Party Offers - The Truth

[Thunda]

After not receiving my November bonus from Party, I've sent various emails to Party trying to find out why not and when its coming ..

Today I received a mail from the Promotions Manger himself .. to quote a few lines :

[ QUOTE ]
To earn VIP status and the cash award you must have generated a minimum of $1,000 in rake for the month. Your target goal was set up to make sure you reached this mark.

[/ QUOTE ]

So .. it has nothing to do with the number of raked hands you play(ed).

[ QUOTE ]
For players who fell short of their goal but still met the minimum VIP Club requirements we re-calculated their bonuses based on their actual play for the month. But it was not as simple as saying ‘If you reached 50% of your goal you will receive 50% of your target bonus.’

[/ QUOTE ]

I WAS told, play 50% of your target, recieve 50% of the bonus .. (play 50% more, get +50% on top of the bonus)

After mailing him back addressing these points, I've received another mail answering my queries ..

[ QUOTE ]
Our VIP representatives, when calling players to set up deals, gave the bare minimum for VIP Club membership which was roughly 4,000 hands at a minimum of $1/$2 play.

[/ QUOTE ]

Which is rubbish .. as I played almost 2000 more than that number of raked hands at 2/4 - someone's done their sums wrong somewhere

So it seems that the target number of raked hands that people were set were irrelevent. It had nothing to do with the number of raked hands.

I was told I needed to do the 4000 raked hands minimum to qualify into the VIP Scheme .. I did that +50% .. and yet they are refusing to pay me my bonus for Novemeber because I never "generated a minimum of $1,000 in rake for the month of November"

Funny .. when the VIP rep was on the phone to me, she never mentioned anything about that .. only about raked hands, raked hands, raked hands and raked hands ..

Anyways, I've sent him a mail back expressing thoughts about being "deliberatly misled .... "

I wonder if I'll get a reply .. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'm in the same boat and very pissed. It took me 4 emails to receive the answer you did. The ones before it simply told me that all their VIPs had already been paid, but I was welcome to play their frigging Santa game. The VIP rep I made my deal through was very misleading and I spent November playing for nothing. Not to mention the December bonus looks like the same old redeposit stuff.

I tell ya, I'm tempted to disclose my password. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

I just received an e-mail from Daniel Wexler the "Promotions" manager echoing everything you two have just mentioned. I too was told 4K raked hands at 1-2 and above and put in about 12K raked hands. I didn't start until the middle of November, didn't reach my 30K hand requirement and didn't get a prorated amount. If they had told me the MGR number they were looking for instead of raked hands at least I would have known.
/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I'm not real happy with Party right now...


-S&SGW

[2easy]

[ QUOTE ]
I tell ya, I'm tempted to disclose my password. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

nh

[poindexter]

Don't feel bad I didnt get paid even though I exceeded my party points offer an I got no reply back as to why.

I was made an offer by popup which stated earn X amount of party points between nov 15-30 and get X amount of dollars back. I ended up earning enough party points to Qualify for their highest offer. A little over a week ago I received another popup stating that they were never able to get a hold of me by email and in order to receive future offers I need to verify my email address.

I emailed them back stating my offer was made by popup. I went on to check my email address registered with party and of course it works fine. There is no way they tried to contact me by email. Its been over 10 days and no one from party has emailed me back.

We could go on forever with this, I got paid a third of what I was "promised". I am sooooooooooooo done with party........

If you players who are having problems with the VIP program are under affiliates, why not tell your affiliate and have them straighten it out for you? That is one of the reasons affiliates make a % - to intervene and help when there are issues.

[beeyjay]

Because a lot of us signed up a long time ago before we knew what affiliates were.

[beeyjay]

My email to them last friday asking where my money was received a reply stating that my money would show up in my account in the next few HOURS and they were very very sorry about their mistake and all this [censored]. Its Tuesday, I don't know how many hours later that is but its still not there. I would also receive my December offer via popup within the next few days. Apparently that was a lie too. [censored] them. Just tell me the truth so I can go play somewhere that wants my rake and is willing to show that.

