Jackpot Factory & US Customs

[mgibson99]

Lastly, I am sure you will understand that I will no longer play at any of your casinos

I understand that you've had a weeks worth of headaches, but this guy seems to be genuinely trying to help you, and may be your best bet to get this resolved. Even though it may be your intention never to play there again (understandably), jabbing him (actually the casino) at the end of your post surely can't be very productive.

 

[linda7]

Thats a big problem today, people would rather sugarcoat an issue just to get what they want. I, on the other hand, shoot from hip and tell it as it is....if it costs me a problem with getting paid, then I was going to have a problem anyway and this would be just an excuse not to pay me as they have promised.

 

[jetset]

Linda, please - this is one of those times when you need to put the sixgun back in its holster (just temporarily!) and let this manager (?) from JF try and sort the problem out as fast as possible.

Of course, this is what he/she - or in his/her absence someone else in management at JF should have done right from the start because at the end of the day you are Jackpot Factory's VIP player/customer - not their processor's.

I can understand why you are so angry and frustrated - hell, I would be too, and it could have been avoided with some sensible communication by JF management...but that's something for them to (hopefully) learn from.

Right now the priority should be to get you paid even if things have gone too far to keep you as a happy VIP customer.

BTW this Customs story still doesn't ring true to me. I honestly cannot see a successful group like JF issuing dud or counterfeit checks or working with any bank that would. When this has all been sorted out it will be fascinating to see what the real reason for Custom's actions was...and how legitimate they were.

 

[unicorn40]

I don't blame Linda7 one bit for being annoyed and upset.

She did NOTHING to cause or create this situation, and when she tries to contact someone at JF, she is given the cold shoulder. The least someone from there could have done was contacted her, and tell her not to worry, and that they would work with her while this gets sorted out.

As Proc Cyber is responsible for checks and payouts for JF, then JF should have been the ones to contact them about this, as Proc Cyber is THEIR processor.

Of course she won't be playing there anymore. No one in their right mind would, if something like this happened to you. All she wanted was someone to help her, and instead she got ignored by the JF people she trusted.

Why is Linda expected to make calls, try to get information about this, and get all stressed out?

It is the casinos responsibility to see that she receives her money, and for JF to deal with whatever problem Proc Cyber may have in this situation.

Again, Linda did nothing to cause this to happen. She shouldn't have to do anything like she's been doing to get paid.

JF dropped the ball here. Hopefully, they can salvage this situation in a promp and satisfactory manner from this point.

 

[greedygirl]

Thats a big problem today, people would rather sugarcoat an issue just to get what they want. I, on the other hand, shoot from hip and tell it as it is

It's one thing to be angry and frustrated at JF's apparent lack of response on this--it's quite another to accuse them publicly of issuing counterfeit cheques, without having a shred of evidence. It's certainly fair to discuss your situation in a public forum, however, it seems that you've tried and convicted JF, based upon some erroneous information you've received. Until you have concrete evidence that indeed, you were issued counterfeit cheques, we have to consider the claims to be strictly allegations.

I NOTICE THAT THERE IS NOT ONE CASINO THAT DOES NOT HAVE A COMPLAINT AGAINST IT. THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE.

So, now because a casino may have claims against it, it should be banned outright? It's not about whether a casino has claims against it or not--what it IS about is whether the casino has acted properly or improperly. How often have we seen claims that were made fraudulently by players? How many times have we seen claims that were unfounded, due to a player not reading T&C's? Day in and day out, we've seen people screaming about how they've been screwed by a casino and in reality they weren't. To be honest, you're doing the same thing, here. You haven't been screwed by the casino...you HAVE, however, been a victim of both U.S. Customs and poor customer service by JF support.

I mean no disrespect when I say that IMO, your frustration with JF's lack of information and help has clouded your ability to look at this situation, fairly. Please don't misunderstand--if I was anticipating $30,000 and was in your situation, no doubt, I'd be freaking out...rightfully so.

