Players Accounts closed for "RISK MANAGEMENT"

[Sissy]

BPU has had several complaints lately about Bingozest.com, BingoZest.co.uk, AlphaBingo.net, CyberBingo.com, CyberBingo.co.uk, BingoSky.com and dailyexpress-bingo.com There have been several complaints in the last few days that the above sites are closing accounts for a reason called "RISK MANAGEMENT". The players say that just "all of a sudden" their accounts were closed and that was the reason they were given!!

There was a statement posted by one of BPU members that the sites would "cruise" the forums and any member name they found matching one of their players would result in the player account being closed with no warning. Some still had funds in their account and some didn't.

As the Meister and your members know, most players do whatever they know to do at any given site before they turn to our forums for help. When the player has exhausted every avenue, they then turn to a public forum trying to get help. One player states they have sent 72 emails without a response . These sites listed above have punished those who feel the need to speak on a public forum by closing their accounts. THIS IS WRONG! What their players do outside of their site is NO business of the site! This is all about freedom of speech!

It seems that if they feel threatened by one of their players posting at forums, they close their accounts! I have sent emails TWICE to Bingozest.co.uk AND bingozest.com and one time to the others listed above.

The last I heard, BingoZest manager's name is Jason, but he absolutely REFUSES to have the common courtesy to respond to ANY issue! Even the players are asking if he exists, and if so,WHY does he not answer their emails. So far it seems I am having the same results with the others as well.
It seems these particular sites do not want anyone playing in their sites who have a mind and life of their own outside of the site.

It seems to me that if players allow this kind of treatment without standing up to the industry, more than just the bingo sites will adopt this invasive behavior. Who is to say that the online Poker sites won't do the same? We feel, under the circustances, these sites should be blacklisted by every forum and more important, EVERY PLAYER!


We are asking players to put their focus on the following sites............ Bingozest.com, BingoZest.co.uk, AlphaBingo.net, CyberBingo.com, CyberBingo.co.uk , BingoSky.com and dailyexpress-bingo.com. Stop playing there or don't start! The only way players can change things like this is to stand up and tell them we won't take it!! Hit them where it hurts the most.... $$$$$$$$$$.

Thanks to the Meister for letting me post this on his forum! We are trying to get the word out to as many online players as we can!

[Wild Heart]

Did these sites actually tell you that accounts were closed due to posting on forums?

[Sissy]

As I said in the post above, these sites have not had the common courtesy to even repond to our emails. BPU has several, if not MANY posts with proof that players accounts have been closed BECAUSE they participated in forum discussions.

[silkprint]

When did this start?

[Sissy]

Looks like the first complaint we had was July 13, 2007 and the number of complaints have escalated since then. Several have posted in the last week, mostly about BingoZest. NAVYMOM is a respected poster and always has back up to her statements, so we have no reason not to believe this.

Please notice than even back then she get's "NO REPLY" from Zest management, Jason.

NAVYMOM said:
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:39 pm Post subject: AlphaBingo unwritten rule

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've just discovered this morning as I tried to log into Alpha that my account has been disabled. There was no page that came up indicating this...only the 'log in information is invalid/incorrect'...so I tried emailing management (Jason) to find out what happened. I didn't hear back so I went to Live Help instead and asked. I was told that it had been disabled because of comments I've made at this site (bingoplayersunion) that bad-mouthed Alpha.

[Wild Heart]

Originally Posted by Sissy

As I said in the post above, these sites have not had the common courtesy to even repond to our emails. BPU has several, if not MANY posts with proof that players accounts have been closed BECAUSE they participated in forum discussions.

So you're "assuming" the accounts were closed for participating in forum discussions. This is not verified information. Gotcha.

[Sissy]

No, I am not assuming anything. May I ask what kind of verification do you need? The word of a long standing respected member of BPU is enough for me. The complaints of SEVERAL other players is also enough to make me dig as deep as I can go to find out.

The fact that these sites do not respond with answers to end this issue and to save their reputation bothers me. The fact that these players cannot get into their accounts because they have been closed for "Risk Management" reasons bothers me.

I do not believe I know you, but if you came to me with this same complaint I would try to help you, just like I am trying to help players coming to BPU when they have problems. If the sites would tend to their business and take care of their players..... public forums would not be getting involved. Do you agree?

I am no expert at anything and won't swear one person or the other is lying.
But I will continue to ask questions and make comments about issues that are ignored for what ever reason, until I do get some answers. I am a firm believer that when these people go to sites to play, if they enter the chatroom, they should read chat ettiquette rules of that particular place and follow them.

I believe when they are NOT in that chatroom , what they say and where they say it is their own business. In the USA we have freedom of speech. Many freedoms are lost everyday, but this is one I intend to keep fighting for.

Please forgive me if I sound "hard" but it is hard to be a player advocate to begin with. For those who are okay with being told what they can or cannot say, play on! For those who are tired of it, help us get the word out.

BPU has just begun this fight, we still need lots of answers and/or explanations. We are in hopes that enough public attention will "back these particular sites" into a corner, and they will respond!
Thanks

[chuchu59]

Originally Posted by Sissy

Looks like the first complaint we had was July 13, 2007 and the number of complaints have escalated since then. Several have posted in the last week, mostly about BingoZest. NAVYMOM is a respected poster and always has back up to her statements, so we have no reason not to believe this.