I wish there was rakeback. Affiliates are so much more responsible than partypoker.

[grouchie]

[ QUOTE ]
After not receiving my November bonus from Party, I've sent various emails to Party trying to find out why not and when its coming ..


[/ QUOTE ]

I've done this as well.
I've sent several emails usually wiht a different crappy response.
I asked where my money was, they said it would be in my account on the 5th.
On the 7th I asked again, they said "sorry for the delay, we'll have it in there on the 8th"
On the 10th isent another email asking about it and my response was generic saying that they were sorry for the delay, and the payment would be made sometime.
So I sent another email today basically telling them I was tired of the run around and that Until they get everything straight I will no longer be playing on their site.

I was promised something and never received it.

I'm assuming my email like this is just in que after the rest, this has definately left a sour taste in my mouth.

[ncboiler]

The email response I got was that I needed to play 8000 raked hands to qualify for VIP

[Olback]

I was told early on that i need to generate $1,000+ rake to get into the VIP program. I even posted this here. It was about a month or so ago.

At least i never got an offer and hence did not waste my time playign thinking i was going to get paid.

[MicroBob]

wonder if mike o'malley is reading and paying attention.

I never even got an offer for november and wrote them in december to tell them this. I got an email saying they were unable to contact me for whatever reason. They but 200 bucks in my account anyways as NOV BONUS. I think it just depends on who you get on the other line.

[ QUOTE ]
wonder if mike o'malley is reading and paying attention.

[/ QUOTE ]

He doesn't care - he uses the forum for shameless self-promotion.

[StellarWind]

[ QUOTE ]
wonder if mike o'malley is reading and paying attention.

[/ QUOTE ]
You know he's reading this.

I don't understand how a site rep can sit back in silence while multiple posters make believable-sounding claims of fraud, incompetence, and terrible service.

Mike, what am I supposed to think when you say nothing?

[spydog]

[ QUOTE ]


I've done this as well.
I've sent several emails usually wiht a different crappy response.
I asked where my money was, they said it would be in my account on the 5th.
On the 7th I asked again, they said "sorry for the delay, we'll have it in there on the 8th"
On the 10th isent another email asking about it and my response was generic saying that they were sorry for the delay, and the payment would be made sometime.
So I sent another email today basically telling them I was tired of the run around and that Until they get everything straight I will no longer be playing on their site.

I was promised something and never received it.

I'm assuming my email like this is just in que after the rest, this has definately left a sour taste in my mouth.

[/ QUOTE ]

I went through the same thing. I threatened to close my account and got a response within 4 hours. They credited my account but it was short of what I was told I would get. A few heated emails later and they still wouldn't pay me what they had promised, so I closed my account for real. Luckily, because of their poor November VIP incentive I was forced to try out some different sites that offer good rakeback/bonus. I don't think I'll have any trouble playing 35k hands/month elsewhere.

[ipp147]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


I've done this as well.
I've sent several emails usually wiht a different crappy response.
I asked where my money was, they said it would be in my account on the 5th.
On the 7th I asked again, they said "sorry for the delay, we'll have it in there on the 8th"
On the 10th isent another email asking about it and my response was generic saying that they were sorry for the delay, and the payment would be made sometime.
So I sent another email today basically telling them I was tired of the run around and that Until they get everything straight I will no longer be playing on their site.

I was promised something and never received it.

I'm assuming my email like this is just in que after the rest, this has definately left a sour taste in my mouth.

[/ QUOTE ]

I went through the same thing. I threatened to close my account and got a response within 4 hours. They credited my account but it was short of what I was told I would get. A few heated emails later and they still wouldn't pay me what they had promised, so I closed my account for real. Luckily, because of their poor November VIP incentive I was forced to try out some different sites that offer good rakeback/bonus. I don't think I'll have any trouble playing 35k hands/month elsewhere.

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't even get that far. I got told I was in the VIP club and would get an offer. I didn't get any offer and chased with mail after mail to no avail.

