Empire 50EXTRA changed from reload to deposit in the header image?

[gasoltub]

I just checked the Empire 50EXTRA promo page and the text in the top image says "FUN FIRST DEPOSIT BONUS".
I could have sworn it said "FUN FIRST RELOAD BONUS" earlier today.

Am I delirious or did they change it?

[BretWeir]

Yup, they changed it. When I signed up for the bonus last night and complained when they didn't credit it to me, they responded with a line of b.s. about how the offer had always been for a "First Deposit" and not a "First Reload", as the original ad said.

Here's what they said:


[ QUOTE ]
Hello Christopher,

This is with reference to the 50EXTRA bonus issue. We did try calling you up so
that we can explain this issue better, but could not reach you.

However, we would like to let you know a few things in this regard.

Firstly, it is not displayed as a 'Reload bonus'. It reads 'Fun First Deposit
Bonus'. Please check the link below :

http://www.empirepoker.com/offer/epmania_fun.html

Secondly, we have not advertised it in the website or in the lobby since it
doesn't apply for all the players. It applies only for play money players and
mailers were sent to them informing them about this promotion.

However, if you are finding it as misleading or incorrect then we will surely
inform our concerned department about the same and will try to get it rectified
as soon as possible.

We sincerly apologize if the advertisement was misleading to you and would
appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this regard. As informed to
you, we will inform the department related to this and will make sure that these
kinds of confusions are not occured in the future.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact our
Customer Care Department at any time. We are here 24/7 to assist you via email.

Have a Great Day!!

Randy
Poker Customer Care

[/ QUOTE ]


And I responded:


[ QUOTE ]
Dear Randy,

On the Empire webpage I viewed last night, the 50EXTRA offer absolutely was described as a "Fun First Reload Bonus", not as a "Fun First Deposit Bonus". Apparently, Empire has changed the wording on the page after receiving complaints from me, and, I would imagine, other players in my situation.

Because I expected that something like this might happen, I saved a copy of the page in its unaltered form on my home computer, and even sent you an html file of the original version of the page in one of my earlier e-mails last night. You can refer to that attached file if you'd like to confirm the original wording of the offer. If you'd like another copy of the unaltered page, I'd be happy to send you one this evening.

The original 50EXTRA webpage also was publicly accessible, and I had no problem clicking through to it. And if that page wasn't an "advertisement", then I don't know what is.

Again, I'm confused about why an apparently restricted first-time deposit offer for selected play money players would be posted on a publicly-accessible webpage, prominently labeled as a "Reload" bonus, and omit any mention of the restrictions you describe.

Finally, I'm more than a little disturbed that Empire has changed the misleading/false wording on your advertisement after the fact, and is now incorrectly representing the doctored version as the original. Frankly, this post-hoc cover-up attempt doesn't reflect well on your company.

Wouldn't it be better to admit that you screwed up, make good on your offer, and end this silliness?

[my name]

[/ QUOTE ]


I got a reply where they basically admitted that they screwed up last night, but still refused to credit the bonus.

So beware: Empire seems to be in the habit of misstating the criteria for their bonuses, stiffing their customers, and then lying about it afterwards.

[MicroBob]

That was a well-written complaint to let them know that they really need to watch their wording.

Intertops was doing this ALL the time though. You would log-on and the pop-up would say something like '20% bonus up to $100 with code MAR20' ir something but you couldn't get the 're-load' because it was only for 'first-time depositers only'. It was confusing and stupid.
They would send e-mails and pop-ups to people like me who were NOT eligible for the bonus.


UB has had some issues with this too....often-times sending out first-time deposit bonuses to various players that were written so poorly that they appeared to be re-loads.
Additionally, half of their CS would state that it was only for first-time depositers....and the other half would credit it to you as a reload.



I really think that it's just plain ignorance on the part of the sites in the wording of their promos...and bad communication between various departments there.


I don't think they have anything to gain by conning their customers into believing they are getting a bonus and then not giving it to them. They will LOSE customers more than keep them.

So, to that end, I just think it's plain stupidity and disorganization as opposed to intentional deception that is at play here.

