About the PokerRoom X-mas tourney

[PokerRoom.com]

Please allow me to speak openly and from the heart here. I don't usually handle support or communication issues, but I felt that I had to speak up for PokerRoom.com now.

The way we have handled this issue up until today has been just plain bad, especially the lack of communication, no one is disputing that. (For what it's worth, we are going to greatly improve communication with our customers.)

But what bothers me a little is when people who weren't in the tourney in question, people who don't know the details behind the situation, people who may not even have visited our site, are very quick to voice an opinion about exactly what happened and what they think our motives were. One guy first says something like "They probably did it all on purpose to cheat us!". Then another guy joins in: "Yeah, that's right, they're crooks!" and a third guy says "Let's lynch 'em!".

We did a mistake and we made up for it (like we ought to). We messed up earlier and we'll do what we can to improve for the future. We're not asking for a medal or anything, just a fair shake.

Sincerely,
Oskar Hornell
Founder of PokerRoom.com

[bb88]

You'll get a fair shake when you don't act like you did the players a favor when you *stole* funds from them, then took an unacceptable amount of time to return it to them.

Did you pay them the interest you made off of the money?

[mjm]

[ QUOTE ]
Please allow me to speak openly and from the heart here. I don't usually handle support or communication issues, but I felt that I had to speak up for PokerRoom.com now.

The way we have handled this issue up until today has been just plain bad, especially the lack of communication, no one is disputing that. (For what it's worth, we are going to greatly improve communication with our customers.)

But what bothers me a little is when people who weren't in the tourney in question, people who don't know the details behind the situation, people who may not even have visited our site, are very quick to voice an opinion about exactly what happened and what they think our motives were. One guy first says something like "They probably did it all on purpose to cheat us!". Then another guy joins in: "Yeah, that's right, they're crooks!" and a third guy says "Let's lynch 'em!".

We did a mistake and we made up for it (like we ought to). We messed up earlier and we'll do what we can to improve for the future. We're not asking for a medal or anything, just a fair shake.

Sincerely,
Oskar Hornell
Founder of PokerRoom.com

[/ QUOTE ]

As an unregulated industry it is important that the players share information about the companies. You are correct I have never played on PokerRoom.

I can't believe you are criticising the poker community for offering an opinion on this.

But please tell me which of these facts are incorrect:

1) The tournament lobby stated the tournament was $19k guaranteed.

2) The players in the tournament had a reasonable expectation this was correct. (i.e. it wasn't an obvious typo like $19,000,000)

3) At the end of the tournament you paid the players the amounts as advertised in the tournament lobby.

4) You then took this money out of their accounts without informing them.

5) You did not fully rectify this disgraceful behaviour for a number weeks - until after it was a major story on all poker forums, some poker websites had pulled your advertising and numerous players closed their accounts with you.

I for one am very pleased that the poker community has been very vocal on this subject. And I hope that anyone who is asked an opinion on pokerRoom gets this story relayed to them.

At least you don't want a medal!!!

A fair shake?? yep sure, on-line poker is a competitive industry and virtually unregulated. So with that in mind why should anyone choose to play on a site which now has a history of not paying its players the amounts advertised in their tournament lobby and going into a players account and taking funds without even informing the player, when the player has clearly done nothing wrong.

[RayPowers]

I don't have anything to add, I was just looking to see if Brandi was posting in here after seeing the number of views....

Ray

[[Phill]]

I got the email in question.

The only mention of the tourney is:

[ QUOTE ]
Christmas is a time for giving, and we are giving away the best gifts this holiday season in our Big Christmas Tourneys. The festivities begin this weekend at PokerRoom.com:

Big Xmas Tourney 1
Sat Dec 16 at 1430 ET (1930 GMT)
Buy-in: $20+2
First Prize: HD Flat Screen TV worth $2000

Big Xmas Tourney 2
Sun Dec 17 at 1430 ET (1930 GMT)
Buy-in: $30+3
First Prize: Luxury trip to the Maldives Hilton Resort

Avoid the Christmas rush and register for the Big Christmas Tourneys as soon as you can because they'll fill up fast.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is of course irrelivent. It is their fault that someone screwed up when entering the details of the tourney when it went up in the lobby.

[ninenine_zoe]

[ QUOTE ]
I got the email in question.

The only mention of the tourney is:

[ QUOTE ]
Christmas is a time for giving, and we are giving away the best gifts this holiday season in our Big Christmas Tourneys. The festivities begin this weekend at PokerRoom.com:

Big Xmas Tourney 1
Sat Dec 16 at 1430 ET (1930 GMT)
Buy-in: $20+2
First Prize: HD Flat Screen TV worth $2000

Big Xmas Tourney 2
Sun Dec 17 at 1430 ET (1930 GMT)
Buy-in: $30+3
First Prize: Luxury trip to the Maldives Hilton Resort

Avoid the Christmas rush and register for the Big Christmas Tourneys as soon as you can because they'll fill up fast.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is of course irrelivent. It is their fault that someone screwed up when entering the details of the tourney when it went up in the lobby.

[/ QUOTE ]

i got exactly the same...

[holdin2]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't usually handle support or communication issues

[/ QUOTE ]

You probably should have kept it that way. You're posts have only compounded the problem.


[ QUOTE ]
But what bothers me...

[/ QUOTE ]

In dealing with customers in any job/service/level it's probably good advice not to tell your customers what bothers you about them.

[2461Badugi]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't usually handle support or communication issues

[/ QUOTE ]

You probably should have kept it that way. You're posts have only compounded the problem.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well, compared to their actual support/communication people's handling of the matter, he looks pretty good. I'd like to hear what he has to say about the widely-reported shennanigans on their own forum.

Also, great post Adanthar.

[WhatDoesCallMean]

[ QUOTE ]
(For what it's worth, we are going to greatly improve communication with our customers.)
Sincerely,
Oskar Hornell
Founder of PokerRoom.com

[/ QUOTE ]

fwiw, today i received an email transcript of a webchat i had with a customer service rep on the 24th Dec - this is a lot quicker than usual so kudos for the improvements [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

also, that webchat was in relation to an issue over the recent deposit bonus which was subsequently sorted out and which i actually expected not to be sorted due to a stupid error on my part - genuine kudos on this one [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

and since this is turning into a "tell me whats wrong thread", how about having the CS reps respond to emails within a reasonable period of time and not the 7-10 days as it is now. if much bigger sites can respond within 1-2 hours, why can you not do that?

also, a few more regular deposit bonuses would be nice - there are a lot more players left in the world than those in the US. Just because they're gone doesnt mean you should ignore the rest of us. i may be wrong, but there has only been one bonus since you got rid of the US players and to me, this doesnt cut the mustard compared to bonuses issued before then.