I then gave up and asked them to close my account. I got no response.

I uninstalled the software and filled out the questionnaire telling them why and asked them to close my account. Guess what, no response.

I think they have me on spam filter /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Anyway, plenty of other sites and plenty of other fish.

[Exsubmariner]

In case everyone hasn't already figured this out, there was never any intention of keeping the "VIP Program" around. It was simply a ploy to get players back after the split. They have no plan, they are making it up as they go along. Anything that the newly budgeted promotions group will put out is going to suck compared to having an affiliate who paid you rakeback through a skin. They will succeed only in turning gold into [censored], the long held Dikshit business plan.

X

[ QUOTE ]
In case everyone hasn't already figured this out, there was never any intention of keeping the "VIP Program" around. It was simply a ploy to get players back after the split. They have no plan

[/ QUOTE ]

This is becoming very clear. Either that, or they've discovered how truly expensive it is for them to play with rakeback rather than simply allow sub-contracting affiliates to do it for them. Any affiliate that did what Party has done to their clients would be labeled a rogue and would loose their customers to someone else, and I hope that happens to Party until they wise up. No more "customer loyalty" to Party for me...they're just another cheezy hit-and-run whoring site.

[grouchie]

grouchie:



I received your email about not receiving your VIP Bonus for November.



The reason you did not receive a bonus is you did not meet the minimum qualifications for VIP Club membership, and hence the cash award.



To qualify for VIP membership you needed to have generated a minimum of $1,000 in rake for the month of November. Your goal of 4,000 hands needed to be played at a $1/$2 level or greater to meet this standard. According to my records you played well in excess of the 4,000 hands, but you were playing at the micro-level tables of $0.25/$0.50 and $0.50/$1.00. Even the number of hands you played at this level did not bring you to the required minimum, and in fact you would have needed to play almost 12,000 hands, or double, what you did for the month.



I am sorry you were mislead on this, and it was by no means intentional.



If you have any other questions please email me.



Thank you,



Daniel Wexler

Promotions Manager

Party Gaming

Email: xxxxx

Direct: xxxxx

http://www.partygaming.com




at least he's sorry that I was mislead.
It's nice that they promise something and then when it comes time to pay up they say "but you didn't read the small print that we never showed you or informed you about.... sorry"

edit, forgot to edit out his personal information

[ZootMurph]

[ QUOTE ]
After not receiving my November bonus from Party, I've sent various emails to Party trying to find out why not and when its coming ..

Today I received a mail from the Promotions Manger himself .. to quote a few lines :

[ QUOTE ]
To earn VIP status and the cash award you must have generated a minimum of $1,000 in rake for the month. Your target goal was set up to make sure you reached this mark.

[/ QUOTE ]

So .. it has nothing to do with the number of raked hands you play(ed).

[ QUOTE ]
For players who fell short of their goal but still met the minimum VIP Club requirements we re-calculated their bonuses based on their actual play for the month. But it was not as simple as saying ‘If you reached 50% of your goal you will receive 50% of your target bonus.’

[/ QUOTE ]

I WAS told, play 50% of your target, recieve 50% of the bonus .. (play 50% more, get +50% on top of the bonus)

After mailing him back addressing these points, I've received another mail answering my queries ..

[ QUOTE ]
Our VIP representatives, when calling players to set up deals, gave the bare minimum for VIP Club membership which was roughly 4,000 hands at a minimum of $1/$2 play.

[/ QUOTE ]

Which is rubbish .. as I played almost 2000 more than that number of raked hands at 2/4 - someone's done their sums wrong somewhere

So it seems that the target number of raked hands that people were set were irrelevent. It had nothing to do with the number of raked hands.

I was told I needed to do the 4000 raked hands minimum to qualify into the VIP Scheme .. I did that +50% .. and yet they are refusing to pay me my bonus for Novemeber because I never "generated a minimum of $1,000 in rake for the month of November"

Funny .. when the VIP rep was on the phone to me, she never mentioned anything about that .. only about raked hands, raked hands, raked hands and raked hands ..

