PSA: PokerStars will not let me cash out -- EVER!

[JPT III]

For those of you (and I know there are many) that utilize the transfer method at Stars in order to pay debts/transfer money with you buddies, BEWARE. This could happen to you.

I know 2+2ers are sometimes quite skeptical, so I'll provide a bit of detail.....

Several months ago, when two people owed me money, we agreed that they would pay me in Stars money. I didn't have a Stars account yet, and had been staying away from Poker since Party pulled out. I figured this to be a good time to get back in, and a good way to get my money. So I opened an account, and had approx 6K transferred to me at Stars. That's how I funded my account.

Fully aware that Stars is not a clearinghouse, and with the intention to get back into poker, I left the money in Stars, and I played a whole bunch of poker. Limit, no limit. Didn't record exactly how much, but played a lot, and I even won a bit.

Towards the end of March, I wanted to withdraw 5K (balance was then 6800ish), and so I made the request. Then, Pokerstars wrote me an email requesting an explanation of why I funded my account by receiving money from other players. So, I wrote back, explaining as I did above the circumstances. Then they write back and say that I cannot withdraw my money. I offered to pay any banking expenses associated with the withdraw, and asked what I could do in order to get MY MONEY. They simply refuse to let me withdraw, on the basis that the player to player money transfer is only for the transfer of money that IS THE RESULT of play at their tables. (then why the f*** did they let me initially fund my account in such a manner, when such a transfer necessarily could not have been the result of play at their tables -- since the account was just opened?!?!)

I've been back and forth with them, asked them what I can do in order to have access to my money, and they tell me I can send it back to my friends (no longer an option for me) or use it at their tables (in other words, lose it at their tables). They simply will not budge or tell me what I can do to have access to MY MONEY.

Anyone that thinks they can help, please PM me. And for anyone that receives transfers from anything that is not literally a "result of activity on [Stars] tables," -- BEWARE. You're money may not be able to be withdrawn.

I guess the thing I really find unconscionable here is how Stars permitted me to open an account and fund it with player transfers, and then later takes the position that any transfer not made "as a result of activity at [Stars] tables" cannot be withdrawn. In that event, no one should ever be able to initially fund his or her account with player transfers, as they necessarily could not have made the transfer as a result of table activity! In addition, simply as a matter of good faith and customer service, they should at least offer me some resolution (pay banking fees, more play at the tables, etc.) whereby I can make the withdraw, somehow, someday, of MY MONEY.

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