True Poker -- "We Try Harder" (to alienate you)

[chalupa]

So I sit down for a late-night game of poker... and remember that there was an e-mail from TruePoker about a 30% bonus ending Friday night.

I hadn't played there in nearly a year but figured why not give them another try, check out the new software.

I finished downloading their 20MB beast of a software package with 15 minutes to spare, deposit $500 and... no bonus shows up.

Hmm... do I have the time wrong? No, 11:59 Central Time is the cutoff, and they are still displaying a big "30% bonus" message right there on the main software screen.

Minor inconvenience, I figure, and click the button to send a message to the host to have him make sure my bonus was credited.

Sorry, he says, you missed the cutoff by an hour. Eh? I point out the web site says Central Time and they are still advertising it right in the poker lobby.

He replies, it was 11:59 EST. I reply that their web site says Central time. He replies that it was CDT -- DAYLIGHT -- time, which due to the recent changeover is now the same as EST.

I point out that he's not being a very accommodating host and that TruePoker is far from the only game in town. Doesn't budge.

Wow. Customer service on par with the phone company -- from a gambling establishment!!

So, 30 seconds later... $500 withdrawal initiated. TruePoker eats some Neteller in fees instead of making a bunch of rake off my play, and alienates a customer. Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to Party Poker I go.

Before logging off I suggested he watch an Avis car rental commercial.