Anyways, I've sent him a mail back expressing thoughts about being "deliberatly misled .... "

I wonder if I'll get a reply .. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Just a note to Thunda and anyone else who talks to someone on the phone about something like this... ANY time you have a phone conversation, it should ALWAYS be followed up by something in writing. It is real easy for someone to tell you one thing then say that you 'misinterpreted' what they said. Simply, after finishing your conversation with their VIP rep, you should have asked her to send you an email verifying the content of the conversation. This is why companies deal over the phone often, as they can get away with a LOT more.

In essence... don't trust anything that is not in writing /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I received basically the same reply as everyone else from Daniel at PartyPoker.

Since PP is traded on the London Stock exchange I was wondering if they are monitored by some group or government. For example, here in the States if you've been screwed over you can contact the BBB or Attorney General. Most of the time nothing happens when you contact these places, but if enough people complain the Attorney General will usually investigate the matter. We have a rather large group of people who were mislead by PP and may be able to get someone from outside to look into this matter.

Does anyone know if there is some group we can contact?

[Wynton]

This is depressing. After debating whether to go through the hassle of closing an account and opening up a new one with an affiliate, I finally was contacted by Party and offered a deal similar to what others mention here. I got a call, and nothing in writing.

Sounds like perhaps I should have placed my trust in an affiliate instead.

[Exsubmariner]

"Does anyone know if there is some group we can contact?"

Yes, there is a group of people lead by a man named Lee Jones. They have their own website called Pokerstars. They will be happy to show you an example of what good customer service is and this will allow you to make your own conclusions. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[DarkKnight]

[ QUOTE ]
"Does anyone know if there is some group we can contact?"

Yes, there is a group of people lead by a man named Lee Jones. They have their own website called Pokerstars. They will be happy to show you an example of what good customer service is and this will allow you to make your own conclusions. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

and I hear that their rakeback is soooo much better - not

[Exsubmariner]

I'll take good customer service with no rakeback over crappy customer service with no rakeback any day. Call me crazy.

I've already moved some of my play to PokerStars. The only thing is Lee Jones came here about a month ago promising a great VIP program and we still have nothing. How long can something like this take to setup?

[Thunda]

I've now had quite a few frank email exhanges with Danny Boy the Promotions Manager at Party ..

I've finally gotten the following out of him :

[ QUOTE ]
Had you reached just 50% of your target for the month you would have received a $100 bonus. In your case this was just 701 additional raked hands at the $2/$4 level.

[/ QUOTE ]

Soooooooo .. now he's back to telling me that it IS raked hands that count and no longer $1000 of generated income.

Which means If I'd played 6000 raked hands at $2/$4 (50% of my target) I'd have got 22% of the bonus on offer - which apparently, according to Danny Boy is the equivalent of playing "roughly 4000 raked hands at $1/$2" which would have had me qualify for the VIP and got a bonus ..

[ QUOTE ]
Man, I'd love a job as an accountant at Party if thats the type of maths your used to (and hopefully you play poker and sit at a table I'm sat at ...)

[/ QUOTE ]

Telling you - they're making it up as they go along! First he's saying that I never generated $1000 in rake so I didn't qualify - nows he's telling me I was 701 hands short of qualifying ..

Sigh ...

Anyway, in my last mail to him I finished off with :

[ QUOTE ]
Come on man!!!! At least get you story straight!!! Or failing that admit you screwed up ... much rather you admit to that than constantly spouting this crap with more holes in it than my underpants ..

[/ QUOTE ]

But heard nothing back yet ..

[Exsubmariner]

He made a post recently in Internet Gambling forum, I think that he says "Real Soon Now." Which is translated to mean that they are working on it but have been delayed by unforseeable circumstances beyond their control. I'm patient. All my tourney play went to Stars a long time ago.

