Don't like Sci-Fi Casino payout terms!

[BrianC]

Hello all.

I have had some bad experiences with Sci-Fi Casino recently.
I never usually play there, and when I have (just for something
different) I always end up losing my pants off.

Well, I managed to pull off a Royal Flush for $4000 and promptly
cashed out only to learn that they offer only 2 withdrawal options:
Neteller and Western Union. Neteller is not an option for me (long story)
so I was forced into using Western Union. I then learned that this casino
would only pay me in INSTALLMENTS. This is bullcrap! Any of my MG casino's pay in full and wire transfer right into my bank account. They offered me only $1000 upfront but in the SAME email they said the max for first installment would be $2000. I wrote them and said that I was NOT pleased with this withdrawal system but wanted the $2000 max they told me about - they would not answer when I asked them why they offered me only $1k of the money. They eventually agreed and processed this 'installment'. Of the $2000, I received only $1902.
$98 in fees for just the first part of the withdrawal - INSANE!

Then, this week, I logged into the account to redeem comp points only to learn that they conveinently left the remainder in my account where it could be reversed back into the account. This was way over 24 hours (about 5 days) so why would this cashed out amount even be left available?
Needless to say, I ended up blowing it all - JUST WHAT THEY WANTED!
Now, I understand that it was me that made the decision to play the money so I am accountable that I permitted myself to do that. But I do fault them for this rediculous "Installments" schedule for cashing out. And, if they need to do it this way then why allow the money to be accessed/withdrawn so easily.
IT IS OBVIOUS THEY WANT YOU TO BLOW THE REST OF IT SO THEY DONT HAVE TO PLAY. Based on that very sneaky, and downright evil tactic, they should be avoided at all costs. All my MG casino's cash me out and after 24 hrs it is no longer there for reversing.

I am so dissatisfied with this casino that I will be closing that account and never playing there again. I would recommend people NOT play there for a few reasons - 1) Sneaky tactics to limit withdrawals and tempt reversing 2) extremely high western union fees 3) awful software (compared to MG, the video poker graphics are so poor it's hard to see what suite is on the screen sometimes without squinting) 4) NO SUPPORT PHONE NUMBERS (they have this awful live support web thing - everytime I clicked it the window would close with no reply or error - even tried different browser but did same thing).

THIS PLACE STINKS! I HATE 'EM.
From now on I will NEVER play anything 'except' Microgaming casino's
that I have good experiences with.

Brian

 

[Lord_Have_Mercy]

Samething happened to me at their sister casino BreakAway! It took over a month to payout $6000. Only got 1500 a week from them. I blew around $800 toward the end.

 

[Slotmachine]

I then learned that this casino
would only pay me in INSTALLMENTS.

I think this is mentioned in their T&C's and that's one of the reasons I've never played there. I think you're only partly to blame for blowing the rest of your money - obviously they took advantage of your lack of impulse control - don't get me wrong I probably would have lost it all too, I suffer from the same disease But I don't really have to worry about it anymore as I play at 32Red and they will flush your withdrawals anytime and should you wish to exclude yourself from reversing withdrawals, they will do that, too. They don't want you to end up feeling bad about them. I'm sure there are other good casinos on Bryan's list as well, I can only speak from my own experience and from what I've learned from the boards.

And payment in installments, a big red flag for me. I'm with you 100% - I want my winnings paid in full, too. And that fee was truly fantastic - 98 bucks!!! Sheeesh

It boils down to bad business practice IMO. Not only did they lose you as a customer (you probably would have given them their money back in the long run, and then some), but now they've lost a few potential ones, too.

Glad you got your $1902, though!

Cheers,

SM

 

[GemG7]

Paying in installments sucks but it's listed on their website as an option, so they are not trying to hide it.

Of course the casino wants you to reverse your cashout, it's just too bad you did.

 

[Slotmachine]

Paying in installments sucks but it's listed on their website as an option, so they are not trying to hide it.

Of course the casino wants you to reverse your cashout, it's just too bad you did.

