PartyPoker Support
I originally posted this on RGP because their general level of hating is so much higher than that of this forum. I thought it would be more appropriate over there. However, if you're in a mood to be frustrated with the incompetence of big-businesses minions, then by all means, read this and revel in it.
I was playing in the Super Wednesday tournament last night. We started with 1K in chips. $150 buy-in plus $12 entry. I had about 1400 in chips when a pop-up appeared that said the tournament was cancelled. Then in the chat window a line appeared that said "this table is being closed".
Then the lobby disappeared, never to return.
Then the clock stopped running. We played with 7 minutes left in the 50/100 level IIRC for about 20 minutes. But they kept dealing cards. With the clock not moving, the lobby gone, and the various announcements of cancellation, I decided that the thing was over, and we were playing for no reason.
Expecting an easy, full refund, I left.
I just received an email from Party saying that my account has been credited with $131. When they have to cancel a tournament, I guess they do some kind of a combo even split/chip count deal. They said my chips at the time of cancellation totalled 180.
BS.
So, I guess they were just joking when they said the tournament was cancelled. And just kidding around with the whole 'clock freezing/lobby disappearing' thing. Had I stayed, and ignored their messages, and kept playing 50/100 for another half hour, I would have received more money. Ridiculous.
I sent them this email in response. I'll let you know what happens. I know it's only a difference of 80 bucks or so, but still....
"Actually, when the popup appeared telling me the tournament had been cancelled, and I quit, I had well over 1000 chips. Why does your statement say that I only had 180 chips when it was cancelled? The pop up appeared, the lobby disappeared, the limits stopped going up.... that to me is the end of the tournament. Please explain this discrepency to me."
Since then, I have received this response:
"Thank you for contacting us.
I am very sorry that Super Wednesday ($150/$12) tournament #502937 on 03-NOV-2005 was cancelled and appreciate your understanding in this matter.
A refund of $$131.52 has been applied to your account in line with our disconnection and cancellation policy. The refunds has been made to the account as per the standard Cancellation policy"
Jesus. Christ. It's pretty much the exact same email that pissed me off in the first place, minus the fancy flow chart illustrating to me exactly how I was being ripped off.
I am speaking to people at PartyPoker who either don't understand what I wrote in my email, or don't care. Probably both.
I was playing in the Super Wednesday tournament last night. We started with 1K in chips. $150 buy-in plus $12 entry. I had about 1400 in chips when a pop-up appeared that said the tournament was cancelled. Then in the chat window a line appeared that said "this table is being closed".
Then the lobby disappeared, never to return.
Then the clock stopped running. We played with 7 minutes left in the 50/100 level IIRC for about 20 minutes. But they kept dealing cards. With the clock not moving, the lobby gone, and the various announcements of cancellation, I decided that the thing was over, and we were playing for no reason.
Expecting an easy, full refund, I left.
I just received an email from Party saying that my account has been credited with $131. When they have to cancel a tournament, I guess they do some kind of a combo even split/chip count deal. They said my chips at the time of cancellation totalled 180.
BS.
So, I guess they were just joking when they said the tournament was cancelled. And just kidding around with the whole 'clock freezing/lobby disappearing' thing. Had I stayed, and ignored their messages, and kept playing 50/100 for another half hour, I would have received more money. Ridiculous.
I sent them this email in response. I'll let you know what happens. I know it's only a difference of 80 bucks or so, but still....
"Actually, when the popup appeared telling me the tournament had been cancelled, and I quit, I had well over 1000 chips. Why does your statement say that I only had 180 chips when it was cancelled? The pop up appeared, the lobby disappeared, the limits stopped going up.... that to me is the end of the tournament. Please explain this discrepency to me."
Since then, I have received this response:
"Thank you for contacting us.
I am very sorry that Super Wednesday ($150/$12) tournament #502937 on 03-NOV-2005 was cancelled and appreciate your understanding in this matter.
A refund of $$131.52 has been applied to your account in line with our disconnection and cancellation policy. The refunds has been made to the account as per the standard Cancellation policy"
Jesus. Christ. It's pretty much the exact same email that pissed me off in the first place, minus the fancy flow chart illustrating to me exactly how I was being ripped off.
I am speaking to people at PartyPoker who either don't understand what I wrote in my email, or don't care. Probably both.
Comments
I was playing in a $200 CPC qualifier at the same time. Their prize structure should have shown that 3 seats would be given away and 3 spots would get a bit of cash, for a total of 6 'winners'. Instead, they had it broken down like a regular cash tournament, with top 20 getting paid... no seats, just regular cash distribution. As we got closer and closer to the money, we were all wondering: are they going to fix the prize pool chart? The answer: no. And to make things worse, we started hand-for-hand play with 30 people left.
30 people left, and we're hand for hand. 6 spots get paid, but the software's all screwed up. This is bad for two reasons: with the blinds as they were, we could have used the extra hands/level, and also, bubble psychology affects people's play. The tournament was a farce in this respect, because the bubble was being falsely represented as being WAAAAAAAAAY earlier than it actually was.
So, I sent them this email:
"Subject: CPC sat.[#3962467]
why are we hand for hand at like 30 players when only 3 seats are given away
we are getting less hands per level in because of this, and as a result, this
satellite is affected."
