Coral

Evening all.

Wanted to ask you a question please if possible.

Been faffing about on the football this evening, and in the meantime I placed a bet on a horse at Chelmsford, at 11/1. It has won at 16/1.

Coral advertises Best Odds Guaranteed all over its site, so I anticipated I would be paid at 16/1.

Apparantly not.

I query the bet with one of their chat team, and this is the response I get:

"Thank you for patiently waiting, after looking into your account, unfortunately the current status of your account restricts your from any Promotions, this is something which was not notified to customers. This has been a business decision which has been made by the Traders and we have no in-put towards this."

I won't disclose my response but this is the further drivel I got:

"Unfortunately I cannot confirm a specific reason as to why this has been done as the Traders will not, nor do they have to supply a reason. This restriction will remain on the account for the time being however accounts are reviewed regularly and this decision could be amended entitling you to Promotions. Unfortunately there cannot be any further discussion regarding this."

This industry is the single most corrupt, immoral, cheating, disgusting set of **** I have ever come across. It is unregulated fraud and I'm absolutely livid they get away with this whenever they please.

Any similar stories? Any understanding why? Is it not discrimination?

 

Not really the same thing mate. But three weeks ago when the breeders cup was on, hills were running money back if second on every race, maximum bet 25. I backed tepin in the mile but also backed cougar mountain each way- I purposely placed tepin first to ensure the refund- they didn't pay me cos cougar was apparently placed first. I backed chrome in the classic and that also came second, they didn't pay me that one either. I queried why and they told me that the promotion wasn't running any more and there was nothing they could do which was rubbish- I went to a different chat person who informed me that it was actually because you only got money back if you were second to the SP fave.. This would have been fine except I had backed tepin and lady Eli on the same card who both went off SP fave! So there was no consistency. Literally make it up as they go along pal!!

Few days later there was some issues when they got hacked so was royally pissed off, removed my funds and have been in email contact. Responses take at least four days and I'm literally getting nowhere with it. Bookies are all robbing c***s

 

Isn't there any body you can report them to?

Bookmakers
A dispute with a bookmaker at a horse racecourse or greyhound track is handled by Horse Racing Ireland or the Irish Greyhound Boardrespectively. If you have a dispute with a bookmaker elsewhere, you may be able to refer the dispute to the Independant Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) in the UK provided the bookmaker is registered with IBAS. Under the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956, Section 36, a gaming or wagering contract is not enforceable and you cannot pursue a dispute through the courts.

 

I had a little purple patch last year and at the time I was using Betfair Sportsbook. One day I went to put a bet on which I think was something like £20 EW and in the stake box it changed my stake to 12p EW. I tried again as I thought it was a glitch and the same thing happened. When I queeried what was going on the response I got was that "Betfair had taken a commercial decision regarding my account". I of course told them how disgusting and immoral I thought this was and the response was that "you are more than welcome to use Betfair Exchange". My response was fairly close to "So you dont mind me taking money off other poor mugs while you cream off your percentage but you bunch of ****s wont let me take money off you".
Needless to say I have not been back.

Sadly there is little or nothing we can do about it. The only thing you can do is to wear it as a badge of honour!

 

Sounds like a lot of people wouldn't be too distressed if Bookies were replaced by a PMU type set up and stuff the bookies. Would be good for racing

 

I had a similar experience with Coral earlier this year and, as with you Toppy, they refused to enter into discussions with me as to the reasoning. I immediately took my remaining balance out and have not used them since. Moreover, I always recommend friends/colleagues asking advice on which bookies to use to definitely avoid using them.

I had a similar experience with Bet Victor a few years ago too. They don't mind you losing with them but, as soon as you start winning for any period (or even just not losing!) they are 'running scared' and take action against your account.

It really is scandalous but there's nothing much we, as punters, can do it seems. I just wish there would be some sort of Panorama-esque investigation into their practices..............but I doubt that's going to happen anytime soon!