(edit)Never mind..

Cheers,
SM

 

[suzecat]

This crapola about installments is so wrong in many ways. Could you imagine going to the cashier at a B&M and having them tell you that you will be paid in installments? No way -- it just does not happen!

I like RTG VP and slots and I play at a reputable casino (Inetbet) where payments are sent quickly and with no fuss (they use Neteller, among other methods). There are other ewallets available -- have you tried any of them since Neteller is out for you?

I don't think you will find an online casino that absorbs the costs for Western Union/wires/cashier's checks, so you might want to find an ewallet that you are able to use.

 

[BrianC]

This crapola about installments is so wrong in many ways. Could you imagine going to the cashier at a B&M and having them tell you that you will be paid in installments? No way -- it just does not happen!

I like RTG VP and slots and I play at a reputable casino (Inetbet) where payments are sent quickly and with no fuss (they use Neteller, among other methods). There are other ewallets available -- have you tried any of them since Neteller is out for you?

I don't think you will find an online casino that absorbs the costs for Western Union/wires/cashier's checks, so you might want to find an ewallet that you are able to use.

I use Click2Pay but Sci-Fi did not even offer a cashin option through them.
It was either Neteller or Western Union (with it's mega high fees).
I agree, if my Atlantic City NJ casino's did this to me there would be hell to pay. The exception of course is when you hit a $100K+ jackpot which is
always paid in installments.

I'm still furious about this and to make matters worse I wrote the casino copying the manager, cashier, support and everyone else in the email and they still haven't written anything back to me. It's obvious to me they know exactly why they do it this way and they are content that they don't have to pay me the remainder so F*CK 'EM!

It was a valuable lesson. As I said before, only Vegas7, Vegas Country and Vegas Joker will have my business since they have been very good to me.
I get my money right into my bank in 2-3 days - in full. I just get past 24 hours and it's no longer reversible
I also get some great action on my favorite games: Dbl Bonus and Dbl Dbl Bonus Video Poker. Of course they have the bad swings as well but if you have enough bankroll and hit 'em on different days I can usually recover my costs plus a nice profit.

BTW: I know that 32Red is a great place to play. I signed up but they don't accept Click2Pay I hope they will soon as I will certainly add them to
my places to play. I think 90% of the screen caps I see are from there.


Brian

 

[Ivy29]

Agree

Brian, I feel the same way you do about this group. If they don't want to deal with the subject in your email they will ignore it completely. If you aren't a big loser there, forget bonuses, forget comp points, forget winning a contest. Forget that frikkin coffee, I've been promised that so many times--never gotten it. If I ask them about it in email, they ignore me. If I follow that email with an email with the subject "need help with deposit" they will answer that one in minutes, so I get it. They only want to deal with losers, or the winners if they want to redeposit.

That reversal bullsh*t needs to be removed from all of them.

I hope you came out ahead with them. Uninstall and never look back!

ETA: If you like Microgaming, All Jackpots/All Slots will flush your withdrawal quickly so there is no temptation. Just email banking at the corresponding casino. They accept Click2Pay.

 

[Slotmachine]

If I follow that email with an email with the subject "need help with deposit" they will answer that one in minutes, so I get it. They only want to deal with losers, or the winners if they want to redeposit.

This truly sounds like a bad group. Of course, their business model will yield a good profit in the short term, and then they can retire I guess. They're not intending to stay in the business. At some point after this honeymoon there's gonna be some natural selection going on, and casinos such as these will be just a (bad) memory. At some point, gamblers will actually start demanding fair treatment from the casinos. It's already happening I think.

Cheers,
SM

 

[Stephen Colbert]

In the casino's defense, just about everything you're complaining about is listed clearly on their website.

The only thing I couldn't find within a minute of looking was the monthly cash-out limit, which is shady.

 

[BrianC]

In the casino's defense, just about everything you're complaining about is listed clearly on their website.

The only thing I couldn't find within a minute of looking was the monthly cash-out limit, which is shady.

