I put a fiver each way with Spoilsports on Brorocco at 12/1 for the Cambridgeshire on Saturday. Their website said they were paying 6 places and Brorocco finished 5th, so on Sunday morning I logged in to my account and was surprised that the balance was zero. I then had the following email exchange with them:
ME: Hello My username is ***. I placed £5 each way on Brorocco in the above race yesterday. You were paying out on the first 6 horses, my horse finished fifth, and yet you have settled it as a loser. Please therefore credit my account with the winnings which are due to me. Thank you. ***
THEM:Hi ***,
Many thanks for contacting Customer Support.
Further to your query, your bet has been settled correctly as lost since we only paid out 4 places on Newmarket 15:35 race. Your selection (Brorocco- Race card #4) placed 5th on the race therefore, there will be no pay out on this.
We trust this clarifies your concern.
If there is anything else we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to help you. Kind regards, Nancy, **** Customer Support
ME:Dear Nancy Thank you for your email. I have copied and pasted the bet details from my account - it clearly states you are paying on the first 6. Please therefore credit my account with my winnings. Thank you. Bet Ref. 612/876 Brorocco @ 12/1 EW 1/5 - 1,2,3,4,5,6 15.35 Newmarket Outright Betting Event Date: 30 Sep 2017 Unit Stake: £ Total Stake: £ 10.00 Estimated return:
THEM:Hi ***,
Thank you for your response.
In line with your concern, please be advised that as per the betting rules,
Handicap Races 2 - 4 Runners Win Only. 5 - 7 Runners 1/4 the Odds 1st, 2nd. 8 - 11 Runners 1/5 the Odds 1st, 2nd, 3rd. 12 - 15 Runners 1/4 the Odds 1st, 2nd, 3rd. 16 or more Runners 1/4 the Odds 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th.
Kindly note that potential return and other details included on the bet slip is for guiding purposes only. Please be informed that all bets are settled according to our betting rules and final result.
With this said, bet is settled accordingly and cannot be amended.
If there is anything else we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to help you.
Kind regards, Nancy, **** Customer Support
==================
I have been betting for a long time, and most of my bookie accounts are factored. I am aware that Spoilsports will have T&Cs which state that certain customers do not qualify for some promotions, but in my experience a bookie usually pays out on the advertised number of places to all customers. I have been denied BOG, double odds for one winner in a Lucky 15 etc. but I have NEVER had a bookie shaft me over the number of places before, by saying that the info on their own website is "for guiding purposes only". Is this normal? If so, no problem, it's only £17 and I just won't use Spoilsports again. If nothing else, I hope this thread will serve as a warning to others because, let's face it, virtually everybody who has an account with Spoilsports has a factored account, don't they? I just don't think it's fair that they can advertise 6 places (and even put 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6 on your open bet on their website) but then arbitrarily decide to just pay 1/4 1,2,3,4. Incidentally, I am intrigued as to what would have happened had Brorocco finished 4th - would I have got 1/4 the odds rather than 1/5?
Just ask for a manager to deal with it and say if it isn't settled correctly you will go to court, where you will win and Boyles will be paying costs on top of the bet return.
Just ask for a manager to deal with it and say if it isn't settled correctly you will go to court, where you will win and Boyles will be paying costs on top of the bet return.
Thanks for the replies. Spoils have asked for feedback on their customer service, so I have replied and also emailed them with this:
Dear Nancy
I have just received a request from **** asking me to rate the quality of your support and have responded as follows:
"Whilst the response I received was perfectly polite, it was useless because it did not come near to solving my query adequately. Your website stated that you were paying 6 places on the Cambridgeshire, I backed the 5th each way on the morning of the race and you are refusing to pay me out! This decision is outrageous and should be reviewed urgently by a manager. If you continue to refuse to pay me out on my winning bet I will contact the Racing Post and also start posting messages on the **** Twitter feed, because your sharp practices deserve a wider audience. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible."
I would like this issue to be treated by **** as a formal complaint, so please escalate this email to a manager. Please note that if I do not receive a satisfactory response I will take the action as stated above.
Thank you
***
Thanks for the replies. Spoils have asked for feedback on their customer service, so I have replied and also emailed them with this:Dear NancyI have just received a request from **** asking me to rate the quality of your support and have responded as
I have received this further reply from Spoils, and it should act as a warning to EVERYONE who has a factored account with them (i.e. virtually everyone who has an account with them!):
Hi ***,
Many thanks for contacting Customer Support.
