Betting website stole winnings

[LegallyBlonde]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

I contacted them by telephone this morning and was passed through to the security team who deals with suspended accounts. He was very rude and cheeky to me so I do hope their telephone calls are recorded. He did tell me to contact AGCC and gave me the email and telephone number but said the account closure was a final decision.

I then spoke to their customer care team on the live chat who were passing messages to me from the Security Team. They said they will not withdraw the winnings to me and that they will no longer speak to me regarding my account, the advisor even said he will have to terminate the chat and refused to give me the name and contact details of the security teams supervisor or manager therefore I sent an email to AGCC. I would like to know where I stand in regards to an unfair account closure and Sky keeping my winnings.

[righty]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

Contact these http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk...omplaints.aspx

[des8]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

Their T&Cs seem to give them carte blanche to close your account, and retain any credit balance on your account:
17.2 We reserve the right, in our absolute discretion, to close your Account and/or withhold your Account balance and/or recover from your Account the amount of any affected pay-outs, bonuses and winnings by giving you notice in writing (to the email address on your Account) and/or implement a permanent ban from our Services. This includes but is not limited to the following reasons:
17.2.1 we, acting in good faith, have reason to believe that you are in breach of an important provision of these Terms and Conditions including but not limited to Section 5 (Eligibility) in respect of underage gambling and the use of our Services in contravention of the laws of the country in which you are located and Section 14 (Fraud and Cheating);
17.2.2 we become aware that you have used or attempted to use the Services for the purposes of fraud, collusion or unlawful or improper activity;
17.2.3 we become aware that you have played at any other online gambling site or services and, in connection with the same, are suspected of fraud, collusion (including in relation to charge-backs), cheating or unlawful or improper activity;
17.2.4 you fail to provide us with accurate information in relation to your Account;
17.2.5 we, acting in good faith, have reason to believe that you have opened or are using multiple Accounts or a duplicate Account;
17.2.6 where we have taken the steps to void a bet or wager for one of the reasons set out in Section 13 (Refusing Your Bet or Wager) above, your actions leading to that shall be considered a breach of these Terms and Conditions and shall entitle us to close your Account;
17.2.7 you misuse our websites;
17.2.8 we are required to do so by any regulatory authority or court;
17.2.9 we discover that you are accessing the Services in contravention of the laws of the country where you are located; or
17.2.10 you become bankrupt, if you do not make payment of a court judgment on time, if you make an arrangement with your creditors, or if any of your assets are the subject of any form of seizure or if analogous proceedings are brought in relation to you anywhere in the world.
17.3 Upon termination of these Terms and Conditions any outstanding bets or wagers will be void.
17.4 You agree to compensate us for any costs, charges or losses sustained or incurred by us (including any direct, indirect or consequential losses, any loss of profit and any loss of reputation) arising where we close your Account in accordance with Section 17.2 above.

Keep complaining, and if you get nowhere try adverse publicity.

[LegallyBlonde]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

Thank you everyone for your help. I have received a reply from AGCC this morning just stating they have received my complaint. I have also just sent an email addressed to a manager at Sky so hoping for a positive response.



When we both joined the website, it was £20 free bingo bonus, no deposit required. We have been lucky to win quite a bit with the free bonus (I am not talking thousands) a few hundred between us and it is obvious that they don't like paying out - as each time we have gone to withdraw small amounts (£10 - £20 here and there) we both get suspended. We then sent in photo ID, bank statements which they were happy with, now they are using the 'sharing a computer' as a terrible excuse to close the accounts.

I don't believe they have any right to withhold any winnings we have won, regardless if it was won with free bingo bonus or not?


A quick search on Google and I can see many have had similar problems.

[Fred]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

Good to read your happy to follow up your complaint.........reading the terms they seem well covered but that does not mean that fobbing you off is good business practice.

Be interested to see how far you get & best of luck.

[righty]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

Good to read your happy to follow up your complaint.........reading the terms they seem well covered but that does not mean that fobbing you off is good business practice.

Be interested to see how far you get & best of luck.

AND they may not comply with current legislation ie "unfair contracts" etc

[Fred]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

AND they may not comply with current legislation ie "unfair contracts" etc

not a fan of Sky in any way.......one minute (when they want your custom) they love you the next when you complain its something else ending in "you"

[des8]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

AND they may not comply with current legislation ie "unfair contracts" etc

Nice point.
Gambling Commission in an advice note of 2013:
3.27 The Commission has also imposed a licence condition on operating licences that requires
licensees to satisfy themselves that the terms on which gambling is offered are not unfair
under the provisions of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and, where
applicable, the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. It is also a Social Responsibility Code
provision that licensees must be able to provide evidence to the Commission, if required,
showing how they satisfied themselves that their terms are not unfair.