Stephen,

In all due respect, you are inaccurate.
Check this page here and note the following statements:
" Any player may request any withdrawal method, regardless of their deposit method. "
Outdated URL (Invalid)
-Gee that's funny, I requested direct bank transfer and was told they do not do that.

That link is what you end up at when you follow the "banking" section which is
where a player is going to look to ascertain the details of depositing and
cashing out. It DOES NOT state anything about installments, nor does it state that the remainder of any pending installments would remain reversible. In addition, it does not tell you the fee structure for a WU withdrawal.
In fact, if you dont want to visit the link, here is the only thing is says under the Money Transfer section:

"Money Transfer Withdrawals
Minimum withdrawal is $50. A player's first Money Transfer of a given month over $100 is free, up to a withdrawal of $500.
To find a Money Transfer location near you contact us via e-mail or live chat."

Do you see anything about installments? I don't.

Do you have a vested interest with this casino? Maybe you work there or something?


Brian

 

[Stephen Colbert]

Stephen,

In all due respect, you are inaccurate.
Check this page here and note the following statements:
" Any player may request any withdrawal method, regardless of their deposit method. "
Outdated URL (Invalid)
-Gee that's funny, I requested direct bank transfer and was told they do not do that.

That link is what you end up at when you follow the "banking" section which is
where a player is going to look to ascertain the details of depositing and
cashing out. It DOES NOT state anything about installments, nor does it state that the remainder of any pending installments would remain reversible. In addition, it does not tell you the fee structure for a WU withdrawal.
In fact, if you dont want to visit the link, here is the only thing is says under the Money Transfer section:

"Money Transfer Withdrawals
Minimum withdrawal is $50. A player's first Money Transfer of a given month over $100 is free, up to a withdrawal of $500.
To find a Money Transfer location near you contact us via e-mail or live chat."

Do you see anything about installments? I don't.

Do you have a vested interest with this casino? Maybe you work there or something?


Brian

Right at the top of that page you linked, it shows only two withdrawal options: Neteller and a money transfer. You can request "any" withdrawal option that they allow... which unfortunately are Neteller and wire transfer.

Western Union always eats a good portion of your money, also. Considering that the wire from the casino originates in Costa Rica, the $98 seems about right. Just to make sure, I went to the Western Union website to see their prices, and to send a wire to Costa Rica from New Jersey is about twice as much as the $98 they took (I couldn't find a way to see the price from Costa Rica to New Jersey).

I know it sucks that you reversed your cash-out and gambled it away, but that's not really the casino's fault. They listed that there were only two withdrawal options, and they should've made some effort on the website to show that they pay out installments, but this isn't entirely the casino's fault. I'm all for calling out casinos when they actively screw people over, but these guys were paying out (albeit to a moronic and hidden staggered payment plan), and not actively trying to steal your money.

 

[Andreas]

I see it like Stephen Colbert,

They do have the withdrawal options listed, you can clearly see that only this two are available...

That you reversed your cash-out and lost the money really sucks, but you can't put this on the casino, you did that...
why not make shure that this won't happen again, contact the casino and request them to disable your reverse function...

They also state clear on the banking site readable without scrolling down:
Outdated URL (Invalid)

Withdrawals:
........ Same day payouts are available weekdays for withdrawals under $500, when requested before 12pm ET. Same day payouts cannot exceed $2,000 per week. When withdrawing large sums of money, SciFi Casino may opt to send your winnings in payments.........

you maybe just overread this, the last cache of google is from 21. Jan. 2006

( Outdated URL (Invalid) )

shows it also, so its there and was there, on the page you're raving about...
you don't even have to go through all the T&C to see that..

I personally think the Title of your thread " Sci-Fi Casino STINKS! " is a little hard for that... they paid you and have listed the installments...

Have a great one
Andreas

 

[winbig]

This crapola about installments is so wrong in many ways. Could you imagine going to the cashier at a B&M and having them tell you that you will be paid in installments? No way -- it just does not happen!