 

It's not just about winning bets but the way you bet chaps. If you're placing bad each way doubles they'll close you down. If you're backing very selectively with minimal bets on graded races you'll be restricted. I've had a losing account restricted to 50p bets because of the type of bets i was putting on. Currently have my netbet account restricted to less than 1 euro. I have 9 Paddy Power accounts. If you're doing well you'll need to use accounts in names of your friends and family. Nothing you can do about it other than be more selective about which bets you're having with which bookie. You'll have some success initially by striking with cash in hand at the counter but that will also be restricted to less than £25 bets before 12pm as a matter of course and you lose the benefits of BOG and early morning prices. Betfair Exhange is fine but do well on that for volumes and you're percentages quickly get put up.

 

You can also email the below, I have a few times and made me feel better about reporting horrendous behaviour.....

[email protected]

 

Why do you think the bookmakers are so keen on signing up punters online or on their mobile phones? Simple: computers can keep track of customer’s betting habits and whether they are winning or losing money, have a much lower running cost that a thousand high street betting offices; and can be set up anywhere where the tax regime is more advantageous than business rates across their estates.

I do not bet online. I go around the offices of four or five different firms to get the best odds available (if I think my selection is going to shorten) but I do not spend enough time in any office these days that the staff are going to remember whether I am a regular winner or loser with them; and I keep a note of my bets so I know my own situation.

Oddy, I have to say that your situation is quite a reflection of my own. I frequently go to the races and do not have a bet on track at all. My non-racing friends cannot believe that somebody would go just because they enjoy the sport, but I never question whether they did a pools coupon before they headed off to the football on a Saturday. I cannot say that I bet on anything with a view to making a huge profit, more because I see it as a challenge to try and make my knowledge pay for a couple of beers now and again; and to be able to say, “I backed the Oaks winner at 33/1 when she had only won a maiden race” (or comments to that effect).

It would never work. There is no real prospect of any government ever legislating to abolish bookmakers and if they did the big firms would simply set up offshore and operate across the internet from jurisdictions where they could not be prosecuted for contributing nothing financially to the sport.

Whether it would be good for racing is highly debatable. As far as I am aware almost all betting in France is State operated and whilst the PMU monopoly on horse wagering currently makes French racing very well funded (thanks to the very high take from the betting pool), that revenue has been slipping in recent years as people look around for other forms of entertainment on which to spend their Euros. When visiting France, I scarcely ever bet on the PMU because the odds are usually pathetic. The last winner I can recall backing was Midday when she won the Prix Vermeille in 2010 at nearly 7/2! On Arc weekend I regularly used to place my bets with the British bookies before I set off because I knew that British/Irish horses would be shortened by the foreign half of the crowd.

 

the fact that on line bookies / account based know all your history means they control what you can do - I had a good run a couple of years ago with a phone account - they refused to guarantee prices and then always offered lower odds , effectively making you go elsewhere _ ---- ron is right - the only way to sort it is a pmu system - and thereby decent prize money for all and proper wages for staff and true returns for the punter ......

 

Neve had any problems I back too many losers

No in all serious, Ladbrokes I have had accounts closed/restricted with them aswell a handful of my friends too! I had one pretty big bet on Wicklow Brave on the festival 2 years ago @ 25/1- withdrew my winnings the day after- Except for a £10 tried to put that on the Midlands grand national (Gonyella) and could only put on 10p on- needless to say when they couldn't give me a straight answer why i closed my account and went somewhere else!

 

pre internet days --I was at a night meeting at Chester , fancied a unraced two year old and noticed that all the rails bookies were 12/1 - 14/1 in a place apart from one guy who only chalked up 7/1 - I asked him why - because I think it'll win he said - sure enough it made all ........

 

I have had on-line accounts with a range of bookmakers and after a while they have all restricted my stakes and withdrawn any concessions . I was not a prolific winner or a big stakes punter, I just think they didn't like the way I bet, Win or E/W Singles only, stakes ranging from 10-50 Yoyo's max, all at early odd's. Once I selected a decent priced winner my bets where restricted!
At the moment I have no on-line bookmaker accounts, I bet very small stakes on Betfair SP for a bit of interest, if I fancy one big stylee I will go into town a place a cash bet.
Over the past few months I seem to be betting less and less, I get my enjoyment from setting up the daily thread and rejoicing when you guy's take the feckers to the cleaners!
I also do feel a PMU set up would be in the best interest of racing.