My long-winded e-mail to Empire

[MicroBob]

from the other thread on this:

[ QUOTE ]
Does any significant MGR producing or VIP Empire player have the balls to send them an email asking if it's safe to keep funds there and ask why they are shutting down accounts?

[/ QUOTE ]


Sure...why not?


As I've stated previously...I don't think that taking a 'sky is falling' attitude is appropriate. But I do think that empire's non-response policy on this issue is kind of annoying.

I'm sure they're getting bombarded with e-mails about this and they have a history of not responding anyway so we'll see if anything comes of it.


--------------------------------------


Please forward this to management or the appropriate person at empire poker:


Hello,

I consider myself a member in good standing at Empire Poker. I am a VIP member and also in the Royal Flush Club. I am close to the 25,000 VIP points to get that handsome TV I see on the web-site.
While I have some disagreements with the points structure at Empire I do like what your site is trying to do in order to encourage play. Examples of your site's generosity that I have enjoyed include the free watch and monthly $100 bonus at 15k points, the freeroll for those who make the tourney-masters board, the 2k VIP points buy-in WSOP freerolls, the other WSOP freerolls where you need 3k raked-hands in the month in order to register, the royal-flush club freerolls, and other reload bonuses available to all players.


Keep the good work in this regard.
We players enjoy the various incentives and bonuses that your site is giving us.


I would now like to address a recent issue which is of great concern to many players I know who play on your site.
This issue involves the sudden closing of many accounts. There is even talk that some players are having their funds confiscated.
Additionally...these players are being told to contact empirepoker regarding the status of their account but never get any answers as to what they are supposed to do. They either get some sort of run-arounnd or get told to call back in an hour or something along those lines.
It is very frustrating for some of the players who were logging-in with intentions of playing at your site to learn that their account has been locked or closed and that there is nothing they can do about it.


I understand that empirepoker has the authority to close accounts as they see fit. And it seems that some players have gotten some information that the reason their account has been closed was due to not consistently playing there except during bonus-reload periods. But this does not appear to be the case with everyone involved.

Additionally, there are some players who are saying that if they had received any warning whatsoever regarding the status of their account they would have been happy to play more there if they could have avoided having their account closed.
It seems there could have been better ways for empire to handle this situation.


I have to say that I don't feel my account is in jeopardy at all since I am a regular player there. But I have to wonder what is going on. If this many people are suddenly having their accounts closed should I feel like there is a possibility that the same will happen to me?

I have a reasonabe sum of money at empirepoker right now and I wonder if I should feel comfortable keeping so much money in there.
I know many players who are saying that they will likely keepo much less money on hand at empire because they acknowledge the chance that empire might close their account and/or take their money.
I have a hard time disagreeing with this sentiment.
A site which I once trusted does not seem to be as trustworthy as far as I can tell.


In short - none of the players seem to know what's going on. many people are concerned. some of us would like some answers.


Please be aware that I will be sharing your response to this e-mail with some fellow empirepoker players I know on the 2+2 forums.


Thank you,
Robert xxxxxxx
empire handle - xxxxxxxx

[1C5]

Just curious, how much money do you keep there usually?

[lstream]

It should be interesting to hear what they have to say. I e-mailed them earlier today, asking them to clarify the conditions under which they will close an account. All they would say is that it is a management decision, and that my account is in no danger of being closed now or in the future.

Hopefully you can learn more.

[MicroBob]

Not as much as I probably make it sound like in my little letter...certainly not as much as many typical 15/30 or 30/60 players.


Right now my balance is at about $5k.
I just took out $3k a couple days ago (was at $8k).
Kind of typical. I'll try to build my $4k or so up to about $7k and then pull some of it out. Something like that anyway.

[Synergistic Explosions]

Two to one they write back and tell you they can't reply to you by phone,so please call them. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[PsYcHo-ScHnAuZeR]

I can't believe that Bob is willing to sacrifice his $4,000 just for us. What a nice guy. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[CrazyN8]

well written...interested to see how they respond.

[Sponger15SB]

$50 says you get a generated form letter back.

bahahaha

[MicroBob]

Is that what they really said??
or was that a typo by the poster who said that?? (maybe it was Vern...can't remember).

either way...it's kinda funny. But I doubt I'll be blessed with such an amusing response.


You would be better to say 2:1 I get no response at all!!



Completely non-related...but while typing this I just noticed the latest whine-fest fish at my table is named 'AssSpanker' which I found kind of amusing.

[AncientPC]

This is starting to remind me of the Empire500 fiasco last year . . .