I'd like to ask, do you truly believe, deep down that the cheques issued were done so, fraudulently? Please consider the facts, here--JF uses Proc-Cyber to process their transactions. Knowing that Proc-Cyber is responsible for the bulk of Microgaming's operators, would it make sense that they've issued you counterfeit cheques? Why you? You would think that since the inception of this thread that (if this was standard operating procedure for Proc-Cyber), others would have come forth by now, proclaiming similar scenarios. Although $25,000 is a tidy sum, it's hardly up there with hundreds of other withdrawals we've all been made aware of over the past few years. Also, consider that JF's properties are watched over by eCOGRA. Additionally (albeit not as timely as we all would have liked), JF has turned up here to address this matter, publicly.

Clearly, JF is not trying to stiff you out of your winnings. They have made concerted efforts to take care of this, swiftly, by either wiring or sending the payment via ACH to your bank. The fact that they had not cancelled the cheques as rapidly as YOU would have liked, is of little consequence. My guess is they were hoping this would be resolved with Customs by now and as such, it would have been in YOUR best interest to hold off on the cancellation.

 

[MrWolf]

Linda,
If it's of any comfort, my last Wildjacks withdrawal was an ACH. I received a statement from the casino saying it was paid June 30th. I've just checked my account, and it arrived July 1st. So there won't be a problem getting paid through this method. As I stated in an earlier post, I've had dozens of ACH payments through Wildjack's processing firm Proc Cyber without any problem.

As far as I can see, the only thing Jackpot Factory has been guilty of in all this is a sluggish response to Linda's problem. I don't think their integrity can be called into question. And they did offer a quicker alternative payment via ACH. So if their intention was never to pay by issuing dummy cheques, why would they have done that?

I find the customs claim that the cheques sent were bogus absolutely ridiculous. There is no way long-established firms like Jackpot Factory or Proc Cyber would be sending illegitimate cheques and undermining their integrity. What's the point? Especially to a VIP customer. If you're depositing $5k a week, then they'll want to keep you not alienate you. US customs really does need to explain and prove these serious allegations. I fear though that an overzealous officer has opened Linda's package, is baffled by the fact that it's not issued by an American bank they'd recognise like Citibank, and starts reading fraud/money laundering into the situation.

 

[mgibson99]

I don't blame Linda7 one bit for being annoyed and upset.

Of course she won't be playing there anymore. No one in their right mind would...

You missed my point entirely. Given the circumstances, of course Linda7 is going to be upset. This is a terribly annoying and frustrating situation for her. And yes, its pretty obvious that she won't be playing there anymore.

Having said that, my point was why zing the guy that seems to be the one that can get this resolved. As far as I can tell, this has been going on for about 6 or 7 days. While it probably seems like a lifetime when you're owed $30,000, in the scope of resolving a casino complaint, it is not out of the question that this guy was on vacation or otherwise unavailable for a couple of days, then gets back, and now is working to resolve this very unusual issue. Should someone else at JF been able to handle it? Absolutely. Should we string JF up the rouge flagpole over this incident? Not yet in my opinion. Just chill for a bit longer to see if this gets worked out.

And maybe I'm the only one seeing this, but the casino's response ("sorry you didn't get the check, let us wire the money to your bank right away"), seems reasonable to me, even if it did take them a few days to figure that out.

I have never played at JF, and I have absolutely no first hand knowledge about JF or this situation, but I suspect that it will get resolved (and yes, I completely agree that she should not have had to go through hoops to get paid).

 

[mgibson99]

And one other point, then I'll shut up. While we all agree that someone at JF should have been able to resolve this matter while this other guy was "unavailable", I suspect that this is a MAJOR, MAJOR issue for the management of JF. I mean you've got a player, and the US Customs, accusing you of writing a bogus check. Doesn't get any more volatile than that. This is the kind of thing that could literally sink a casino if it turns out to be true and the word gets around. I don't think it would be reasonable to expect that a typical customer service rep could just jump right in and take care of this, especially given the large amount.

 

[spearmaster]

Linda, no one is arguing the point that JF should have been more communicative - however, there is still a limited amount of stuff they can do, basically amounting to:

1. Asking you what happened
2. Asking for more details
3. Checking with Proc Cyber to see what went wrong.

You have every right to be frustrated. But the issue is still one between Proc Cyber and Customs, and there is very little JF can do other than hound Proc Cyber to get this fixed. And thus JF is unfairly taking a lot of flak for something that is basically out of their hands.

