Poker4Ever Nightmare

Today I finally met the required raked hands to receive my deposit bonus at P4E. They have been good to me at the tables. What a shock I got after trying to withdraw the funds. Here is what they sent.


"Due to our new security rules for cash transfers, we need an identification document from you, to process your cash-out request. Until you provide the document, your withdrawal will be put on hold.

1. A copy of your identification document (e.g. Passport, ID card or Driver's license)

There are three options available to you in sending us the document:

* you can send it to us via e-mail by contacting our support team,
* you can fax it to the following number: 00356-23711624 (from U.S. and
Canada, dial "011" instead of "00").
* you can upload your scanned document on our website.
To do this, please go to our website www.poker4ever.com and select "My
Account / Details / Player documents"

We count on your understanding and cooperation regarding this issue and we are looking forward to receiving your ID and processing your withdrawal.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us."

I don't think so,lol. Identity theft is alive and well especially on line. For all I know, they are Joe Schmoe running a poker site out of his garage. What guarantees do I have that this delicate information will be kept secure. None. Just their word. Well, if you believe that, I have some swamp,,I mean waterfront property for sale in Florida. So I basically told them the same and this is how they responded.

"Thank you for contacting POKER4EVER support.

Due to the new rules imposed to us by the LGA, we have to ask you to identify yourself before we can process futher any of your withdrawals.

We count on your understanding and cooperation regarding this matter and we are looking forward to receiving your document and processing your withdrawal.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. The POKER4EVER support team is at your disposal 24/7."


The battle continues.

This is quite standard, many poker sites request ID before processing a withdrawal. If you don't trust a site, why deposit there in the first place?

Deposit with Neteller to avoid this - I use Neteller exclusively and have withdrawn from at least half a dozen sites without any request for ID.

Try sending the documents with highly sensitive data brushed over if you're really concerned and see what happens.

I've done this a couple of times, too. The way I see it, is that it's me they're protecting. I've never had any issues with it, and all the information they can read out from my driver's license and utility bill (which they also usually ask for, to verify address) is information I've already put in when I registered.

I do have Neteller and I have made withdrawls before without complications.

And no, they are not protecting you. Measures like these help reduce the outflow of funds.

Back to the battle

There have been multiple emails back and forth between us. They keep insisting that they are doing this because of a ruling change by the LGA. So I used P4E's link to the LGA and sent this email.

I submitted a request for a withdrawal of funds ($100) from Poker4Ever
that was refused until I provide them with a copy of my drivers licence
or passport.

I have withdrawn funds from them before without providing any
'delicate' information.

It is irresponsible and unrealistic to expect account holders to
provide these types of documents to an unknown party. Identity theft is a
real possibility.

Funds deposited and withdrawn, from and to other poker sites, are
managed through Neteller. Neteller is the secure site that holds private
information.

Please investigate this situation and advise.

Brock Edwards

Poker4Ever alias crustyjack

And here is how the LGA responded,,,

Brock

The Local Government Association is a lobbying organisation, representing local authorities, and trying to influence central government on issues that affect local authorities. We have never had any interaction with betting websites, jurisdiction over them, setting rulings, or anything else, as this has no impact on local government. I suspect you are mistaken in emailing us.



I sent a copy of it to Poker4Ever. The battle continues.

I got a reply from the manager of P4E. Not an automated one, a real one. She wrote.

Dear Sir,

My name is Ms. Verena Steiner. I am the manager at Poker4Ever. Our support has brought your complaints to my attention. I would like to work with you to resolve this issue to our mutual satisfaction.

As you correctly pointed out when you mentioned the possibility of complaining to the Lotteries and Gaming Authorities, Poker4Ever is a fully licensed operation operating under very strict control by the authorities. You can rest assured that your documents are kept in the strictly confidential and protected by systems that we are required to have audited by a third party poker for security.

Also as an experienced player and also contributor to industry forums, you must surely be aware that licensed operators are required by law to identify their clients; this is required not only to prevent fraud, but also collusion between players and off course money laundering. I saw from your correspondence that you yourself pointed that that some collusion may be taking place during one of the games - positive identification of players is an important part towards preventing collusion and ensuring fair game play.