Please notice than even back then she get's "NO REPLY" from Zest management, Jason.

Did you manage to get a copy of the live chat?

[Wild Heart]

The only member I see that claimed their account was closed due to posting on your forum is NavyMom. From what I saw the other members 1st posts on your board were about their accounts being closed already. Therefore, I'm not understanding why you insist their accounts are closed for posting on your forum.

[NAVYMANS-MOM]

This may get a little lengthy so please bear with me....When this activity was happening to me, the term "Risk Management" hadn't been 'invented' yet by the sites and is only new over the last week or two as managers of online sites scramble to try to shut up their now knowledgeable membership from informing their still unsuspecting membership.

The first instance BPU and the rest of the online gamblers becoming aware of players' accounts being disabled was through my notification. I had only been a member here for a couple of weeks and yet had been a member in very good standing with AlphaBingo for over a year, depositing and winning regularly. I posted what happened when I tried to log into my account at Alpha: http://www.bingoplayersunion.com/viewtopic.php?t=1355

(I neglected to copy/paste chat at that time because I was so shocked at the reply I got; however, I DID make sure when it happened again at BingoSky to copy/paste that chat....I NEVER heard from Jason or anybody else at Alpha as a reply to my email to him, although that's who I was told to email when I was in the discussion with LiveHelp because that person said she couldn't help me get the account re-enabled)

I then, a few days later, discovered my account at BingoSky had also been disabled for the same reason and posted that here as well: http://www.bingoplayersunion.com/viewtopic.php?t=1411

Also...according to a live chat I had with BingoSky previous to all this discussion here regarding their being connected to Cyber, Alpha, etc. BingoSky is a stand alone site and has no sister sites: http://www.bingoplayersunion.com/viewtopic.php?t=1353 and I've copied/pasted it again here (this chat was in July of this year):

Copied/pasted from LiveChat at Bingo Sky...

Breanna: Welcome to BingoSKY Support. How may I help you today?
you: Hi, I need some information about your site
you: I heard you were a sister site of Cyberbingo to which I also belong and am afraid I might be breaking a 'multiple accounts' rule if you are
Breanna: No, we are a stand alone site
you: I try to be an honest player but find that sometimes I trip over myself without meaning to
Breanna: so there would be no rules broken
Breanna: i understand
you: Thank you very much....I feel much better now
Breanna: you're fine

I now have two sites out of the ones mentioned in this thread disabled for being a member here at BPU so this morning I went to Cyberbingo and tested my log in there. I've never deposited at any of the long list of Cyberbingo sites (I'll list those below as well), but was surprised that my login went just fine and I was able to get in with no problems....the account has not been disabled at least for now. I wonder if I made a deposit and actually tried to do a cashout if that's when the bomb would fall though.

CYBERBINGO NETWORK * if this network is also associated with BingoZest, Alpha Bingo, Bingofest, and BingoSky, and is owned by CB Corporation as mentioned in another area of this site, add the rest of the Cyberbingo Network to that list
Cyberbingo
WorldBingoHall
BingoBunnies
4BingoBingo
4LiveBingo
BingoBingo
BingoJackpots.com
Playbingoonline.com
ZingoBingo
BingoWay
BingoTastic
BingoStorm
MasterBingo
ExclaimBingo
HookedOnBingo
LadyluckBingo
Bahama-Bingo
ArcadeBingo

NOTE BY ME: Since my accounts began being disabled in July with the very explicit reason given that I was a member of BPU, the term Risk Management has begun popping up as a vague reason to other BPU members who have now begun having their own accounts disabled at these sites. There have been subtle changes being made very quickly at various sites to include disabling accounts in their rules....most of which now claim to be able to close accounts FOR ANY REASON without notice...and once the account has been closed NO CONTACT can be made to find out why since you are totally ignored. LiveHelp when it's available just repeats the statement that it's a decision made by the Risk Management Dept and emails are ignored or dumped into a delete/spam folder at their end and if there is no LiveHelp available, you can't send a trouble ticket because you can't log in.

My personal opinion is that once you complain via a trouble ticket or LiveHelp at these sites, you are automatically red-flagged as a possible trouble maker at their site so by disabling your account, you cannot enter their chat rooms to either publicly complain where other players can see it or to ask a chat host what needs to be done to get a problem resolved. If you go to a site such as BPU or here to complain about anything before your account is disabled because you are getting the run-around with support at the site itself, you are again faced with a closed account at the site, even if you have funds on deposit there.

This is totally unacceptable behavior giving the site itself complete power over your ability to deal with issues with them including being forced to forfeit all money in your account, and they are now using Risk Management as a vague blanket response to closing your account with them leaving you in the lurch, and they believe they aren't accountable to anybody for this behavior because most of the sites aren't governed or regulated. They may be regulated by the laws of the UK, but if they are actually based in Antigua or Costa Rica, they figure they are home free doing whatever they want.
_________________
A J (TONI)
"People may not always remember what you said, but they will always remember how you treated them"