Major Skybook Withdrawal Issue

[leda82]

I initially had a balance of $19,281 on April 15th, when I requested my first withdrawal ever from them. The maximum they allow per Neteller withdrawal is $1,000 so that is what I have been requesting. Since April 15th, the total amount that I have received is $3,950. My last $1,000 that I received was July 21st. Since then, I have waited 9 weeks for a $1,000 withdrawal and still have not received it. So I have received a total of only $3,950 in 23 weeks. Here are the dates of my requests and when I have received a payment:

Request: April 15th
Received: May5th (Requested $1,000, only received $950)

Request: May 5th
Received: May 27th ($1,000)

Request: May 27th
Received: June 8th ($1,000)

Request: June 8th
Received: July 21st ($1,000)

Request: July 21st
Received: Still Waiting

I made a total of $6,000 in deposits, so I have not even received my deposit amounts back. I have not placed a single wager since my first withdrawal request and still have a balance of $15,286.

The only way I can receive a withdrawal is Neteller or a transfer to another sportsbook. At the time I signed up with them, they still offered transfers to The Greek and CRIS. When I went to finally request my first withdrawal, I found that they no longer offered the transfer to other sportsbooks. So the only way I can request is by Neteller. When I asked why they cannot simply replenish their Neteller account, they told me that they have a general policy to not send their own funds to Neteller. So I must wait for others to deposit in order to get paid.

They have offered to send me withdrawals by either person to person money transfer or bank wire, but neither of those options will work for me.
I live in Japan. Western Union closed its one location in Japan. Money Gram only has one location, which happens to be quite far from where I live and is only open during bank hours, when I cannot even go there due to my daytime job.
I cannot receive a bank wire as I no longer have a regular bank account for my own reasons. The illegality of online gambling and the funds derived from it is also an issue that I have encountered legal problems with in the past so I would like to avoid any gambling related funds from being 'on the books' here.

What I simply cannot understand is why they have a policy with their Neteller merchant account that is similar to a Ponzi-scheme where they can only pay winners if there are more losers. Why are they not willing to accomodate me and, instead of sending me a bank wire, send it to Neteller instead so they can pay me that way.

Can anyone think of any solution for me here? Has there really not been enough Neteller deposits in the past 9 weeks to even pay me my next $1,000 installment? Or is Skybook just trying their very best not to pay me?

[CollegePro]

never played at skybook and never used neteller so i don't know what to tell you. But based on your side of story, it sure sounds llike ther are trying their best not to pay you

[THEGREAT30]

They all try to not pay up if they can wiggle out of it and I do mean all.

[poker_dummy101]

1. Take a week off from work

2. Go on vacation.. which happens to be where the moneygram location is

3. ?????

4. Profit

[aca]

Good luck!

[themajormt]

How do you plan on accessing the funds once they are in your Neteller account? Not having a bank account is a little odd... It sounds like they are stalling but you definitely could do more on your part to get yourself paid. You are demanding one method and they arent willing to do it, so open a bank account and get it taken care of, or youre going to have to go to Money gram...

[HedgeHog]

I know your pain. I had well over 20k at Skybook and could only withdraw $1k at a time by ** ($68 charge each one). I thought they would get their processing issues cleared up with their recent merge and move--but apparently not. It sucks because I really like betting there. Skybook may be on the ropes.

[CollegePro]

1. Take a week off from work

2. Go on vacation.. which happens to be where the moneygram location is

3. ?????

4. Profit

this is great idea.

I am sure you will go to Tokyo at some point where there is lot of moneygram location. Even though you might not pick up the money right away, just keep requesting payout via this method every week and by the time you go to Tokyo, visit couple moneygram locations to pick up your cash.

[leda82]

How do you plan on accessing the funds once they are in your Neteller account? Not having a bank account is a little odd... It sounds like they are stalling but you definitely could do more on your part to get yourself paid. You are demanding one method and they arent willing to do it, so open a bank account and get it taken care of, or youre going to have to go to Money gram...

Neteller has always offered some sort of debit card that has a maximum withdrawal amount of at least $1,000/day; they even have a virtual online card that has a much larger spending limit. It is really not that unusual to not have a bank account here. Like many here, I do have a type of savings account called a Postal savings account which functions like a bank account but with much more limited features such as wire transfers, but much less scrutiny for transactions as a standard bank. I did have a bank account in the past but have had a very large amount of funds seized without notice because of unususal transactions related to online gaming. I want to make it clear that I have had legal problems and faced prosecution in the past because online gambling is technically illegal here in Japan. Even the money in question with Skybook is not worth going through what I had to deal with in the past.
I would simply like others to know how long I have been waiting. Why even offer Neteller as a withdrawal option if it is only an option if you plan to lose. At the rate I have been receiving withdrawals, it will take more than 2 years to be paid the remainder of my balance.
Like I mentioned in my first post on this issue, just send a bank wire to Neteller on my behalf and send me the funds through there. I really cannot understand why that is not possible on their part.