[BretWeir]

MicroBob,

I figured from the beginning that this was an inadvertent screw-up on their part. If they had just admitted that in response to my first e-mail, I would have let it go without a second thought.

But I am ticked off that, after the fact, they changed the offer page and then tried to tell me that their new wording was always there. Everyone makes mistakes, but don't try to play me like an idiot and outright lie like that.

I agree that this is a prime way for the online rooms to lose customers. Frankly, my opinion of Empire has dropped big-time. I may play the April 6 bonus just to suck some more cash out of them, but I'm almost tempted to close my account and just play on the other skins. Do I really want guys like this holding my money?

[gasoltub]

I have to agree with MicroBob. That was a very well formulated complaint.

However, I think their page is still misleading, since it could be interpreted as first of April just as it has been stated in another thread.

Furthermore I have seen the same wording as below on one of the Party (I think it was party anyway) reloads in Februari.
[ QUOTE ]
The 50% Deposit Bonus will ONLY be applied on your first deposit made between 00:00 EST 1st of April till 23:59 EST 6th of April 2005.

[/ QUOTE ]
And that simply meant that if you made more than one deposit only the first of them would have the bonus credited to it.

I have sent a mail about this too, but since you didn't get it the chances are pretty slim for me since they at least made a half-assed "attempt" to make the webpage clearer. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[BretWeir]

Gasoltub,

Great point on the wording of the ad -- in fact, the 50EXTRA "first deposit" language is identical to the language in Empire's April 6th reload offer. I e-mailed them in one of my earlier bits of correspondence about this exact point, and they didn't have an answer.

I've pretty much given up getting any satisfaction on this, but I may ask them to have a supervisor call me so I can hate on him a little on the phone. Boy, aren't I mature?

[BretWeir]

I guess being a pain in the a** does pay off sometimes:

[ QUOTE ]
Dear Christopher,

Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience and thank you for your
patience, however we do not provide phone support for EmpirePoker players for
any concern you need to write to us.

We do understand that the bonus 50EXTRA bonus put up in the web page is a little
confusing as mentioned earlier this bonus for players who make their first
deposit however as a goodwill and special consideration we have issued the
bonus.

A bonus amount of $50 has been issued to your bonus account for which you have
to play 1000 raked hands before 11-APR-2005 20:59 EST.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact our
Customer Care Department at any time. We are here 24/7 to assist you via email.

Thank you for choosing us as your online gaming site!

Varsha
Poker Customer Care


[/ QUOTE ]

Better than nothing, I guess!

[Nightwish]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess being a pain in the a** does pay off sometimes:

[ QUOTE ]
Dear Christopher,

Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience and thank you for your
patience, however we do not provide phone support for EmpirePoker players for
any concern you need to write to us.

We do understand that the bonus 50EXTRA bonus put up in the web page is a little
confusing as mentioned earlier this bonus for players who make their first
deposit however as a goodwill and special consideration we have issued the
bonus.

A bonus amount of $50 has been issued to your bonus account for which you have
to play 1000 raked hands before 11-APR-2005 20:59 EST.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact our
Customer Care Department at any time. We are here 24/7 to assist you via email.

Thank you for choosing us as your online gaming site!

Varsha
Poker Customer Care


[/ QUOTE ]

Better than nothing, I guess!

[/ QUOTE ]
Those terms (20x playthrough) are so bad that you'll probably make more from rakeback on another skin than from this awful bonus.

[gasoltub]

Hmmm... that's a 20x requirement. Pretty hefty. Now I'm not sure I want them to give that to me.

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]
We did try calling you up so
that we can explain this issue better, but could not reach you.

[/ QUOTE ]


[ QUOTE ]
however we do not provide phone support for EmpirePoker players

[/ QUOTE ]



LIARS!!!!!

[BretWeir]

Turns out they credited my bonus account with $100, 1000 hands to clear. Not great, but not bad.

[bathroompants]

Can you clear party & affiliate bonuses playing sngs? If so how much in entry fees is that?

[Pokeraddict]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you clear party & affiliate bonuses playing sngs? If so how much in entry fees is that?

[/ QUOTE ]

No only ring games will clear Party/skin bonuses.