone who RSVPed for God knows what purposes they have in mind.

 

Seriously, these guys got a lot to learn if they want respect from us. I’m not dissing Paypal itself, mind you, but come on… Basic courtesy calls for a polite rejection, can you not even do that?

 
Updates:
Geert Desager of PayPal’s Senior Marketing Manager, SEA has apologized in @icednyior’s post. Visit her site to read the apology comment. Just being fair.

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spinzer

He is an avid blogger at Spinzer.uS and lives 24/7 on Twitter by the moniker @spinzer. Left Investment Banking to pursue the unleashing of Malaysian Gen-Y's hidden talents by founding the EYE (Empowering Youth Endeavors) Project. He co-founded the Young Corporate Malaysians and assists RandomAlphabets in his spare time. He plans to build a socially good empire out of his social media consultancy outfit called SocialGrooves.com in a bid to turn the world into a better place by 2020.

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