Complaint #39 PlayFrank Casino

Nearly £18,000 confiscated with no further proof

By Dan T.

7 years ago

I have made several deposits with the casino and had amalgamated a big balance just shy of £18,000. I had attempted to make several withdrawals over the following days but i ended up rolling these back as the payments processing team was very slow despite the advertised 24 Hour payment window.

72 hours after making a withdrawal the casino informed me that there was a breach of bonus terms and that i had staked over the bonus limit of £5.00. Throughout this period the bonus funds and my deposited cash were not separated and I enjoyed building a big balance over several days of gambling. Casino chat support members even congratulated me on my big win and at no point were the funds designated into separate accounts.

I have since made a subject access request and have still not received this after at least 2 weeks of waiting.

I raised a complaint with play frank casino/Everymatrix on the 31st January 2019, it is now the 25th February and the complaint remains unresolved. The casino manager advised that i would have a response to my complaint within 10 days this email was sent on the 12th February. This is now 3 days overdue. Play frank chat support representatives are unable to read my file and will not provide an update on my case. I have also personally contacted play frank manager who does not respond to my emails nor does the every matrix complaints team.

Disputed Casino PlayFrank Casino

Reason Bonus terms violation

Discussion

AskGamblers

• Support Team

7 years ago

AskGamblers Complaints Team has been provided with enough information and evidence on behalf PlayFrank Casino management in regards of this complaint to confirm and justify the casino actions.

Based on the above, AskGamblers Complaints Team consider this case as Resolved and it is now officially closed. In case of a disagreement with our decision we remind player that further assistance on this matter could be requested from the relevant regulatory body.

PlayFrank Casino

• Representative

7 years ago

Dear TARBYD,

Unfortunately we had to rollback your withdrawal since a breach of the Bonus Terms and Conditions was detected during your gameplay. You repeatedly placed bets above the allowed limit of 5 GBP and placed lower bets to complete the wagering. Due to this we had to enforce term 3.5 of the Bonus Terms and Conditions:

"3.5. Until the play through requirements have been met, the maximum bet that can be placed is £5 (or equivalent amount in other currencies). If you place a bonus money bet higher than the allowed limit (betting options included), your bet will not count towards your wagering requirements. Betting over the limit can be considered bonus abuse. In case of (bonus) abuse we hold the right to discard your withdrawal."

Based on your gameplay, we had to enforce term 3.5 of our Bonus Terms and Conditions (https://www.playfrank.com/en-gb/bonus-terms-conditions) and as a gesture we reinstated your bonus balance before the first breach.

We take this measure to make sure the rules are respected in order to provide a fair experience to all the players on our platform.

We’ve also considered the fact that the information currently displayed in our Terms and Conditions and in the pop-up you’ve acknowledged before opening the game is clearly presented and has the purpose to inform about the maximum bet allowed and the consequences of not respecting it.

As stated in 9.4 we like to refer you to the main page of PlayFrank, where the balance is presented to you in your dashboard; total balance, real money and bonus wallet. We also provide this overview when you navigate to the menu or to the bonus page where you can see which amount is available for withdrawal.

On the topic of the Identity Verification process, you should know that our standard verification and withdrawal procedure can expand if certain documents are re-requested or if we need additional ones, such as Face Verification proof, which was your case. There was no intention of not processing your withdrawal, on the contrary, we try to have a smooth and fast process, which is why our colleagues requested documents from you in order to clear the Identity check as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the system detected the bonus breach and after careful consideration we unfortunately had to confiscate the surplus.

We consider we have acted in good faith and if you have any other questions we are more than willing to answer them like we’ve already tried to do before.

Best wishes,

PlayFrank

frankpaidup

7 years ago

Thank you for your response.

I would like to make Ask Gamblers aware that I have not received direct contact from Every Matrix with respect to my complaint. I was advised to direct my complaint to every matrix via play frank which was initially done on the 31st of January. I was advised on the 12th February that I would receive a resolution within 10 days. It is now the 27th February 2019 and no direct communication has been raised by every matrix. Please see attached emails for proof of these promises and representations made by play frank and every matrix.

I have also requested a subject access request on the 1st February, I have still not received a response on this. I would also ask play frank as to why they are unable to provide me with direct evidence of the breach. The complaint has been ongoing for nearly a month and they are prepared to show ask gamblers the evidence but not the infringed player. They are also reluctant to provide my data access file which i feel is very deceptive.

Moving to the breach of bonus conditions. Ask Gamblers please see Play Franks T&C 9.4 - it states that "funds restricted from playing will be displayed in a separate balance on the player's main page and that a player may not withdraw these restricted funds. These funds were not separated and were represented as real funds, which were mixed with my deposited funds. I would argue that they were not clearly separated and the fact that i was able to lodge several withdrawals (see attached) would suggest that they were real funds at the time the withdrawals were requested. Please also note the chronology of my deposits and how the casino represented the £500 amongst the alleged breached bonus funds ( which were showing in my real money account)

I would also like to make Ask Gamblers of Play Franks breach of term 5.6 - they continually stalled my verification process outside of the 72 hours stated. I provided 3 forms of identity on the 25th February and was then asked to provide additional documents. These additional documents included me taking a selfie next to an identity card. All documents were provided on request and i was not verified until the 31st January. I can confirm that my account was not suspended or blocked throughout this period as specified in Play Franks T&CS.