Please be advised that this has been further checked and the payment of up to 5th/6th is a Special Offer that was offered for the Newmarket Race. However, it looks like the traders has placed a restriction on your account.
Unfortunately as your account is restricted from receiving special offers you would not be paid out on the 5th place. This was a decision made by our management and trading teams. In line with our terms and conditions,we reserve the right to monitor, restrict and/or alter the administration of special offers and trading concessions on a per client basis at our own discretion without prior notice.
Please know that you are entitled to explore other venues available to you, and **** will cooperate with any third party who will be acting on your behalf as it is your right.
If there is anything else we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to help you.
Kind regards, Anna, **** Customer Support
============
Every day is a school day, I suppose.......
I have received this further reply from Spoils, and it should act as a warning to EVERYONE who has a factored account with them (i.e. virtually everyone who has an account with them!):Hi ***,Many thanks for contacting Customer Support.Please be advis
Are there any customers restricted who have been paid 1/4 for a horse in the first four.if not there basically paying 1/5 1234.straight to court there is no way you know your terms till after the race is finished.get away with it cos the gambling commision is useless.
Are there any customers restricted who have been paid 1/4 for a horse in the first four.if not there basically paying 1/5 1234.straight to court there is no way you know your terms till after the race is finished.get away with it cos the gambling com
That line in their terms & conditions is a joke, so you could get a nice big winner and they could say they closed your account and voided your bet but didn't need to tell you prior
without prior notice That line in their terms & conditions is a joke, so you could get a nice big winner and they could say they closed your account and voided your bet but didn't need to tell you prior
The whole industry is full of shysters doing everything possible not to payout punters if there is any slight chance of getting away with it. It's a disgrace how they operate and they know absolutely nothing will be done by anyone.
A shop local to me tried to rip off a customer for over 7 grand a few weeks ago, it was only when his son refused the payout and worked it out and went back and he got paid in full. Hopefully it will make it into the papers to expose them for what they are.
The whole industry is full of shysters doing everything possible not to payout punters if there is any slight chance of getting away with it. It's a disgrace how they operate and they know absolutely nothing will be done by anyone.A shop local to me
I had 3 bets with Spoilsports back in the day (when they used to take a bet more than £5), they all won and all drifted to a higher SP so B.O.G. was applicable.
Checked my account in the evening and all bets were settled at original price taken, I contacted them and then was told that the very same morning they had removed the B.O.G. from my account (without prior notice).
So an extra £700 I should have received was missing.
Phoned them up and they just kept quoting their t's and c's, despicable firm that should be struck from the roster imho
I had 3 bets with Spoilsports back in the day (when they used to take a bet more than £5), they all won and all drifted to a higher SP so B.O.G. was applicable.Checked my account in the evening and all bets were settled at original price taken, I co
Having ye cake and eating it. It seems viable from the bookies perspective to consider the extra places a bonus and thus deny payment. However this all changes once new place terms are introduced into the equation. Essentially the payment conditions are reset to first six at one fifth place terms for all..... Using **** logic there will be restricted punters who backed horses within the first four that received place payment at 1/4 odds. Should they be able to provide examples of this it could be a realistic defence of their position. Equally , there is an obligation to provide an accurate receipt for any bet , rather than this obvious contradiction. My personal view is that small claims would be in favour of the punter here , purely because Boyles have failed themselves , by documenting first six , which at the very least is misleading . The punters attempt to achieve best terms is the battle of gaming and he accepts the % book in favour of the bookies. Once a bookmaker decides to restrict a punter he must make sure his computer system for betting , reflects these restrictions accurately. The receipt should have said 1, 2 , 3 , 4 1/4 odds a place.
Having ye cake and eating it. It seems viable from the bookies perspective to consider the extra places a bonus and thus deny payment. However this all changes once new place terms are introduced into the equation. Essentially the payment conditions
Thanks for all the replies. I have decided not to take this matter any further because it is £17 and I have better things to do with my time. I will simply not bet with this outfit again, and hopefully others on here will take note of how they operate and decide to do likewise.
Thanks for all the replies. I have decided not to take this matter any further because it is £17 and I have better things to do with my time. I will simply not bet with this outfit again, and hopefully others on here will take note of how they opera