Monday, February 11, 2008

Littlewoods Are Messing With My Head (Long Post But Please Read And ANY Advice Appreciated)

Littlewoods are backtracking on their promotion. It was unclear exactly what was up for grabs and because i take my poker promotions very businesslike i had sent 2 emails previously to them to confirm what exactly was required to win an EPT Package. I will list the whole situation below as best i can but this is seriously gonna mess my head up for months to come.

As you readers will know i returned from Australia on 22nd Jan 2008 and for me my online year began on the 23rd Jan 2008 having hardly played in Australia. Upon searching promotions i came across littlewoods added value. Link is here currently (http://www.littlewoodspoker.com/online-poker/promotions/leaderboard-promos.htm) but bear in mind the way this was phrased has changed since back in Jan when i read. I know this because i copied the original phrases into my email to make it 100% clear to support what i was asking.

1st email sent Wed Jan 23rd 6:30am below (the bold bit was copied from website)

I see you have some good new tournament promotions which i am almost certainly going to have a bash at. I am not clear however on the promotion below. Can you clarify what the 2 paragraphs below mean please. 1) Do you have to finish top 10 in the freeroll to get the EPT package ? or 2) Do you have to finish top 10 in the tournament leaderboard to get the EPT package ? Im assuming its 1) but i like to be 100% clear before i target any promotion.

At Littlewoods Poker we like to reward our players so every month we're giving away $25,000 in our monthly leaderboard freeroll. Battle it out to the top of the tables where we'll reward the top 500 MPP earners, top 400 tournament players and the top 100 on the Headhunter Leaderboard with entry into our monthly $25,000 freeroll!

Added value! If you qualify for the freeroll through Littlewoods Poker we'll add a $100 bonus to your account! Plus! Finish in the top 10 with Littlewoods Poker and we'll give you an EPT event package!*



Thanks for your help

Robert Price
"Animal"


Pretty clear and to the point and this is the response i got midday that day (important bit in bold):

Dear Robert,

Account Number: CWXXXXXXXX

Hello and thank you for contacting the Littlewoods Poker support team regarding our promotion.

I have received the confirmation from the relevant department regardingyour query. We appreciate for your patience to wait for our answer.

Please be kindly advised that your understanding of the website is correct. Littlewoods will give EPT event package if you finish in the top 10 in the monthly leaderboard freeroll with Littlewoods Poker.

On behalf of the Littlewoods Poker I wish you a good luck at the pokertables. If we can be of any more assistance, please do not hesitate to contactus. We are here for you 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. If you'd rather call, a full list of our numbers can be found at http://www.littlewoodspoker.com/online-poker/support/contact.htm

Kind regards,


Lisa

Customer Service
Littlewoods Poker


This set the trend for my remaining Jan tournament play as i played loads to get into the freeroll and just managed it.

This takes my onto beginning of Feb, i noticed the jargon describing the promotion had been changed and whilst still unclear it seemed to point more at the promotion being top 10 of any of the actual leaderboards not the freerolls. Obviously i wanted to know the deal with this 100% as it would have a serious effect on how i played the freeroll and also what games i target for the whole of February. So on the 5th Feb 3:48pm i sent the following email (very clear but bold some important bits):

Im sorry to be a nuisance again but ive noticed that since i sent this query 2 weeks ago the jargon has changed in the promotions section. I have the monthly leaderboard freeroll on Saturday so i want to be clear i would get an EPT package if finish top 10 in the freeroll ?

Im also playin many tournaments again this month to qualify for it again but want to make sure it is finishing top 10 in the freeroll not the leaderboards themselves as the new jargon would seem to indicate.

I appreciate the big promotions but im surprised they arent clearcut considering the size of the prize is so big. Anyway just to see where i got confused, i will copy what i sent 2 weeks ago as shown on the website below and also what it shows now. Also see below for previous emails.

2 weeks ago: Added value! If you qualify for the freeroll through LittlewoodsPokerwe'll add a $100 bonus to your account! Plus! Finish in the top 10 withLittlewoods Poker and we'll give you an EPT event package!*

at present: Added value! Finish in the Top 10 of the MPP, Tournament or Headhunter Leaderboards with Littlewoods Poker and we'll give you an EPT event package!* Plus! If you qualify for the freeroll through Littlewoods Poker we'll add a $100 bonus to your account!

Please make sure this goes to a manager if possible as the clarity of this will have a large effect on which type of games i and others ive told of the promotions play in this and further months.