[O Doyle Rules]

[ QUOTE ]
I've already moved some of my play to PokerStars. The only thing is Lee Jones came here about a month ago promising a great VIP program and we still have nothing. How long can something like this take to setup?

[/ QUOTE ]


I think they are trying to get it right the first time and are not using the trial and error format that Party has apparently chosen.

[Exsubmariner]

You should get some new underwear. I would have thrown out to him that you aren't able to afford to do so because he's been waffling on your bonus. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[StacysMom]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll take good customer service with no rakeback over crappy customer service with no rakeback any day. Call me crazy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know nothing about your play, if you play a few tournaments a month this is accurate. For anyone who pays $5K+ in rake/month, this statement would be "crazy." (dare I say retarded?) For all my time spent dealing with crapy customer support, I would estimate my hourly rate at over $5k/hr, since they where supplemented by rakeback.

[augie00]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll take good customer service with no rakeback over crappy customer service with no rakeback any day. Call me crazy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I used to think that too. But then I realized how much money I was giving up.

[MasterShakes]

You might want to get a website of some kind involved. I would suggest checking out Casinomeister. By using their "pitch a bit[/b]ch" function, you can report any online casino and if the situation is not resolved, Casinomeister will step in and try to fix everything. If the situation is not resolved, they will list them as a problem casino. The only problem is that I'm not sure whether he would get involved with Party. They do offer blackjack and bill themselves as a casino, so he probably will.

This is the only "casino watchdog" type site that I have used, and I have had success with it in the past while bonus whoring. Just a suggestion.

[Catt]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've already moved some of my play to PokerStars. The only thing is Lee Jones came here about a month ago promising a great VIP program and we still have nothing. How long can something like this take to setup?

[/ QUOTE ]


I think they are trying to get it right the first time and are not using the trial and error format that Party has apparently chosen.

[/ QUOTE ]

But the trial and error approach is going so well. Why wouldn't Stars emulate it??? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Pokeraddict]

You might want to get a website of some kind involved. I would suggest checking out Casinomeister.

Start a thread about this in their poker section. It will at least get more recogniztion of this scam and hopefully Bryan can help you too. There is also a publisher of a weekly news feed that frequents that forum. Although it may never be resolved it will surely get press.

[Exsubmariner]

Party Haters Unite!

[memphis57]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'll take good customer service with no rakeback over crappy customer service with no rakeback any day. Call me crazy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know nothing about your play, if you play a few tournaments a month this is accurate. For anyone who pays $5K+ in rake/month, this statement would be "crazy." (dare I say retarded?) For all my time spent dealing with crapy customer support, I would estimate my hourly rate at over $5k/hr, since they where supplemented by rakeback.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you and the other poster missed the part where he had "with no rakeback" in both clauses.


Also, stacysmom, have you factored in the lower rake you pay in the first place at pokerstars? I don't know the numbers myself for your limit but I've heard figures like 25% less rake. If you're paying this much extra rake and then getting 22% back, you aren't coming out ahead.

[obsidian]

Well I generate $7k+ in rake per month and still haven't gotten an offer after 2 emails.

[StacysMom]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'll take good customer service with no rakeback over crappy customer service with no rakeback any day. Call me crazy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know nothing about your play, if you play a few tournaments a month this is accurate. For anyone who pays $5K+ in rake/month, this statement would be "crazy." (dare I say retarded?) For all my time spent dealing with crapy customer support, I would estimate my hourly rate at over $5k/hr, since they where supplemented by rakeback.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you and the other poster missed the part where he had "with no rakeback" in both clauses.


Also, stacysmom, have you factored in the lower rake you pay in the first place at pokerstars? I don't know the numbers myself for your limit but I've heard figures like 25% less rake. If you're paying this much extra rake and then getting 22% back, you aren't coming out ahead.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah that is relevant for lower limits. although when I looked at it in the past it wasnt that significant, not gonna crunch the #'s atm. But Im pretty sure 5/10+ it becomes very insignificant. Off the top of my head, they take the third dollar at $70, not $60 at most sites. And I wasn't doing a direct comparison to party, (they do not have rake back). I was comparing poor costomer service w/ RB vs good service and no RB.