Unfortunately, this is the best I can do for Proc Cyber - where they themselves undertake to respond within 24 hours:

Outdated URL (Invalid)

For ecash number, enter your account number.

Customs is giving you BS in my opinion. If they found a "few" counterfeit checks, they most likely would have found hundreds, if not thousands, because Proc Cyber processes an enormous number of transactions.

I am betting it's some little junior asshole in Customs who decided that perhaps he could enhance his/her chances for promotion by catching what they thought was an easy fish. I have encountered enough idiots in various Government positions that I find this to be a highly likely scenario. Way more so than the likelihood of a counterfeit check being issued by a large operation who risks the livelihood of potentially hundreds of people by issuing rubber checks.

I again respectfully advise you to contact your lawyer to get in touch with Customs - who I bet will back down faster than hell as soon as they know you are serious about getting your checks.

 

[linda7]

The most important point of all..imo

Hi everyone,

The person from JF who responded here, I do not know if it male or female, has been corresponding with me via PM. It is this person who said what I wanted to hear and it is very simple...."Linda, we value you very much as a player." That is all I have wanted to hear all week. I am not worried about getting paid, and I never was. I was more hurt than anything by JF's aloof attitude and lack of action. Also, please do not think for one minute that I would have received my ACH by now, simply because JF must receive confirmation from their bank that the checks have been cancelled. According to one Rep, this takes approximately 21 days. In any event, I am very happy that JF has finally contacted me and I am fine with waiting however long this takes. There is a major flipside to this issue that no one is realizing....US Customs has now flagged JF/Proc Cyber. Whether it will only affect me, or other players I do not know. I spoke with my lawyer and he will contact Customs on Tuesday to see what he can dig up. However, this pain in the ass "Patriot Act" puts alot of power into the hands of those who will abuse it.

Greedy Girl, do I honestly think that JF sent me counterfeit checks? The answer is no. I even told this to the Customs Dept. and they called me naive.
However, when I could not get anyone from JF to talk with me, I was questioning their honesty.

Needless to say, I am very pleased with the fact that JF is on the case now, and my lawyer can deal with Customs. As for me, I think I am going to go to Vegas and play in the WSOP. I need a rest after this long week.

I will keep everyone posted, especially with the info I receive from my lawyer.

 

[slotchik]

It's not all that simple... you need a routing number that is on your checks, and the bank issued checks you get when you open the account don't have one in your name. You wait 2 weeks to get the ones in your name.

And I'm sure a bank would frown on people opening accounts, having one very large transaction, and then closing the account.

Banks do background checks on people, checking their credit history, and previous accounts, usually to see if they will allow overdraft protection on your account, and to see if you've passed bad checks in the past.

Hi Uni, not true....I just opened a bank account last week and added it to my neteller account. It's my account number and routing number. They dont have to be in your name. I dont know how it is in canada.
Banks dont care if you open the account for one transaction. It's not up to them to tell you what to do.

 

[slotchik]

I don't blame Linda7 one bit for being annoyed and upset.

She did NOTHING to cause or create this situation, and when she tries to contact someone at JF, she is given the cold shoulder. The least someone from there could have done was contacted her, and tell her not to worry, and that they would work with her while this gets sorted out.

As Proc Cyber is responsible for checks and payouts for JF, then JF should have been the ones to contact them about this, as Proc Cyber is THEIR processor.

Of course she won't be playing there anymore. No one in their right mind would, if something like this happened to you. All she wanted was someone to help her, and instead she got ignored by the JF people she trusted.

Why is Linda expected to make calls, try to get information about this, and get all stressed out?

It is the casinos responsibility to see that she receives her money, and for JF to deal with whatever problem Proc Cyber may have in this situation.

Again, Linda did nothing to cause this to happen. She shouldn't have to do anything like she's been doing to get paid.

JF dropped the ball here. Hopefully, they can salvage this situation in a promp and satisfactory manner from this point.

I Agree, Uni, she should NOT be inconvenienced like this.

 

[spearmaster]

Now we're getting somewhere

JF still is, in my opinion, a bit weak at handling customers - but I assure you they will always do the right thing.

Keep us posted on what the lawyer comes back with (probably a quick backtracking or evasive answer from Customs) - and go kick some ass in the WSOP!

