lord flashheart
Experienced Member
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2015
- Location
- UK
Apologies for this one, but it may be a bit long.... If you don't want to read the back story scroll down to where it says "Why is there no official policy for verification"
Back Story:
I have just finished a rather long winded battle with Bet365 in order to get my account verified. Just so you know, I will tell you all what happened:
I opened an account with Bet365 about 6 or 7 years ago and used it sparingly up until about 2014. The account was initially verified with photo ID & their postal verification code.
At the end of last year I contacted their support as I could not remember my log in details. After retrieving these I logged back in and updated my details accordingly before registering any new payment details & funding my account. I successfully deposited, placed a few bets and made a withdrawal with no issues at all.
I tried logging in again during the beginning of April only to find my account had been locked and they wanted verification details - this is where the problems start......
I had used on my account the following cards:
prepaid mastercard (cardone)
Visa Debit (Co-Op)
Support told me to send the following documents:
Photo ID - I sent Driving License
Bank Statements for each card
and PVC code
I explained that card one do not issue statements, but I can send a screenshot of the account & send a photo of the card. Support told me that a photo of the card will suffice.
I sent a photo of my visa debit statement for the other card
I also explained that they had not sent a PVC code to my new address, but they sent one to me at my 1st address and this was used to verify my account 5+ years ago.
We eventually agreed that my ID, Visa bank statement & photos of bank cards were sufficient.
3-4 weeks later, I still can't log in and contact customer services to find out why. They now want a 2nd form of ID and give me the following list:
Driving License - (already sent)
Passport - (i don't currently have one)
National ID - UK doesn't issue them
After explaining I don't have a passport and I sent my license already they ask for my birth certificate. I eventually send this (about a week later as I was busy / forgot about it) wait a week and try to log in again......
STILL Suspended pending verification.
I have to go back through the same explanations in regards to the prepaid card & PVC code which I assume they checked the previous chat records and all seems OK. I am then told because my visa bank statement doesn't show my card number it can't be accepted!?!?!?! I have to then explain that my sort code & account number are on the card aswell as the statement.
After nearly 2 months my account is verified.
Now the main point of this post....
Why is there no official policy for verification?????
The UKGC leave verification up to the casinos / bookies. For UK based customers there should be some form of acceptance policy as part of the license agreement. Currently bookies / casinos can effectively keep asking for documents or so much ID that people could eventually be trapped.
Proof of funding issues:
Now I have a bank account, but prefer to use a prepaid card as its incredibly frustrating to keep having your bank card blocked every 2-3 transactions online. However none of these produce paper statements, meaning the only way of providing proof is via photos of the card, PDF download or screenshots of the accounts. Why are screenshots of neteller / skrill accounts ok, but of a prepaid bank account (which requires you to be over 18 and verified to open) not ok??? These prepaid accounts also require you to be 18 as well, which should act as proof of age. The first 4 digits of a card define the type, they will know it's a prepaid card from this, so in turn should know it requires you to be 18 to have one and also that they require verification to obtain!!! If cigarette machines in Germany can verify your age from your bank card, then bookies should be able to acquire this information also from the card transaction (bad analogy I know, but it's still relevant to age restriction)
Verification policies differ everywhere and they should be rectified by the UKGC
I think everyone can agree that acceptable photo ID for a UK citizen is either a passport or a driving license.
Proof of address I feel is a big problem though. The last 5 properties I have rented in the UK have been all inclusive of bills therefore nothing is in my name. I don't have a mobile phone contract, but even if I did, many disregard this as a "utility bill" and thus not valid as proof of address. I don't see how 1 document is less valid than another in regards to bills. I could be 16 and be responsible for Gas, electric etc.... but a mobile contract requires you to be 18. If anything a mobile contract should be held in a higher regard for an age restricted service.
Oh just a quick note on this. GENTING CASINO wouldn't accept accept a screenshot of my prepaid account or downloaded pdf statement as proof of address (all I had at the time) They did however ask for a copy of my tenancy agreement - I could have fraudulently made a tenancy agreement myself - I pointed out how retarded they were and asked them to close my account!!!
as for bet365s PVC - i believe this is a good idea and perhaps all bookies should do this, however they should be sent out overtime you change address and not ask for a code sent out 6+ years ago!
i think they should establish the following (for UK citizens):
ID:
passport or driving license (including provisional)
Proof of address:
Council tax statement, Utility bill (inclusive of phone / broadband contracts), bank or credit card statement. if bank is prepaid or paperless statements are used, then a pdf or screen shot should suffice - it is incredibly easy to see if these have been edited or not.
Age verification:
implemented from aforementioned "german cigarette machine" for bank cards
photo ID
Postal verification
Ownership of card / funding source
I know this probably sounds like what is already in place, but there needs to be some form of policy in place. If a screenshot is okay for Skrill / Neteller - why not a prepaid card? I know some prepaid cards are blocked from bookies - skybet & paddy power block some of them. Either they're all okay or they're not. If one can be blocked, then they must be able to block all of them.
if a driving license is okay, why not a provisional? both are government issued.
if a phone bill is okay, why not a mobile phone bill?
There are some blackholes with the verification process that need severely updating for modern times.
apologies for this post - it's pretty messy, unorganised and probably missed loads of stuff out - I can't be bothered to write anymore or go back through it to rectify things.