And, I sent them this email:
"The payouts are listed incorrectly for tonight's CPC sat. Please correct them before we get to the "money", as the prize structure will effect how people play."
In response, they sent me this email:
"Dear Player,
Thank you for contacting us.
Hand-For-Hand (HFH) is a feature used in all Multi Table Poker Tournaments that allows tables to play the exact same number of hands at critical times. Noted exceptions are in tournaments where set prizes are given away (for example - PartyPoker.com Million Semi Finals).
Hand for hand starts 10 places out of money, and stops when the number of players left in the tournament is equal to the number of places to be paid.
To see the chart specifying when the HFH feature starts and stops, please check the following URL for our website"
It's almost funny. Almost.
I'll give it a shot.
[deep breath]
PARTY F@#&ERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ScottyZ
Something else to try... you're right though, their email and chat support is sketchy at best.
I received this, the latest "response" from PartyPoker:
OK. So. Nothing new there... in fact nothing that even came close to addressing any of the points I made in my last emails. So, I sent them this little beauty here:
In case it isn't already blindingly obvious, I don't really care about the extra ~$40 this might get me. I don't think I ever did. I'm on a mission to prove something now. What? I'm not exactly sure. Simply that I'm right, and that they're wrong? Probably. They haven't heard the last of this, that I can guarantee.
I am a sick, sick man. Please send help. Â
This is over the course of many hands during about 15 or 20 minutes of post-"cancellation" play.
Aces_All: is this... ummm... a real tournament
Aces_All: are we still here
Aces_All: i feel like i'm on the island in lost
Aces_All: are we the only ten players still playing this
Aces_All: the clock isn't running
Aces_All: the limits aren't raising
Aces_All: we are doing this for nothing
Aces_All: for absolutely no reason, we are reacting to the cards going around
Aces_All: the tournament is over
Aces_All: get your money back
Aces_All: this is essentially practice
Aces_All: i am practicing how to play against an overly aggressive opponent
Aces_All: named tuna
Aces_All: and i'm learning how to fold 45o
Aces_All: hopefully we are all using this time wisely
Aces_All: there's 7 minutes left in this level
Aces_All: tighten up
Aces_All: oh wait
Aces_All: only 7 minutes left in this level
Aces_All: alright seriously
Aces_All: this isn't a real tournament guys
Aces_All: it's been 50/100 for like a half an hour
Aces_All: even if it restarts
Aces_All: it's not real
Aces_All: and everyone will be refunded
Aces_All: this is actually an experiment designed by the government
Aces_All: to determine how addicted we are
Aces_All: the question "will they play even after they know it's for nothing"
Aces_All: is being answered
Aces_All: and then some
chuiwon: anybody got the 800 #
Aces_All: i thought i was playing with bots
Aces_All: until that moment
Aces_All: i suspect their 800 number tells you you're on hold
Aces_All: but you're really in limbo
Aces_All: not unlike this experience
Aces_All: so, zareef, how's PLACENTIA treating you? (cleverly, zareef is listed as being from "PLACENTIA")
Aces_All: sticky?
Aces_All: would you say?
Aces_All: tough crowd
Aces_All: hey look
Aces_All: tuna raised
Aces_All: i'm shocked
...
Clearly, they were toying with me. Sending me the same response, again, to see if they could break me. I wouldn't be broken quite so easily, and sent them this in response:
That's what I'm talkin' about. In response, they sent me this shocking email:
Well I'll be darned. They're paying me off so I'll leave them alone. I never thought big businesses did that sort of thing. Oh wait. That's exactly what they do, all the time. I don't know where to go from here. They've thrown me a bone, yes, but I still feel so... unsatisfied. I am considering calling them out on the whole "tournament continued for a couple of hands where you lost some chips" thing. In actual fact, the tournament continued for at least 25 minutes, with the clock stopped. That is more than a couple of hands. I just don't know whether to pursue this any further. They want me to go away. They gave me twenty bucks. I'm conflicted.Â
There is a lesson in this, though. If PartyPoker tells you a tournament is cancelled, it's not REALLY cancelled. Only kinda.
And, 20 minutes+ of play at PartyPoker is considered, by them, to be "a couple of hands".
A part of me wants to yank my money off of that site. But I won't, and they know I won't, because no other site offers up the kind of sit-and-go action that they do.Â
Go buy yourself a nice McDeal combo on Party, and, at least temporarily, give up playing on Party.
Do you really want to play at an online poker site that has gotten into your head to the point of requiring you to rant about an insignificant (by your admission) amount of money on two different internet forums?
Playing on tilt is a recipe for disaster, and my guess is, with respect to all things PartyPoker, you're on it.
ScottyZ
P.S. If you do decide to take a hiatus from Party, withdrawing all (or at least some tasty portion of) of your PartyPoker money into your Neteller account might send them the message you haven't been able to get through to them by email.
Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.
P.P.S. Okay, forget this post.
You sick puppy.
ScottyZ
I think it's been cancelled.
ScottyZ
Cancelled cancelled, or just cancelled?
It takes more than this to tilt me.
That is a no-brainer.
You'd better play a couple of hands to make sure.
ScottyZ
I never really understood their hand-for-hand policy. I asked their support about it once, and they replied by apologizing profusely and adding $250 and 7000 Party Points to my account.
So how did you end up spending the $7000 and 250 Party Points?
ScottyZ