#badbookies

#badbookies for sure.

It's hard for punters to catch a break and I'm witnessing more and more examples where bookies don't even feel the need to offer a fair (of course, it's never really fair) and decent service to customers.

I can’t think of occasions when bookies have overpayed me, but underpayments occur on a regular basis.

£25 each way Spain to win the Euros at 15/2 ½ the odds. Cut back from an initial request of £200. Payment should be £331.25 but I’m being told it pays £275. Repeated requests to resolve the matter are ignored but I have discovered they settled it as 1/5 the odds instead. This should be an easy mistake to spot and rectify but perhaps they think I’ll give up.

Requests for IBAS references aren’t forthcoming, something you need when you take your complaint to IBAS. Enough to make you give up trying to get your rightful amount?

I’ve had numerous requests for source of fund information. What I don’t understand is the timing of these requests. They’ve happily taken my bets and only ask the question when it’s time to pay me out. Can you afford to bet with us? We’re not sure, so we’ll withhold your winnings until we can be sure you could afford it in the first place. An interesting way of protecting your customers.

IBAS, that independent organisation, offers so little protection. In my experience they say the weight of evidence supports the bookmaker but it’s not actually the weight of evidence. It’s the weight of significance IBAS apply to each argument. The bookie’s argument is seen as fact whereas the punter’s viewpoint is disregarded and not investigated.

Now, I’m in the midst of one of the hardest cases I’ve come up against. A bookmaker saying my slip has been paid out. I held the slip, but the bookmaker claims I wasn’t the one who placed the bet, except initially they said that I did.

Criminal, you say? Yes, I agree. When I went to get paid out, they confiscated my slip, saying it was a dead slip. They weren’t too sure why but after looking into the matter, concluded that I had placed a bet, asked to cancel it, then placed the returned stakes on another bet. Therefore, my winning bet had been cancelled.

I pointed out to them that this was not possible and they reviewed the case. A different conclusion arose, one which they felt I couldn’t repudiate. This time the bet had been paid out to the customer who placed it. They wouldn’t say whether that was me but, get this, the CCTV had been reviewed. The CCTV has since been deleted – matter closed.

Step in IBAS to find in the bookie’s favour. Don’t ask me how, but they did. At least I garnered more information. The bookie confirmed that I wasn’t the person who placed the bet. Curious that I should have the slip in my possession, but that part didn’t interest IBAS.

There were so many flaws with the bookie’s arguments, all conveniently disregarded by IBAS.

Fortunately, I have kept copies of a list of bets I placed that day and also the types of bets I place which confirm the chances of me not having placed that bet is as close to nil as you can get. Add in that a bookmaker chooses to change their story and there can be no doubt of who is telling the truth.

It’s a sorry state of affairs and I’ve heard plenty of stories that I’m not the only one.

What I can do is highlight these issues in an attempt to bring them to the public domain.

Bookmakers hold all the aces. There’s no need for them to stick another one up their sleeve. As time goes by I can highlight the better bookies to deal with and the ones who should be ashamed of their behaviour.