Bet365 really annoyed me though!
Back Story:
I have just finished a rather long winded battle with Bet365 in order to get my account verified. Just so you know, I will tell you all what happened:
I opened an account with Bet365 about 6 or 7 years ago and used it sparingly up until about 2014. The account was initially verified with photo ID & their postal verification code.
At the end of last year I contacted their support as I could not remember my log in details. After retrieving these I logged back in and updated my details accordingly before registering any new payment details & funding my account. I successfully deposited, placed a few bets and made a withdrawal with no issues at all.
I tried logging in again during the beginning of April only to find my account had been locked and they wanted verification details - this is where the problems start......
I had used on my account the following cards:
prepaid mastercard (cardone)
Visa Debit (Co-Op)
Support told me to send the following documents:
Photo ID - I sent Driving License
Bank Statements for each card
and PVC code
I explained that card one do not issue statements, but I can send a screenshot of the account & send a photo of the card. Support told me that a photo of the card will suffice.
I sent a photo of my visa debit statement for the other card
I also explained that they had not sent a PVC code to my new address, but they sent one to me at my 1st address and this was used to verify my account 5+ years ago.
We eventually agreed that my ID, Visa bank statement & photos of bank cards were sufficient.
3-4 weeks later, I still can't log in and contact customer services to find out why. They now want a 2nd form of ID and give me the following list:
Driving License - (already sent)
Passport - (i don't currently have one)
National ID - UK doesn't issue them
After explaining I don't have a passport and I sent my license already they ask for my birth certificate. I eventually send this (about a week later as I was busy / forgot about it) wait a week and try to log in again......
STILL Suspended pending verification.
I have to go back through the same explanations in regards to the prepaid card & PVC code which I assume they checked the previous chat records and all seems OK. I am then told because my visa bank statement doesn't show my card number it can't be accepted!?!?!?! I have to then explain that my sort code & account number are on the card aswell as the statement.
After nearly 2 months my account is verified.
Now the main point of this post....
Why is there no official policy for verification?????
The UKGC leave verification up to the casinos / bookies. For UK based customers there should be some form of acceptance policy as part of the license agreement. Currently bookies / casinos can effectively keep asking for documents or so much ID that people could eventually be trapped.
Proof of funding issues:
Now I have a bank account, but prefer to use a prepaid card as its incredibly frustrating to keep having your bank card blocked every 2-3 transactions online. However none of these produce paper statements, meaning the only way of providing proof is via photos of the card, PDF download or screenshots of the accounts. Why are screenshots of neteller / skrill accounts ok, but of a prepaid bank account (which requires you to be over 18 and verified to open) not ok??? These prepaid accounts also require you to be 18 as well, which should act as proof of age. The first 4 digits of a card define the type, they will know it's a prepaid card from this, so in turn should know it requires you to be 18 to have one and also that they require verification to obtain!!! If cigarette machines in Germany can verify your age from your bank card, then bookies should be able to acquire this information also from the card transaction (bad analogy I know, but it's still relevant to age restriction)
Verification policies differ everywhere and they should be rectified by the UKGC
I think everyone can agree that acceptable photo ID for a UK citizen is either a passport or a driving license.
Proof of address I feel is a big problem though. The last 5 properties I have rented in the UK have been all inclusive of bills therefore nothing is in my name. I don't have a mobile phone contract, but even if I did, many disregard this as a "utility bill" and thus not valid as proof of address. I don't see how 1 document is less valid than another in regards to bills. I could be 16 and be responsible for Gas, electric etc.... but a mobile contract requires you to be 18. If anything a mobile contract should be held in a higher regard for an age restricted service.
Oh just a quick note on this. GENTING CASINO wouldn't accept accept a screenshot of my prepaid account or downloaded pdf statement as proof of address (all I had at the time) They did however ask for a copy of my tenancy agreement - I could have fraudulently made a tenancy agreement myself - I pointed out how retarded they were and asked them to close my account!!!
as for bet365s PVC - i believe this is a good idea and perhaps all bookies should do this, however they should be sent out overtime you change address and not ask for a code sent out 6+ years ago!
i think they should establish the following (for UK citizens):
ID:
passport or driving license (including provisional)
Proof of address:
Council tax statement, Utility bill (inclusive of phone / broadband contracts), bank or credit card statement. if bank is prepaid or paperless statements are used, then a pdf or screen shot should suffice - it is incredibly easy to see if these have been edited or not.
Age verification:
implemented from aforementioned "german cigarette machine" for bank cards
photo ID
Postal verification
Ownership of card / funding source
I know this probably sounds like what is already in place, but there needs to be some form of policy in place. If a screenshot is okay for Skrill / Neteller - why not a prepaid card? I know some prepaid cards are blocked from bookies - skybet & paddy power block some of them. Either they're all okay or they're not. If one can be blocked, then they must be able to block all of them.
if a driving license is okay, why not a provisional? both are government issued.
if a phone bill is okay, why not a mobile phone bill?
There are some blackholes with the verification process that need severely updating for modern times.
apologies for this post - it's pretty messy, unorganised and probably missed loads of stuff out - I can't be bothered to write anymore or go back through it to rectify things.
Bet365 really annoyed me though!