Kindly gives us your collaboration so that we can successfully carry out our identification obligations and settle this dispute quickly and on friendly terms. I will personally see to it that your payment is processed as soon as the documentation is complete.

I look forward to your positive reply.

Yours sincerely

Ms. Verena Steiner


Sounds very convincing. I don't believe everything I read and I definately doubt what people claim. Here is my responce.

Thank you Verena, for your prompt response. I do appreciate it.

However, your (personal) assurances of confidentiality and security are insufficient. My identification can be verified by the simple fact that I have a 'Neteller' account, which in turns requires that I be the owner of my own bank account which in turn again, requires, and has access to, any personal identifiaction, and *is* secure and confidential

Identification can also be verified by tracing Internet Protocol addresses, an option available for legal auditing purposes and to the appropriate agencies.

For any third party poker that wishes to audit your membership, my verified identification may be obtained through those proper, legal, and secure channels.

As well, of considerable concern to me is that the Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Malta, a name and link provided to me by you, responded to me with the following information:

<sic>
The Local Government Association is a lobbying organisation, representing local authorities, and trying to influence central government on issues that affect local authorities. We have never had any interaction with betting websites, jurisdiction over them, setting rulings, or anything else, as this has no impact on local government. I suspect you are mistaken in emailing us.
------------------------------------

That said, I will *not* be providing you with copies of personal identification such as a driver's license or passport, and certainly *never* would provide such copies to anyone, banks included, via email.

I have enjoyed playing poker at this web site, and will continue to do so.

Thank you,
Brock Edwards


What proof do I have that P4E is secure. None. Just someones word. She could be gone from her position next week. Then where would I be? Let me add one thing, a warning-- the internet and email are not secure means of transfering personal identification documents.

the battle ends

crusty

Can I make a simple suggestion here? Stop being a hypersensitive ass about this - listen to Dorkus's advice and send them the ID. Seriously, send a cope of your driver's license with any sensitive data blacked out, and that should be good enough.

dont do it crustyjack, as all the poker sites are linked to a cloning institute set up on the moon(on the dark side, you can't see it, but we know it has a dark side, cause Pink Floyd told us), and as soon as they have your details they feed them into a supercomputer and out comes a clone of you, although your name gets reversed, so you'll be known as jackcrusty. Anyway, they then send your clone to the planet Mars, where unbeknownst to man they're are intelligent lifeforms on that planet, namely fish. But, not our watery friends, but poker-fish, your 'call a 5xbb with T9 cause it was suited' type fishes. Anyway, as your clone is a master of poker, he will defeat the evil fishes in the Galaxy Series of Poker(live from the planet Mars), and will be poker king of Mars, just like our Phil Ivey is poker king of Earth(lovely chap, Phil, cleans my windows once a week for free).
Anyway, sorry to waffle.
Finally, in the words of that great man, namely Homer Simpson, 'I was being sarcastic!'
If you don't trust a site, then dont deposit. It's that easy. Then I wouldn't have to waffle on like this, would I?

LOL. That's funny. Well put. And yes, don't deposit if you don't trust the site.
Would anything really have stopped you?

No.








See, I dont always waffle. Its just most of the time. I think I got it from my grandfather on my mothers side. he was a great waffler, could have been waffling king of england, if it wasnt for his gammy leg, which he got in the second world war................I'll stop now.

Maybe I wasn't clear about something. This is a change in their policy. I have withdrawn before with no complications. There's an echo in here. Odds are, nothing will happen. But if it does....good luck to ya.

how did you deposit theis last time on the site, did you use neteller or something else

I for one was not saying "Why deposit there if you don't trust them?" because I thought you'd know about withdrawal requirements, I was just saying that it's odd for someone to deposit money into a place they don't trust in general.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Toadly
...anyway once I was winning 2 out of 4 sessions regularly I was willing to play at anyone time up to half of my total bankroll.

Stars: Qhr1s
Party: Qhr1s0
Full Tilt: Qhr1s0
King Solomon's: Qhr1s0



Ok this should be fun to watch!!! you 2 should set this up and let us all observe !!!