I would like to make everyone aware of play franks fair resolution. Play frank manually credited my account with a balance of £41.47 which is derisory given that i had amassed a total figure just shy of £18,000. Surprisingly this balance was clearly designated in a bonus account - please see attached image.

I would comment that there has been a recent surge in complaints made against this casino, which would suggest that it is not transparent with its customers. The Gambling Commission has very strict guidelines on being transparent with your customer especially in respect of separating bonus money from real funds.

I would ask that ASKGAMBLERS look carefully at the dates of my deposits and withdrawals and question the casino as to why I was not notified of the breach at an earlier date. The casino's argument would suggest that any money that I deposited after the alleged breach of a bonus would not be eligible for withdrawal of any amassed winnings.

I will be happy to provide any further documents or proof as required.

Kind regards,

(Attachments are not visible as they need to be reviewed firstly by Ask Gamblers)

PlayFrank Casino

• Representative

7 years ago

Dear TARBYD,

The main reason to rollback the withdrawal was due to a breach of the Bonus Terms and Conditions regarding the maximum bet. Multiple wagers above the max bet in a single round have been recorded. Due to this we had to enforce term 3.5 of the Bonus Terms and Conditions.

We take this measure to make sure the rules are respected in order to provide a fair experience to all the players on our platform.

In the meantime we offered a fair solution which was accepted.

We provided all information to Askgamblers department to solve this complaint, including the proof of separate wallets.

Best regards,
PlayFrank

PlayFrank Casino Complaint Stats

Resolved 22 / 22

Avg. Amount $3,168

Avg. Complaint Duration 5 days

Avg. Response Time 2 days

PlayFrank Casino Complaint Summary

Most user complaints about this operator fall under the Payment category.

So far, 15 out of 15 complaints in this category have been resolved.

This operator's average complaint duration is 5 days, while the average duration across all operators is 8 days.

PlayFrank Casino Complaints

See all complaints for this casino

14 days pending withdrawal Documents approved

Hi, I deposited my £10 to get my bonus spins. I used my credit + welcome spins And met all the wagering requirements stated. I have requested a withdrawal and it has been stuck on pending for 14 days. I have contacted customer support and they have been friendly and helpful but nothing seems to be happening. All of my documents have been verified. I have checked the bonus t&c and played fairly.

Is there anything else I need to do? It’s a good casino, I would use again, but withdrawals are taking a long time

Thanks

Resolved

£423

Withdrawal status has been pending for a week

I made an withdrawal request on January 20th. The next morning I was asked to provide my bank statement which I did. Since then I haven’t got any information at all, apart from that the live chat operators have been telling me that the documents are passed to a relevant team to verify. I have sent Playfrank multiple emails regarding the issue but haven’t got any answers from them. Their T&C’s say that withdrawals’ status should change into ”processed” after 48 hours upon request. Mine is still ”pending” after a week. I really want to get my money out of this casino but it seems like the process doesn’t advance at all so therefore I’m writing this here now.

Resolved

€393

Withdrawal still pending and they're ignoring me now

My £231 withdrawal from this company is still pending 8 days later after stating it only takes 48 hours. Everytime you use live chat you wait 1-2 hours for a response and when they do respond they haven’t got a clue what they’re doing they copy and paste the same message. I’ve done everything they’ve asked off me and still nothing. All my documents have been verified yet they tell me my documents are being checked and I’ll be updated via email but I made a complaint through the site 5 days ago and still haven’t recieved an update via email. After making the withdrawal my account became restricted and said contact customer support for more information but customer support don’t have a clue what to say.

Resolved

£231

No Communication, Account Closure and Withholding Winning

I created the account with PlayFrank casino, uploaded my identification documents and my profile was fully verified. I had actually won some winnings of £101 and £201 which were paid out very swiftly.

I then deposited again and won winnings of £501 which I withdrew on 12.30am Monday 6th March 2023, it says 48 hours to process the winnings, and this morning I got an email (over 48hrs after I submitted my withdrawal) to say my account was closed which no explanation and nothing mentioned about my winnings, I cant access live chat, I've emailed them 3 times with no reply. Its unfair as I've supplied all verification and they've kept hold of my winnings from me.
I asked numerous times if there was issue about my account because obviously I could supply what they needed and all I was told before my account closed was this is a normal routine check, so they basically lied to me.

Please look into this and help support me.

Resolved

£501

Payment and refund issues

So, I was happy with my playfrank account but I found it a very boring website. Not many issues with withdrawals, but sometimes they were slow. I was ok with that. I closed my account, and I was owed two payments, I was asked to provide bank details which I did, via the chat.

