[Nietzsche]

Hello,

As you may have heard Betfair had some connectivity issues this afternoon (again), but I feel I have been cheated in this issue.

I placed a bet backing Malmo (Malmo-Djugardens in Sweden Damallsvenskan). I wanted odds 1.15 but pre-match odds were only being matched at around 1.12. So I set my bet to KEEP after kick off, and hopefully as minutes went on odds would raise to meet me and get matched.

Kick off at 15:20 GMT. Straight away after kick off odds were offered for Malmo as high as 1.18. It was something like 1000 euro for 1.16, 1000 euro for 1.17 and 1000 euro for 1.18 were offered. I was watching the market.
So obviously no connectivity problems if someone is able to offer odds. And because those odds are higher than what I was asking for, then automatically my bet is matched (official time in my Betfair account 14:21 bet matched).

Then at 1 min 44 seconds (Official time) 1-0 to Malmo. Match eventually finished 4-0.

I saw the market being suspended when goal was scored and after that it is when the connectivity problems started.

Now I am suspicious that at the loosing end of this bet is one of their main traders or Betfair itself, as if you are a frequent customer of them you usually see those kind of offers (1000 euro in three consecutive odds). That is trader behaviour more than a punter's behaviour.

Anyway my odds were there waiting at 1.15. Someone was able to upload odds of as high of 1.18 as soon as match started so no connectivity issues and automatic matched bet. It shouldn't be voided.

A CHEAT.

The stake was 1250 euro to win 187 euro. It is a not a lot of money but I feel robbed of my hard earned win.

What do you think?

[Monte]

What i think...easy, Betfair are scumbags switch to Matchbook.

[meckis]

if bet really was matched then of course you should get winnings. What betfair is saying?

[Nietzsche]

I sent Betfair an e-mail. I will update you here when they reply to it, if they do.

[Nietzsche]

[dealer wins]

I would hazard a guess that they didnt put the market in play at the correct time, and your bet was matched "pre-inplay" even though the match had started.

If this is the case, they do void all bets taken after the start of a match, win or lose.

(I have had a lovely losing £600 bet voided, and a not so nice £200 @ 2/1 winner voided over the years because of this)

[Nietzsche]

Hello DealerWins:

That's not what happened. They are voiding bets in all sports and markets because their server got overloaded or something like that and people couldn't connect to Betfair. So if you had a bet waiting to be matched you are fully exposed and unable to cancel it if you wished to do so.

But the connectivity problems started obviously shortly after my bet was matched.

At the kick off (I was following live the match also in Bet365 and official Damallsvenkan website, and Betfair kicked off at the exact same time than them 2) you could see the market got empty except for the few offers that were set to KEEP AT KICK OFF (an option you have to choose in your bet), so mine amongst them. So everything perfect.

In a few seconds somebody offered odds for Malmo, and because those odds were higher than what I requested I was automatically matched. You have to upload your odds again after kick off as all offers are cleared off at kick off (unless set to KEEP), so no connectivity issues for whoever uploaded those odds. And because my offer was visible to him (I was set to KEEP so I was visible on the market all the time through kick off and after) he knew what he was doing. He was matching my bet at 1.15 odds and he was happy to do so.

Then the goal came after about a minute and market got suspended as it should when a goal, penalty or red card happen. Then the connectivity issues started. Game starts at 15:20 GMT. My bet was matched at 15:21 GMT. Goal scored at 15:22 GMT. First report in Betfair Community of Betfair being down is at 15:36 GMT (although probably started earlier as it would take some time to the first poster to get pissed off and write about it)

I hope this clarifies what happened. Regards

[tommygun]

Send Betfair the screen shot, ask them what is going on.

Betfair has no incentive to screw you out of winnings mate, purely make commision as you already should know.

[Nietzsche]

Hello,

I got a response from Betfair. See for yourselves:

I can confirm that previously we did experience an interruption to our service. Our Technical Team have now resolved the issues with the site and the site is working as normal again.
This is not a regular occurrence though due to the nature of the internet there may be times due to a number of possible reasons that you may not be able to place bets. We do try and minimise these, however we are not able to avoid all issues that may arise unfortunately.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience that this interruption may have caused you.
We are not able to refund any loss that you may have as a result of the issues with the site.
In our Terms and Conditions it states;
11.3.2: "We are not liable for the failure of any equipment or software howsoever caused, wherever located or administered, or whether under our direct control or not, that may prevent the operation of our betting services, impede the placing of orders for bets or the matching of bets, or prevent you from being able to contact us. In particular you should be aware that if you place a bet with the intention of subsequently placing a separate bet to reduce the liability incurred by the initial bet, there can never be a guarantee that the Exchange will be available at the point you wish to place the subsequent bet."Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further enquiries.

Kind regards,

From the looks of it I think they didn't even read my e-mail. Probably they got thousands of complaints and they just sent the same e-mail to everybody.

But, anyway, they just made my point, according to their terms and conditions I should be paid. If they are not liable for any losses, then obviously those losses will go to the winner (in this case, me).

Tommygun, I am not so sure that Betfair works in commission alone. I would think they do their own fair of trading in the markets aswell.

[Nietzsche]

I replied to their e-mail explaining them that I didn't loose, but I won and I sent them the screenshot of the matched bet.

I asked them, that according to their terms and conditions, they should proceed to fund my account accordingly.

We'll see what happens.

[dealer wins]

Well if thats the case then they should pay you.

(Even in the case I highlighted in my last post I believe they should honour those bets also)

If a bet is matched, then the bet ALWAYS stands IMO.

[Nietzsche]

Good news.

The bet got resettled as a WINNER and I just got paid the full amount of my winnings.

Thank you for all your advices.

If possible I would like SBR to change the title of this post and remove the second part (A cheat), as I don't think Betfair deserves in this case to go into the SBR archives with such a negative thread title. The issue was resolved in less than 24 hours and with a fair outcome.

[tommygun]

quite rightly so, I knew betfair would settle this.

[dealer wins]

quite rightly so, I knew betfair would settle this.

Unlike Smarkets, who void bets even though it is supposed to be a betting exchange.

[TennisProFrance]

Unlike Smarkets, who void bets even though it is supposed to be a betting exchange.

Do they really? Tell me more please. I have been poking around Smarkets and started another thread on them.

[gampas]

Betfair says "Dont Settle for Less"
I only use them under Duress
Premium Charges Apply
Which can reach the sky
And they increase with every success

It is no surprise that punters lose on Betfair. The recent advertising campaign by Betfair is misleading. It looks at the last Premiership season in England and claims that Betfair was better than Bet 365 on 178 of 250 winning outcomes better than Ladbrokes on 173 of the 250 winning outcomes and better than William Hill on 187 of the 250 winning outcomes. The false impression given is that Betfair is generally better than the high-street bookmaker. Nothing could be further than the truth.

I downloaded all the data from www.football-data.co.uk (a highly recommended and free site by the way). The average overround of the best prices of the leading bookmakers that it uses for the Premiership last year was 100.5%. The average overround for Betfair prices, after allowing for the 5% commission that they correctly show (as their target audience will be those that do not currently use Betfair) is 105.5%. On average, the Betfair price is about 5% worse than the main bookmakers, after commission. In the 380 matches last year, Betfair was best price in 0, yes zero, of these, so it was clearly never best price on the winning outcome either. So, the advert is a complete con, using a clever comparison to deceive the customer.

And the above is disregarding Premium Charges, which successful players incur, and other charges for using an API etc. Perhaps the motto should be changed to:

Don't Settle for Less
Use Betfair for Chess!

[tommygun]

Grampa the only people that should use betfair are traders, Smarkets too