UPDATE – 10/15/2021
We’ve moved to Stripe! Please see c4ss.org/support for more info.
The Venmo is still active for now, although we’re expecting to get kicked off there as well at some point. And we are now set up to receive cryptocurrency donations. To donate via crypto, please contact us at editor.c4ss.org.
UPDATE – 9/25/2021
PayPal has gotten back to us. We’re unable to ever use PayPal again.
The reason given by a customer service rep was that “…your account is too much of a risk to continue a relationship with PayPal. This decision is final and irrevocable.” No further information was given and we were told no more information will be forthcoming about what “risk” was posed or what triggered this decision.
We will be able to withdraw the funds that are currently in PayPal accounts after 180 days, if PayPal determines that we don’t owe any of that to third parties. We don’t owe any of this to third parties, but of course it’s worrying given the lack of transparency so far that they could just make something up and keep it.
We’re still trying to figure out how to move forward but, in the meantime, we’ve set up a Venmo account so that we can take in a bit of emergency funding to pay writers, sound editors, and translators for their work in September. Please direct any donations in the near future to this Venmo account:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September, 24, 2021
Contact: Alex McHugh
(240) 510-7831, editor@c4ss.org
Auburn, AL – The Center for a Stateless Society (C4SS), a left-wing market anarchist think tank and media center, has had its 16-year-old PayPal accounts permanently disabled.
It is unclear at this time why PayPal has disabled these accounts. C4SS financial coordinator, James Tuttle, is working with the rest of the coordinator team to try and right this situation as quickly as possible, but we have yet to hear back from PayPal.
This is an absolutely devastating loss of service for us, made worse by the complete lack of transparency and communication around why our account has been frozen and what can be done to rectify the situation. We are currently discussing alternative payment platforms to use in the future.
Not only does this mean we will be unable to pay writers and translators on time for September contributions, we’re not sure when or if we’ll be able to access our funding on PayPal at all. Our store and publishing operation also operate on these funds and so we’re unable to fulfill orders or refill stock for the C4SS Counter Economic Store until this is figured out.
As a point of clarity and transparency: C4SS operates as a 501(c)3 nonprofit media organization under the name of its parent organization, The Molinari Institute and previously used this PayPal account for almost all transactions. We are fully compliant with regard to tax documentation and 501(c)3 status.
