NETELLER CUSTOMER COALITION "BUILDING AN ARMY"

23 March 2007

US customers financially prejudiced by the Neteller vs. Department of Justice wrangle have formed a strong and fast growing alliance

Millions of dollars in U.S. consumer funds have been tied up in the online gambling wrangle between the US Department of Justice and the Isle of Man-based e-wallet Neteller since January, with inadequate communication from the warring parties leaving customers in the dark. Here's a group where U.S. Neteller customers can join together to exchange information and formulate common action to recover their monies.

The Neteller Customer Coalition is using the Yahoo! groups facility at http://sports.groups.yahoo.com:80/group/NetellerCustomerCoalition/ as a virtual meeting place for ideas on how to free up the millions of dollars in their funds currently in limbo.

Formed as recently as February 25, the group already has over 400 members with more joining at the rate of 50 a day - an indication of the scale of the inconvenience and monetary prejudice which Neteller has visited upon its customers by abruptly pulling out of the U.S. market and locking customer accounts following the arrest of its founding fathers by the FBI in January.

More than 200 members have entered the totals of their frozen balances in the Coalition's database which now totals $2.1 million, and Coalition officials claim there are hundreds - if not thousands - of others with money stuck in the Neteller - DoJ clash.

One official said, "My guess is that there is at least $150 million stuck at NETeller, and maybe double that.

"That's in addition to the $55 millions seized by the DOJ/US Attorneys Office.Our top 25 members have more than $20 000 each stuck. They represent $1.5 million alone."

Coalition founder Eric Goldstein has $1 400 in Neteller that he cannot access, and says: "The latest decision to delay the case [against Neteller founders Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre] yet again is very disappointing.

"What upsets us most though is that NETeller hasn't said anything in over six weeks. They are ignoring their customers while holding millions and millions of our dollars hostage.

"The US government is trying to control what average Americans can and can't do with their own money in the privacy of their own homes. It's outrageous.

"We're building our army while everyone waits for the battle to erupt," Goldstein concluded.

In the absence of clear and regular progress reports from the feuding parties, speculation is running rife that the extension to the Neteller founders' case reflects weaknesses in the DoJ case. However other opinion suggests that the defence's aquiescence to the third extension since January indicates that either a deal is in progress or the defence also needs more time to prepare. Either way, customers are out-of-pocket whilst their frozen funds gather interest that they may never see.

The Coalition has started a database in order to better calculate the total amount of money being withheld from U.S. customers, and lists as its goals the organisation of all U.S. and other members that have money tied up in Neteller.

"We are actively pursuing all avenues that will get our money released - going after Neteller, the government, the media, etc.." the site introduction informs.

STOP PRESS: As we went to press this week total membership of the Coalition has passed 600, with monies entered into the database totalling $3.5 million.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa

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