Ever since then it’s been hell. So after providing the details it was apparently sent to the team, then I got emails saying it was process and on its way to my bank, and then I was told it was with managers. Every time I contacted someone half the time it was a different story each time, and then another reason as to why I haven’t received my money. I understand things take time but it’s been over 9 days, and I’m constantly being told so many different things. Two people I spoke to today, have told me two different things, apparently the money has not been issued even though I was emailed saying a completely different thing and now there is technical issues and they cannot pay me due to this. The customer service is absolutely shocking and I get nothing but attitude. They was fine when I was on the account taking my money and providing me with my winnings, but it seems to be since I closed it’s nothing but dragging their feet.

Also another small withdrawal I was also told is on its way to my bank, but then an agent in the chat stated that it was going to my PayPal and already sent. I provided details to show I’ve received it, in none of these and now they are escalating it. I just feel like you get told nothing and are expected to just take it.

Resolved

£192

Withdrawal delayed since last week

Hi, I made an account with playfrank, I've made a withdrawal of £700 and is still showing as pending since last Thursday. I've spoken to them via live chat but seem to get very vague replies? I've deposited as much if not more and really thought I would of been paid by now but nothing, I've deposited since withdrawal no problem. I've already uploaded my drivers license both sides and proof of address so can't understand the delay? I've played many other casinos and never had a problem like this, could you please look into this for me please, I've uploaded some files if it helps? Many thanks Ian

Resolved

£700

Waiting for my £2,062 withdrawal since April

As the title saying I have requested a withdrawal (£2062) after playing on Playfrank casino in April, they've asked for verification documents which I've sent in a few days later. They confirmed that docs have been forwarded to their verification team. Since then I have sent several emails asking about my withdrawal and their answer were always the same: the verification team is still checking my docs and account. For two months!!! Even spoken to their livechat, but ended up getting the same answer. This is just ridiculous. They are clearly up for something and I have a feeling that I won't get my winnings paid out just by waiting for their response.

If Askgambler could help me out in this matter I would appreciate it.

Regards

Resolved

Verification denied and account suspended

Hi,

Last week I made a deposit of £100 to my Play Frank account, after receiving a text informing me of a 100% bonus up to £100. I played through the bonus the same day until I ended up with approx £950 cash in my account. I played completely within the terms and conditions of the bonus and opted to withdraw the funds the same day.

Shortly afterwards, I received an email requesting the following verification:

- Personal identification

- Address identification

- Proof of payment method

I supplied all of this in a timely manner and assumed this would enable them to process my withdrawal. However, I then received a further email requesting the following verification:

- Face verification

- Date verification

I have used a large number of gambling sites and this is something I have never been asked for before. I find it highly irregular, unnecessary and worrying. I see no reason why they would need this level of identification, something which I raised by return of e-mail. I repeatedly asked why this was needed and constantly received the same response of the fact it was needed for face and date verification. Obviously this is something I was already aware of; I was trying to determine why it was needed.

I eventually provided the verification required. I couldn’t do this immediately as I had to purchase a newspaper. I was finally told that my withdrawal is now being processed; this was on 19/03/19.

That night I tried logging into my play Frank account to see if I could see the status of the withdrawal, only to find my account had been blocked. After contacting them, I was then told that this was done as part of the verification process and that any pending withdrawals had been cancelled. The team told me to contact the complaints team which I did on 20/03/2019.

Since then, any of my requests are now ignored. I have been given no timescale for my "complaint" to be answered (I never asked to raise a complaint: I just want my money) and £950 of my money has seemingly disappeared into thin air. Personally, I believe the original verification process is a stalling tactic in order to hold onto customer's money for longer than is necessary.

Please let me know if you need any further information from me.

Thanks and regards,

Will < surname removed >

Resolved

£950

Failed verification and confiscated winnings with no further info or proof

I have tried to withdraw £3500 worth of winnings from my account. I have been asked to partake in the verification process which I have done fully. I have sent pictures of my bank card, bank statements, drivers licence, passport and even me holding my ID’ s.

I have made a few deposits in the past and not had an issue.

I have followed the process fully and have just been told my winnings have been confiscated and my account closed. I have had no explanation as to why I have failed the verification?

I would like this resolved and my money payed out!

Ticket ID: 228538

Resolved

£3,500

Verification delayed, account closed, deposit returned, no winnings paid yet and no further answers

On wed 21/02/2019 I deposited £400 I also got bonus money which I wagered and than won just under 4000 . I withdrew and was so excited about my winnings ! On 22/02/2019 I was asked to send my documents which I done straight away sent my driving license debit card and bank statement . On the 24/02/2019 I was asked to send a picture of myself next to my driving license which I done !! I waited and waited was talking to the support team as why is was taking so long they said I will get a email as they don’t deal with it ! On the 26/02/2019 I went to log into my account and my account had been closed . I went onto live chat straight away and they said it was due to a automated security check that I failed and the verification team are on the case ! I’ve been constantly on live chat with no answers what so ever . Today 27/02/2019 I checked my bank account and have notice play frank have credited my account with £400 . This is what I deposited ? I went on live chat straight away and they have said there is no update on your verification . This online casino in my eyes is an absolute con No answers I’m incredibly stressed and upset and I want answers please help me

Resolved

£3,600