Nope, and until online casinos are regulated in every country (yea right), they'll keep pulling this crap. Whats nice about the b&m's is that they're regulated to have money for every chip in play on hand.

 

[ergopro]

I think they still are one of the most reputable RTG casino there is...Paying in installments still sucks...

 

[winbig]

I totally agree, and as it's been stated above, it's right there in plain sight on their banking page. Not like they were trying to hide it.

 

[Ivy29]

SF/BA

To be fair, I have to say I trust them, their games seem fair, and I can count on being paid by 4-6 pm if I cashout by 11 am my time. I've never had the large withdrawal problem, darn it!

As far as Western Union goes with depositing, they will pay the fee if you deposit $100 or more. You send it and they credit your account after you send them the confirmation information. I've never had trouble with withdrawing to Neteller from a WU deposit, either.

So, my point is, they aren't all bad IMO. I just prefer a couple other RTG's because of their superior customer service and comp accrual.

 

[paul02085]

Sci Fi is a good casino. If you dont like their terms, dont play there to begin with. Period.

 

[Andreas]

I understand BrianC that there is some dissappointment about this whole thing, but Sci-Fi is in my eyes one of the reputable RTG's,
They pay, have the installment option listed openly right on top of their banking page...
They don't even try to hide this somewhere buried in their T&C'c...
It's actually great of them to put this right up on the banking page, that's usually the first page new players will go before they start playing...

so please BrianC, the next time, please read the whole banking page and if you don't found anything about withdrawels, then go through the T&C'c... If you still don't find a thing what answeres your questions, contact the casino and asked them about this... That way you know exactly what to expect...

please remember also, that in the case you are mad about a casino because of loosing your money... ( shure, it's no funny to anyone to loose.), take a day to calm down, and then check again the whole casino pages before starting a thread with a title like this....
I think you just overreacted on this and were posting at a time you were really hot about loosing the money..
I don't want to get on your ass about doing this post, everyone having problems with any casino should post this, but.... make shure your accusations ar not just hot air!
no bad meaning at all, I hope you get this right...

I wish you much luck in the future....
take care..
Andreas

 

[caruso]

When I first saw this thread I thought Jetset had lost it and turned into a problem gambler.

3) awful software (compared to MG, the video poker graphics are so poor it's hard to see what suite is on the screen sometimes without squinting)

SciFi has the best video poker paytables on the cyber planet. You prefer MG? So, go play their best crappy 99.54% game. I'll stick with 100.97% at SciFi. You won't see games of this quality at any other casino online. Pretty serious compensation for "poor graphics", lololol.

 

[Andreas]

How could he play there anyway when the games are that bad like he sees them.. ???
But thats just normal raving about the casino and making everything bad... But he was the one playing there... no one pressured him to do so...

his whole posts have no arguments at all....

just because not reading the banking page complete and trying to put the blame on the casino...

Cheers

 

[Simmo!]

When I first saw this thread I thought Jetset had lost it and turned into a problem gambler.

LOL. I did a doubletake too


I think Sci-Fi and Breakaway do generally have a good reputation. That said, personally I would never play somewhere that paid in installments. It just doesn't fill me with confidence!

 

[Casinomeister]

I just got back from London hours ago, and I'm getting ready to take a break for the weekend.

Anyway, I hope BrianC PMd the casino rep: SciFiGroup:
https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/members/

He's a member of the board and he should have had a chance to explain or defend his casinos' policies. In the meantime, I'll rename the thread to something less subjective.

 

[Andreas]

by Casinomeister:

In the meantime, I'll rename the thread to something less subjective.

Thank You! It was way to hard...

Cheers

 

[SciFiGroup]

Thanks Brian,
I guess I better change the email address in my account. I never got a notice of this post.
Couple of things. I will find out why there was a lack of response from support about this. Also, the installment issue is a very old term. It's been like that since we started, or at least as long as I've been around. I personally think it's time to review that term and I will bring this up with everyone soon and see what we can do about this. Expext to see a change of some sort related to the installment payments term.
Thanks
SciFi Group