 

[largeeyes]

Have to agree with Spear here. See my mass banning post from way back when

 

[jetset]

Hi everyone, The person from JF who responded here, I do not know if it male or female, has been corresponding with me via PM. It is this person who said what I wanted to hear and it is very simple...."Linda, we value you very much as a player." That is all I have wanted to hear all week. I am not worried about getting paid, and I never was. QUOTE]

Well said Linda, and good luck with Customs, this payout and your poker game!

This fundamental principle of communicating and looking after players who are in the main reasonable people looking for support and/or advice seems to escape the attention of way too many casinos and we can only hope that JF has learned to focus on this more efficiently in the future.

I'm still interested in hearing the truth about these Customs allegations if or when it becomes available and I look forward to your progress reports here on that, Linda.

 

[Casinomeister]

Wow, what a weekend! Looks like a lively bunch here - and not to sound redundant - I can see where Linda is coming fro. But if you shoot from the hip, you might not hit your target every time. Take it from experience, it's more effective to identify your target and squeeze off a well-aimed shot. You won't run out of ammo or overheat your barrel this way.

I'm glad things seem to be getting sorted, but I will remain on the edge of my comfy-chair waiting to hear about Linda's lawyer report. Something doesn't jive here - not in the least bit. And I feel that there is a lot more to it than what we've heard so far. Damn, I wish we had a US Customs Agent as a Casinomeister member! That would be fun.

I'm looking forward on getting some more answers here though...

 

[thelawnet]

Hi everyone, The person from JF who responded here, I do not know if it male or female, has been corresponding with me via PM. It is this person who said what I wanted to hear and it is very simple...."Linda, we value you very much as a player." That is all I have wanted to hear all week. I am not worried about getting paid, and I never was. QUOTE]

Well said Linda, and good luck with Customs, this payout and your poker game!

This fundamental principle of communicating and looking after players who are in the main reasonable people looking for support and/or advice seems to escape the attention of way too many casinos and we can only hope that JF has learned to focus on this more efficiently in the future.

I'm still interested in hearing the truth about these Customs allegations if or when it becomes available and I look forward to your progress reports here on that, Linda.

yes, you would imagine that Jackpot Factory would do more to look after someone who clearly wagers hundreds of thousands of dollars with them, and who was as I recall singing their praises when I shared the problems I had getting paid about a month ago. It's very bad when your VIP customers & advocates turn against you. I'm not sure how much Linda is worth as a customer to them, but I can't think of many other business where they wouldn't have been in contact immediately and regularly to ensure that the customer did not take their business elsewhere.

 

[linda7]

Resolved...here is all the info

Hi everyone,

Once I started receiving PM's from Jackpot Factory I felt much better, as I posted previously. The gentlemen who worked with me was Simon Johnson and I am very grateful to him and everyone at JF. Upon confirmation of the cancellation of the checks, which was only yesterday July 7th, JF immediately sent out my ACH and the money is in my bank account today and available for withdrawal. That is lightning fast action! On top of which, JF gave me a $1000 bonus, no strings attached, for the trouble I had with Customs. Thank you very much Jackpot Factory, you are the BEST!

As for Customs, this is all my attorney was able to find out. The checks are in the Penalty and Fines Department where they will remain indefinitely. I had to sign a letter sent by Customs where I agreed "to abandon the property seized by Customs". All of this makes absolutely no damn sense whatsoever to me. However, as my attorney said "Linda, we will never know the real truth behind this situation, therefore, just let it go". I would also like to thank my lawyer for not charging me.

I also want to thank all of you for your input, suggestions and information.
This was very scary for me, as I could not understand why Customs chose my Fed Ex to scan and open. If I was rude to anyone, or just plain crazy with my posts, I apologize from my heart.

Lastly, thank you Bryan for having this wonderful forum. I always consider this my safe haven where I can come for advice, information, and occasionally I am treated to a look at the Meister's gorgeous face.

***hugs, love and kisses to you all***
Linda

 

[mitch]

Glad that it has all worked out for you in the end Linda.

Suspect Customs were covering up a mistake on their part.

Must say I like the way Jackpot Factory have dealt with this and I know you have 'bigged them up' in the past.

Might consider visiting them myself.

Mitch

 

[largeeyes]

Glad to see they did you right after my terrible experience. Congrats!