Bingo site won't let me withdraw my money- please help?

Rachael345

Could really use some help,

I am nearly in tears after finding out that Charitybingo won't let me withdraw my money.
I deposited £20 with them to play with and quickly lost most of it and I thought it'd be best to withdraw what I had left before I lost anymore. I was then confronted by a message that said you had to have at least £30 to withdraw so I added £30 to my account, bringing the total to £38.

I tired again but I now get this message: "You can't make a withdrawal yet as you haven't wagered at least £100 of real funds. Please continue playing."

I tried emailing them but they didn't reply, and now I've no idea what to do. There was nothing about this in their terms or conditions or their FAQ. I know £38 might not seem a lot to people but I really can't afford to lose it. Please help.

Rachael345

I noticed these on their terms and conditions, would it be a bad idea to try one of these to have the money deposited back on my account?

"44. We reserve the right to close your account and have deposited funds which still remain in your account balance credited back to your payment card in the following circumstances:
44.1 you register more than one account;
44.2 you are younger than 18;
44.3 you provide incorrect registration information;
44.4 you reside in or access the Website from a Non Permitted Jurisdiction;
44.5 the name on your account doesn’t match the name on the payment card which has been used to make purchases on your account;
44.6 you have allowed (intentionally or unintentionally) someone else to play on your account;
44.7 you have played as part of any group strategy;`
44.8 any chargebacks have been received for any purchases made on your account
44.9 you are found, in our reasonable opinion, to be cheating;
44.10 we become aware that you have done any of the above at other online bingo sites;
44.11 you publish any defamatory or offensive material anywhere on the Website; and/or
44.12 you breach these terms and conditions."

marliepanda

Did you get any free credit at all when you signed up?

daytona0

Well, it is there in black and white:
http://www.charitybingo.com/terms-and-conditions

24. In order to make your first withdrawal, at least £100 must have been wagered in real funds.


Some people may argue that these terms are unfair, but I'd argue that it IS fair because it limits money laundering (depositing £30 to then immediately withdraw it is a dodgy-looking thing to do, and follows money laundering).

I just can't believe that you put £30 extra just to make a withdrawal! These bingo sites are horrendous when it comes to cashing out. If you aren't faced with a "bonus" which requires a 100x playthrough, you are faced with a term like the one above. You may even be required to provide proof of identity which rivals the security checks at a US airport!

All in all, silly mistake and you'll have a very very hard time bypassing the term outlined above (ie it may be impossible).

If you're going to play bingo then stick to sites which are linked to a bookie. Skybet is a good company who offer bingo, and their cashout system is awesome. You typically get the money in the next working day without hassle. :T

ItsJordannn

May be worth contacting the company and explain what happened and how you didn't know. They may do something as GOODWILL, unlikely yes but the worst they can say is no.

They may credit the £30 back to your card and leave you with the £8.

I know bookies such as bet365 and skybet have quite good customer services in my opinion due to there being a lot of competitors, not sure if that Bingo site will do the same but its worth a try.

SnowTiger

Rachael345 wrote: »

Could really use some help,

I am nearly in tears after finding out that Charitybingo won't let me withdraw my money.
I deposited £20 with them to play with and quickly lost most of it and I thought it'd be best to withdraw what I had left before I lost anymore. I was then confronted by a message that said you had to have at least £30 to withdraw so I added £30 to my account, bringing the total to £38.

I tired again but I now get this message: "You can't make a withdrawal yet as you haven't wagered at least £100 of real funds. Please continue playing."

I tried emailing them but they didn't reply, and now I've no idea what to do. There was nothing about this in their terms or conditions or their FAQ. I know £38 might not seem a lot to people but I really can't afford to lose it. Please help.

You're not really owed £38.

Your initial deposit was £20 and your second deposit was £30. That's £50.

Presumably you received their £20 joining bonus.

Therefore, you spent £12 of your own money plus the £20 bonus playing games. That's £32.

£50 (your deposits) - £32 (for the games you played) is £18.

However, I don't think you're even owed that. You agreed to wager at least £100 before withdrawing funds.

They may offer you a goodwill payment if pushed.

Minimum wager requirements are the norm for gambling websites when you accept a bonus from them.

kezzygirl

william hill is even worse....they gave me a £20 bonus but I had to win (i think) 200 times the amount before i could withdraw anything.I even opted out of the bonus, but it was credited anyway. I use mecca, as you have to have a minimum of £10 to withdraw, which is fine. Other places expect a minimum of £30, which is not so good!

HappyMJ

kezzygirl wrote: »

william hill is even worse....they gave me a £20 bonus but I had to win (i think) 200 times the amount before i could withdraw anything.I even opted out of the bonus, but it was credited anyway. I use mecca, as you have to have a minimum of £10 to withdraw, which is fine. Other places expect a minimum of £30, which is not so good!

It's not 200x. I am a member of William Hill Bingo and I can assure everyone it's not 200x. On William Hill and many other sportsbooks sites bonus funds are spent first. William Hill requires you to spend £10 cash to get credited with the £40 bingo bonus and £10 games bonus your next bingo/games wagers come from bonus balance not from your cash balance. You keep spending the bonus until there is no bonus left then you can withdraw your cash winnings.

bris

If there is a sign up bonus involved and you have lost it, then started to lose your own money then they have protection in place to stop you taking a free bonus, losing it and trying to cash out.


You need to abide by the T&C's because I bet (pun intended) that's exactly what happened.

samsmoot

You could try emailing again, or give them a ring. They may refund the 30 deposit, as it was a genuine misunderstanding. Worth a try perhaps.


As daytona0 said, stick to reliable brands and you don't need to worry too much about the T&Cs.


Having said that there are plenty of obscure bingo sites out there which you can make money from - just have to read those T&Cs very, very carefully.

JReacher1

Tell them you have a gambling problem and would like to close your account. I think in that scenario they will have to refund you.