[leda82]

this is great idea.

I am sure you will go to Tokyo at some point where there is lot of moneygram location. Even though you might not pick up the money right away, just keep requesting payout via this method every week and by the time you go to Tokyo, visit couple moneygram locations to pick up your cash.

There is one Money Gram location in all of Tokyo. With the demand of my job and other things, it would take me just as long if not longer, to receive my withdrawals with Skybook's maximum $850/transaction withdrawals with this method. However, that is besides the point. Like mentioned in my previous post, I would like to keep all of my gaming transactions 'off the books,' at least here in Japan. I have used Neteller since 2002, and I have never had questions related to my transactions there asked by the tax department or other legal department here. I really would like to keep it that way.

[CollegePro]

wow... you are right man... as a matter of fact, it seems like there is only one moneygram location in JAPAN period. daym.... i don't know what to tell you now since it's not like you can pick up the moneygram transaction in different country. you really need some help from Mods here.

[Scorpion]

** cannot have just one location in Japan

[CollegePro]

looks like western union does not exist in Japan

[Justin7]

If they offered a bank wire, they are being more than fair.

[leda82]

If they offered a bank wire, they are being more than fair.

Is it really fair if I cannot accept payment in this manner? I did request assistance in this matter from SBR 5 months ago after waiting about 2 weeks without receiving my first payout. Quoting Lou from SBR, he wrote me:

"You deposited via Neteller, they advertise Neteller, it is within your right to be paid by Neteller."

Without doubt, I would have never deposited at Skybook had they not offered withdrawals by Neteller or transfers to other sportsbooks. I did not know that their Neteller deposit/withdrawal structure was fashioned similarly to a Ponzi-scheme.

[Chopsticks]

I don't know if this would be possible, but you can try requesting them to send the money money to Neteller by bank wire as a deposit in your name... ?

[CollegePro]

okay...we are talking about over 15k here.... it's lot of money to just give it away to offshore book.... so is it really that hard to open an Bank account in Japan and request a bank wire?? and close the bank account after 3 to 4 months later..... if you can do this, I think you are screwed and you won't either see your money again or it will take some serious time to get all 15k back

[DukeJohn]

okay...we are talking about over 15k here.... it's lot of money to just give it away to offshore book.... so is it really that hard to open an Bank account in Japan and request a bank wire?? and close the bank account after 3 to 4 months later..... if you can do this, I think you are screwed and you won't either see your money again or it will take some serious time to get all 15k back

I believe he had money seized before and legal hassles from receiving money from gambling in the past... It seems Japan is much harder on people than even the US, hard to believe. Anyway, perhaps he could open an Online account at Everbank and then wire transfer the money there...

[leda82]

okay...we are talking about over 15k here.... it's lot of money to just give it away to offshore book.... so is it really that hard to open an Bank account in Japan and request a bank wire?? and close the bank account after 3 to 4 months later..... if you can do this, I think you are screwed and you won't either see your money again or it will take some serious time to get all 15k back

Online gambling is a grey area and technically illegal here where you can be prosecuted. It is not really an issue that the public prosecutor's office deals with as not many here partake in online gambling. However, it did happen to me in the past and I had an amount much larger than the amount in question with Skybook seized months after receiving a bank wire from a sportsbook based in the UK. Although I did not have to serve any time in jail, I had my home searched and was made to feel like a criminal. I do not think I am mistaken to think that any banking transactions of mine would be monitored and any large amount from a foreign source would face severe scrutiny if I received it. I would like to avoid what happened to me in the past from happening again.

[themajormt]

If they offered a bank wire, they are being more than fair.

Justin, is this what it is coming to now? He cannot do a bank wire, he wants to get paid how he deposited... They are still advertising Neteller... When does the players rights stop getting trampled on?

[leda82]

I don't know if this would be possible, but you can try requesting them to send the money money to Neteller by bank wire as a deposit in your name... ?

This is what I cannot understand. I have asked that they simply send a bank wire to Neteller to replenish their merchant account there. Can it really be so difficult?

[themajormt]

Have you spoke to Mike there? He was pretty good when I dealt with him before...

[Halifax]

If they offered a bank wire, they are being more than fair.

Really ?

Many people don't want to use a bank account to receive funds, either for the reasons the original poster mentioned, for tax reasons, because they don't want to repatriate their "offshore" funds, etc. ... many legit reasons to want to avoid a bank wire.

