1. #1
    Mudcat
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    BetPOP - smart or stupid?

    They were mentioned in a thread about people's favorite risk-versus-reward books so I checked out the website. I couldn't see information on deposit/payout methods so I phoned them.

    A guy started asking for my personal information to set up an account. I said I would need to know how they process payments to decide if I wanted an account. He said that's not how they work; they need the account first. I said that's not how I work; I need the information first.

    He hung up (rudely, by the way. Without even a good-bye).



    I'm trying to decide if that was smart or stupid. The case for stupid is probably pretty obvious. I'm not going to bother with them now. They chased away an easy deposit - possibly several.

    But maybe smart. I make money in the long run so they are better off without me.

    But stupid. They didn't know who I am. If I was most players, it would just be a lost deposit and, as a fundamental rule, sportsbooks want deposits. I mean, I assume their processing options aren't that radically unusual that they would totally scare someone away just by talking about them.

    But maybe smart. They aren't committed to anything. It's not like a WagerWeb who have outright lies in their banking options. If Betpop offers something today but then that changes for some reason, at least they don't look like sleazy bait-and-switchers.

    But stupid. Why piss of a potential customer over such a simple bit of public knowledge. I know 20 people that could give me this information they are guarding so jealously. Why be so sneaky about that in particular?

    But maybe smart. Maybe there is some kind of reverse psychology thing that works on some people. Maybe when they treat people like they don't care about them, it makes some types want in that much more.

    And maybe also smart. If they get that account information, they can telemarket and spam forever. That is good for them. If telemarketing and spamming had no effect there wouldn't be so much of it.

    But it can't be that smart. If that increased telemarketing/spamming ability was so valuable I'm sure more books would behave like betPOP did and I don't know of any that do. I realize that's not exactly a scientific argument but I'm just saying.



    So I dunno. Smart or stupid?

  2. #2
    Mudcat
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    My verdict by the way:

    Stupid.

  3. #3
    Stumpage
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    Pretty stupid, I think as well.....Are they really that successful that they can show people the door before they've even knocked?

  4. #4
    bigboydan
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    IMHO I feel you might want to reconsider your position on playing there Mudcat.

    BetPop does not want professional action, however they are very fair in dealing with sharps. I don't recall any bonus confiscations which is a definitely a plus. Of course they are a recreational book and will limit professional players at some point, however I feel they are a great book for football, especially if you like betting parlays and teasers.

  5. #5
    durito
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    You've never played at a first fidelity book before?

  6. #6
    SBR Lou
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    You could have always just made a post or done a search here, or asked BBD for a quick response on them. Plenty information about their payouts, setup etc.

  7. #7
    Mudcat
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    Quote Originally Posted by crazyl View Post
    You could have always just made a post or done a search here, or asked BBD for a quick response on them. Plenty information about their payouts, setup etc.
    I know. As I said in my first post, there are 20 people I could ask.

    That's not the point of this thread. It is about if I would be dealing with a book that is fundamentally smart or stupid.

    But of course I'm being a bit cute when I say that. I think I just like to expose stupidity to the light of day and I really feel that was some stupid customer service technique. A small bit of finesse would have had them the account info they wanted plus a deposit in one minute, instead of a thread on a public forum saying, "What a bunch of rude, spamming/telemarketing buggers."

    But yes, I'm sure I could deal with them. I would be stupid to not deal with a useful book just because my noise is out of joint. I am not yet convinced of their usefulness but in time I could easily see myself depositing there.

    Maybe/maybe not. No hurry.

    I really do wonder what they are thinking by doing that. They must have some reason that no one else has thought of because I don't see anyone else acting like that. I guess it must be an extreme focus on getting the spamming/telemarketing info.

  8. #8
    Mudcat
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    Quote Originally Posted by durito View Post
    You've never played at a first fidelity book before?
    I would have to see a complete list to say for sure - I have played at a lot of books over the years - but I'm guessing maybe not ??

  9. #9
    SBR Lou
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    Customer service is a funny thing sometimes.

    A poster had a question about BetUS once, he wasn't thinking of playing there at all, but it was some random question through the course of a thread, so I called them up just to ask and the guy on the line was one of the nicest reps I've ever spoken to. Really went out of his way to be friendly, and as we all know, that's not the type of book which prides itself on their efficiency.

    I would assume it comes down to the training, the person him/herself, and just what mood they happen to be in at the time, all those things combined. To answer your question, it's definitely stupid, but I'd still play there if I saw something worthwhile seeing as how they do pay out pretty promptly.

  10. #10
    pavyracer
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    I don't like BetPOP. Name doesn't seem right. I play at BedROCK.

  11. #11
    durito
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mudcat View Post
    I have played at a lot of books over the years - but I'm guessing maybe not ??
    That's why I thought it a bit strange. They've been around a while so I just figured you'd probably tried them out at some point.

    BetAnySports B- www.betanysports.com
    BetPrimeTime C+ www.betprimetime.com
    ChineseBookie B- www.chinesebookie.com
    GrandSlam C+ www.betgrandslam.com
    LessJuice B- www.lessjuice.com
    PayOffsPlus B- www.betpop.com
    Vietbet B www.vietbet.com
    Wager7 B- www.wager7.com
    First Fidelity (YouWager) B www.youwager.com

  12. #12
    frostno98
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    They're probably stupid, but they pay fast as any A+ book out there with no hassle. And they also grade all bets lighting fast, Greek like. Books I'd played at like betjam, betonline, and intertops, were all in the slower end compared to them.

  13. #13
    bigboydan
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    Mudcat, I did a brief writeup about BetPop roughly 7 months ago. If you wanna check it out here is the link.

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