[LegallyBlonde]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

It just gets worse, they have suspended my daughters account today and told her it is because the account is linked with mine and my partners account. Customer care team then went on to say it was because of 'bonus abuse' and gave her the figures of her deposits and won/withdrawn amount. This just proves to me that the reason behind all this is because we won with free £20 welcome bonus, they would be happy to keep taking but wont pay out when you win. She also has winnings which they have admitted they are not allowed to hold but said they can hold them if they believe abuse was commited. How is winning with free bonus that we are entitled to classed as bonus abuse?

[wales01man]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

Looks like the keep moving the Goalposts everytime

[LegallyBlonde]

Re: Betting website stole winnings

Matthew A: Hi, you're through to Matthew A.
: hi matthew i get a suspended account message when i try to login
Matthew A:Can I take your User ID please and I'll have a look for you?


******
Matthew A: Can I take your mother's maiden name and the name of your first school please
******
Matthew A: And your first pet please
***********
Matthew A: Thanks
Matthew A: One moment please while I check with security
thank you
Matthew A: This has been linked to several accounts that have claimed multiple bonuses that they were not entitled to, therefore I have been told that i am unfortunately unable to reopen your account
I do not understand how it can be linked to my mothers and fathers. They have their own account. Please can you tell me what bonuses I am not entitled to?
Matthew A: So the notes on your account are that its linked to ____ and ____
Matthew A: We are not able to reopen your account due to this unfortunately
: those username names are my mum and dads accounts
Matthew A: This is not my decision
Matthew A: Security will not change their decision though unfortunately
I understand it isn't but no where in the terms does it state that we are not allowed an account each
Matthew A: That is correct you are allowed an account each but there would be much more behind the decision than that for instance all betting on the same thing at the same time
Matthew A: I do not have these accounts to comment on
Matthew A: It does say in the terms and conditions we are able to close and restrict accounts as we see fit
: The security team are fully aware we share a computer at times, this is where the problem lies. There are other players sharing a computer too so I would like an email response with this decision as I will be taken further action
: it states that they will close all but one. however we have an account each and this is allowed
Matthew A: If you feel that this is unfair you are able to make a complaint to complaints@skybet.com, however we are able to close all accounts if we wish to, we are not obliged to offer anybody a service unfortunately
Matthew A: Just like if you want to go into a bar or nightclub the owner does not need to let you in
: You are not obliged to keep hold of winnings
Matthew A: We are not, but if they have been fraudulently earnt using bonus money we would be able to
: There has been no fraud commited
: There has been photo ID sent in for all three accounts
Matthew A: As I have said it is our security team that make that decision
Matthew A: I am not able to do anything further for you unfortunately
: Yes and I would like the 'security team' to send me a written response to my email address. I do not understand what bonus money I was not entitled to. I see the problem here is we have won money from the £20 welcome bonus. sky are happy when they taking money but not when they paying it out
Matthew A: Ok so as I have already explained our security team are not obliged to send you any confirmation regarding this as I have confirmed this today. I can see in your account you have deposited £x and withdrawn £x. you are able to make a complaint to complaints@skybet.com but based on these figures it is unlikely that the decision will be reversed
Matthew A: is there anything else I can help you with?
: So the problem here is that I have won money with the welcome bonus. You would be happy if I kept depositing?
Matthew A: as I have said and will say for a final time, I am not given the specific reason why your account has been closed by our security team, only that they have told me it is due to bonus abuse. If we believe that bonus abuse has been committed then we reserve the right to withhold funds that have been fraudulently gained in an account. I am not able to pass any further comment regarding this now unfortunately.
: The decision to close our accounts is not because we share a computer, but because we have won with free bonus we were entitled to.
Matthew A: I am sorry you feel this way, is there anything else I can help you with?
: Right ok Matthew but you have gone from telling me our accounts are linked to telling me it is because of bonus abuse.
Matthew A: Yes the security team has said your account has possible bonus abuse and is linked to those other 2 accounts
Matthew A: I think that these 2 things are linked
Matthew A: Do you have any other queries?
: Gurdy at security knows fine well we share a computer at times
: yes can you tell me who won a house on ID *******
Matthew A: If you do not have any other queries I am now going to need to terminate this chat unfortunately
Matthew A: I am not at liberty to discuss other accounts unfortunately
: If you check it you will see it was my mums account who won, yet at the time her account was already suspended. How does this make it fair for other players?
Matthew A: As I just said I am not able to discuss other peoples accounts, however it would ring alarm bells with me that you know somebody elses account so well
: Where is the money going if sky is withholding it? This could be seen as a fix
: I was playing in that game at the time she won when her account was already suspended
Matthew A: People are not able to access or use a suspended account
Matthew A: It appears this query is related to your original query unfortunately
Matthew A: This means that I am going to need to terminate the chat now to speak to other waiting customers
: I was on my own account in the room when my mums account won that house, her account was already suspended when she won. So I would like to know where the winnings would go as this could be seen as a fix
Matthew A: Have a good day
Matthew A has disconnected.