Before Neteller cut off Canadians, I routinely had low 6-figure Neteller balances. If I, as a player, can have 6-figure balances in Neteller, it's not unreasonable for a fairly large (or at least they used to be fairly large) book like Skybook to keep at least a mid-5-figure float in Neteller to service their Neteller customers.

If they don't want to deal with Neteller customers, then don't offer Neteller as an option. Otherwise, keep it funded ... or at least be willing to fund it when required.

[leda82]

Have you spoke to Mike there? He was pretty good when I dealt with him before...

Yes, I have been in correspondence with him regarding my issues. He had told me on a few occasions that he believed that the book-to-book option would be available again once football season began. Unfortunately, football season has begun and that option is still not available.
I inquired again on Sept. 14th about when I might receive my next $1,000 installment. He simply asked if I can receive a bank wire. I replied that I could not and asked if there were any solutions. I have not heard back from him in one week now.

[magnavox]

Really ?

Many people don't want to use a bank account to receive funds, either for the reasons the original poster mentioned, for tax reasons, because they don't want to repatriate their "offshore" funds, etc. ... many legit reasons to want to avoid a bank wire.

I strongly concur. Virtually for anyone playing offshore (apart from the UK) it is imperative to be able to use e-wallets. There is not only a risk, but a proven fact funds are sometimes being seized if sent other ways.

[themajormt]

I would ask a Mod to step in and handle this... Maybe someone other than Justin since he feels that this is perfectly normal...

[AimingHigh]

This is what I cannot understand. I have asked that they simply send a bank wire to Neteller to replenish their merchant account there. Can it really be so difficult?

I think the difference (if they're being truthful, and this isn't just stalling) is the fees to replenish their Neteller merchant account 'vs' the fees consumers pay to upload to theirs. Presumably the fees are a lot less for bank wires.

Is it worth asking Neteller whether a third party could wire funds direct to your account? Or might that somehow "flag" you with Neteller, with whom you've had no problems to date? If you can get Moneybookers in Japan, it might also be worth asking whether they would accept a direct bank wire from a third party to your account.

[magnavox]

I can't say for sure, but I'd be really surprised if Neteller is charging any fees from merchants when they upload their account with them. So essentially such a transfer should be no different from Skybook's side if compared to direct wire to a customer's personal bank account.

[username474]

You can open an account at almost any International bank in Malaysia without going there. And then get a bank wire.

[HedgeHog]

My Skybook account has finally gotten a little low, so I called about deposit options for US people. I can send up to $2500 ** or double that by bank wire. I then inquired why I can only withdraw $1000 by ** and nothing at all by wire. No good answer for that one. Be leary of putting new money here, regardless of where you live.

[trixtrix]

i don't understand why they are still not doing book to book transfers..

that would resolve a lot of the processor problems, it sure as hell alleviated a ton of wsex's by having an extra out to matchbook..

[JoshW]

I don't know that it can be called a slow pay. But I agree with Halifax, that if they are going to offer Neteller deposits and Neteller withdrawals, they need to be able to fund their Neteller account. Having to wait a couple weeks would seem acceptable if they do very little Neteller business, month after month of waiting isn't fair.

[magnavox]

That's the least they could do. Fortunately major books pay e-wallets almost as quickly as before 1/11. Even WSEX manages to pay Neteller, albeit with delays.

[leda82]

I saw the sportsbook news regarding Skybook on the SBR homepage. It states:

"09.24.2009 (02:44 PM CST)
Skybook addresses latest Neteller complaint
Skybook (SBR rating B-) has agreed to wave fees for this player's Neteller withdrawals. Skybook has also stated that the player's withdrawal would be "fast-tracked" by raising the amount he is able to request per transaction. SBR will update when the player has been paid in full. Skybook players waiting for Neteller payments are encouraged to contact SBR."


Did they happen to address how they planned to pay me if they have no funds in their Neteller account? I still have not received a cent since July 21st.

[DukeJohn]

I saw the sportsbook news regarding Skybook on the SBR homepage. It states:

"09.24.2009 (02:44 PM CST)
Skybook addresses latest Neteller complaint
Skybook (SBR rating B-) has agreed to wave fees for this player's Neteller withdrawals. Skybook has also stated that the player's withdrawal would be "fast-tracked" by raising the amount he is able to request per transaction. SBR will update when the player has been paid in full. Skybook players waiting for Neteller payments are encouraged to contact SBR."


Did they happen to address how they planned to pay me if they have no funds in their Neteller account? I still have not received a cent since July 21st.

If you have not followed up with SBR lately, I would encourage you to do so, since it appears they are working with Skybook now...