I do hope Doyel wins big with my $40.00
At least now every time I see Doyel play on TV I can say " I fronted him part of his entry fee" LOL
Honestly to all who read this blog, I budget a whole $50.00 each month to play poker online. I do this because it is entertaining to me, sometimes it frustrates me, and sometimes it gives me a rush when I win a $10.00 hand or $10.00 Heads Up game
This issue means I wont be palying real money online poker for the next 25 days or so until next month. A minor inconvienience.
Not that I like the fact of losing $40.00 because some company has poor policy, but information is a comodity, and I now own $40.00 worth of information on at least one online poker site that is un-trustworthy.
I do think it a shame that I have had the experiance to write about this, and a bigger shame that someone well respected by profesionals and public alike should have his name attached to this.
But I do hope this issue I have will cause at least one person, think about the insecurities of online poker sites and not risk money he or she can not afford to lose.
Posted by XR7 at 8:41 PM 0 comments
I recently had my account at DOYLES ROOM online poker site suspended because they could not contact me by phone.
I received an email asking me to contact them at their 1800 number and I did
This is how the conversation went
“ or stay on the line and our first available representative will help you”
“hello how may we help you”
I have an email asking me to contact you
“please hold I will get security”
“hello how may I help you”
I received an email asking that I contact you
“may I have your screen name please”
XR7
“can you spell that for me please”
X R 7
“what was the last part please?”
seven, as in the number 7
“oh ok" ,,,,, (at this pont I am listening to dead air for at least 45 seconds)
“please read the email to me”
Dear Al;Thank you for choosing the Doyle Brunson Poker Network; it is a pleasure to be of assistance.Please notice that we tried to contact you to the number registered in your poker account, but we were not able to reach you. The reason is that we need to verify over the phone that your contact information is correct, this is an accounting requirement that has to be done with all of our customers that deposit in case they decide to request any further cash outs. Is a procedure that is done only once, so please contact us back so we may confirm your profile information and avoid blocking your deposit options.Please feel free to contact us back if you have any further questions or comments.Kind Regards,Veronica A.Security and Control DepartmentDoyle Brunson Poker NetworkPhone: 1-888-762-4192Fax: 1-801-640-9522
At this point in the conversation I hear the phone being set down on a hard surface (desk maybe), and I am listening to background conversations that sound like a social gathering, even some laughter going onAfter approximately 90 seconds or possibly 2 minutes…
“yes sir your account has been suspended, and I am going to explain why. We tried to contact you by phone and could not. So we request that you send us PHOTO ID and a Utility bill confirming your identity and address”
Well because I do not know whom you are can you please email me the complete registration information I sent to you when I signed up.
“yes I will send it right away”
I will point out that this was a female voice I was talking to, and I know she said her name at the beginning of the conversation but I did not catch it,.
I also need to point out that I initially signed up to Doyle’s Room internet poker site over 18 months ago, and made real money deposits at the time.
As well I was contacted by Doyle’s Poker room over 6 months ago because I requested that they change my contact info because I had moved. I was informed then that I would be required to forward PHOTO ID. I explained that I was not comfortable sending documents that could easily be used in Identity Theft from an internet request.I enquired at the time what would happen if I did not forward Photo Id and was informed I would not be able to request a cash out until I did so.
Nothing was mentioned about suspending my account. And as I treat online poker as entertainment, and probably will never request a pay out I felt this to be acceptable and continued to play.
There is one big question this issue brings to my mind.
Why PHOTO ID? how could the people in charge of security possibly know what I look like. If I sent a copy of my photo id with the picture changed to my cats, how could they dispute that this was or was not my ID.
And then there is another point. When I signed up I was led to believe my information was confidential, and they have just sent all of my information to me via a very insecure email.
And one more point, the letter specifically points out that the requirement “ is incase the customer requires a cash out” then why suspend the account when no cash out has been requested?
I don’t believe the $40.00 in my account is worth the slight chance that my Photo ID and a copy of my Utility bill would fall into the wrong hands.
I don’t believe personally that any of this is anything more that very poorly thought out policy. But I do believe that it is a policy that should be disclosed, in more than just a general way to potential customers of Doyle’s Room poker site.
I heard somewhere that Doyle Brunson was displeased over legislation restricting online gambling in the USA. I can imagine how frustrated he was over not being able to do anything about big government decisions and the effect it has on his business. I can imagine it because of the minor in comparison frustration this simple change of address issue has caused me.
All in all I don’t tend to put very much credence to the negative things I read online when it comes to poker. But I must admit that even if one shred of a “”fixed”” online poker loss is true I am truly glad my loss will only ever be $40,00. I think that is a very cheap education.
Posted by XR7 at 8:24 PM 0 comments
Response to my account suspension
My email reply to Doyle Brunson Room security sending my signup info via regular email
"""In reference to account XR7 registered with your site under my name ***** *********
The account information as you sent it to me is not correct. I update this information with your company months ago.
As your company policy is to transmit my personal information over unsecured normal email connections, as you have just done. I cannot accept this as a secure policy and forward you certified documents that could easily be used for identity theft, and easily intercepted through normal email channels, and or your distribution of those documents through insecure methods.
I understand you have security policies you must follow and so as your letter stated this information is for Quote "in case they decide to request any further cash outs "and I have never requested a "cash out" I feel you should lift the suspension on my account and allow me the entertainment value I have paid for.
If this is not acceptable you may refund the monies deposited to you via the method in which they were deposited. Which is a secure source that is obviously approved by your company, as they processed my deposit to your company
Should none of the above be acceptable to your company I feel the $40.00 in question to be a cheap lesson in "are online gambling sites trustworthy" and consider myself fortunate in learning such a valuable lesson so inexpensively.
I do not however convey that I will keep this lesson to myself and may share this lesson freely as I see fit.
Sincerely***** *********""""""
Above is the email I sent back to Doyles Room security, and do not yet have a reply. Which in all honesty, it is a $40.00 issue which is probably ranks neck and neck with the cost of yesterdays postage stamps in the Doyle Brunson empire
So I wont get too excited that I have no reply, nor do I have access to my account.
Heres some food for thought though, I just put the circumstances of this issue together,
Do they mean anything? I dont know, make your own judgements.
January 30th 2008, ( I have not played at this site for months ) make a $50.00 deposit
Feb 1 2008, an email with the From line "Veronica" is in my email inbox, I ignore it untill Monday Feb 04 2008 at which time I think to myself I will call them in the next day or two.
Feb 06 my account is suspended.
Now on the 30th 31st and probably the 1st I won more hands than I lost as my account went from $50 to over $70 ( you can see I am a big time gambler ) LOL
From the 2nd untill the 6th I steadily lost as my account now stands at about $40.00
Could it possibly be that as I have been determined a security risk because they could not contact me by telephone that the best way to reduce the threat of me being a risk is to insure I do not win anyones money ?
This would not make any sense at all over $50.00 but if it was concived that maybe I could win thousands of dollars then maybe the decision was made confine this risk quickly, and end up with $40.00 coffe money to boot LOL
I hope all realize that this is a humorus situation, but only of course because it is over a matter of $40.00
If it had been $4000.00 I had deposited I would be considerably upset, but of course I do belive $40 or $4000 I would be in the same boat.
Out My Money