[StellarWind]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've already moved some of my play to PokerStars. The only thing is Lee Jones came here about a month ago promising a great VIP program and we still have nothing. How long can something like this take to setup?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think they are trying to get it right the first time and are not using the trial and error format that Party has apparently chosen.

[/ QUOTE ]
And yet failure to get a service to market in a timely manner is a serious business failing in its own right. Stars management is screwing this up in a different way than Party, but screwing up nonetheless.

[StacysMom]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've already moved some of my play to PokerStars. The only thing is Lee Jones came here about a month ago promising a great VIP program and we still have nothing. How long can something like this take to setup?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think they are trying to get it right the first time and are not using the trial and error format that Party has apparently chosen.

[/ QUOTE ]
And yet failure to get a service to market in a timely manner is a serious business failing in its own right. Stars management is screwing this up in a different way than Party, but screwing up nonetheless.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very good point. I'm very sick of everyone going on about how great stars is, when they could do so much to improve. Everyone says pary sucks, stars is great, this may be true for tournaments, but for ring games party is the place.

[Exsubmariner]

It's not about revenue generated, it's about Party Points. See the above e-mails. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[tigerite]

I got a non-form type reply to my email:

[ QUOTE ]

In response to your email we would firstly like to let you know that the
Party Poker.com VIP Club does not offer an executive host program. Instead
it offers a dedicated VIP Department dealing solely with VIP Club Players.
When you have a query you address this query to vip@partypoker.com and a
member of the VIP Club team will address the issue for you. We have plans
to add a dedicated phone number in the future. This number will be
circulated to VIP Players only.

With regard to your December Offer, we have received an update from our
marketing department to say that the December Offer will be sent to VIP
Players in the coming week. While we do not have full details of this offer
at this time, we have received some details which suggest that the offer
will be in relation to Party Poker Million V Packages for points. The full
confirmed details will be sent to you by email and/or login popup.

In regard to our VIP Reload bonus offer, I see from our records that, as you
have stated, you play SnG tournaments and also use inter account transfer,
therefore you would not be able to avail of this offer. However, as a good
will gesture on behalf of the PartyPoker.com VIP Club I have added $50 to
your account. This bonus carries no restriction and is available now in
your real money account.


[/ QUOTE ]

[Sniper]

[ QUOTE ]
It's not about revenue generated, it's about Party Points. See the above e-mails. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

No, it's about Party trying to implement a band-aid solution without clearly thinking it thru long term, and then inadequately communicating policy to the people required to support it... thus conflicting info received to similar inquiries, based on which Party VIP rep answered the question!

[PauliF]

jeez
this is all crazy
i dont mind getting no bonus
i dont mind getting no rakeback
i do mind being lied to
and i dont understand why the do it.

i also dont understand why stars (and others) havent done loads to win the momentum as party acts like a drunken village idiot

i also dont understand why empire didnt even email me to ask why i had suddenly stopped playing 6+ hours a day and is there any way to lure me back
i mean they had just sent me a telly...

it really vexes me how all these companies appear to be run by buffoons
amazing stuff
you really couldn't make it up

[Wynton]

It would be nice and smart if Stars implemented something fair quickly for their heavy volume players. But frankly, I doubt that their delay amounts to a significant mistake on their part.

After all, how many players really will be impacted by whatever offer they might ultimately make? While every dollar lost to Stars matters, it would be a big surprise to me if the amount they lost by not securing big volume players quickly amounts to more than a drop in the bucket to them.

[Leaky Eye]

Are you kidding? They have to compete with Party offering a reload bonus up to $100! People are probably leaving Stars in droves.

[Tk79]

[ QUOTE ]
this is all crazy
i dont mind getting no bonus
i dont mind getting no rakeback
i do mind being lied to

[/ QUOTE ]

Haiku???? I THINK NOT!

[PauliF]

LOL
unintentional