Many thanks for clearing this up


Robert Price
"Animal"


I got this reply again very clear a few hours later (i will bold some bits):


Dear Robert,

Account Number: CWXXXXXXXX

Hello and thank you for contacting the Players Help support team.

Regarding your question about our promotion on the $25000 monthly freeroll, please be kindly advised that the Terms and Conditions or this promotion has not been changed, our promotional team just update our web site.

Please note that you will get an EPT package if you finish top 10 in the freeroll.

We appreciate your feedback and understanding on this matter.

If we can be of any more assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We are here for you 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Kind regards,

Martin
Customer Service
Players Help


So this was very clear to me and i relaxed and then played the freeroll Sat night, obviously making very tough -ev decisions just to blind out and make the final table rather than play for the win as i normally would. I then sent the following email soon after i finished:

A/c no: CWXXXXXXXX
Pokername: animal


Hi i just finished 8th in the JAN leaderboard freeroll (ID6421114) which i understand has won me an EPT package !!!

Please confirm this and let me know how i proceed from here.

I look forward to representing Littlewoods once again in a big live event (4th time i believe)


Many thanks and i look forward to hearing from you.

Robert Price


Only to get this response today (Monday) not long ago:


Robert,

Thank you for contacting me regarding our Added Value promotions.

Unfortunately, you have not qualified to win an EPT event package for finishing 8th in the Leaderboard Freeroll. This offer applies to players who finish in the top 10 of the actual leaderboards rather than the freeroll tournament. For more details visit: http://www.littlewoodspoker.com/online-poker/promotions/leaderboard-promos.htm

However, you will have received a $100 bonus for qualifying for the freeroll.


Regards,

Simon Dexter


I havent replied yet but this is worth over £7,000 which is incredibly serious money. I wanted to list everything here so that i can make sure i dont leave anything out when i plead my case. WATCH THIS SPACE !

Later Update:
I did a reply, may post it later if they dont back down on this. Had such a bad evening so far as this is messing with my head big time. Will await another response tommorrow and ring them if not satisfied. Daft thing is i know i should be playing lots of tournaments and targeting top 10 for the month anyway but just cant face poker tonight for obvious reasons.

20 comments:

Poker play the Soap way said...

I would say you should 100% get a seat based on the responses you got to your direct mails.

I would cut / paste these into a mail back to the guy who reponded to you.

I honestly think you would have a legal case here that you would win.

Robert "Animal" Price said...

Already have done exactly that mate. Aint gonna say much more until i know 100% whats going on. Almost didnt publish this here yet for obvious reasons but its only a personal blog so didnt see it as an issue. Not like im posting on forums or stuff yet.

TEAMDOBB said...

My opinion m8y is exactly the same as soaps in that their responses to your query was 100% top 10 finish in freerolls gets packages and that if it went legal you would win hands down. As ive already told ya should it drag on get it on as many forums as you can and get a much wider opinion. Littlewoods certainly wouldnt want that. Not many players would have did what you did prior promotion and have the evidence.

Anonymous said...

As we said when the promo was first listed, the terms to say the least were somewhat ambiguous. Hence you took the trouble to clarify and not just once but twice.

There is absolutely no abiguity about your e-mails or the replies and IMO this is about as clearcut as it gets. I can't see that they have got a leg to stand on legally or otherwise.

I'm incredulous at the Dexter e-mail - not a proper apology and an insulting comment about a $100 bonus.

I hope they realise the error of their ways. If it was a Crypto wide promo as you know from the St Kitts experience a couple of years ago they would award you the seat without argument. But this is a single skin...

If they don't play ball I think the audience is wider than just blogs. Every poker mag would run this story Im sure.

Amatay said...

Mate that would fuck me up aswell. I hope you get ur pacakage Rob, i reckon you will anyways

Anonymous said...

Obviously they have messed up quite badly, but it probably comes down to what it says in the terms and conditions of the promotion. I would have thought that would be the legally binding document, moreso than the emails they sent you. However those emails are obviously wrong and misleading, and hence very bad PR for them if they refuse to play ball. I think you should go back and examine the wording of the terms and conditions and see where you can go from there, as well as the overarching terms and conditions of the site itself, which is what we all agree to when we create an account.

Anonymous said...

I play through William Hill and final tabled in the previous month`s freeroll whilst on the final table a comment was made about the package won, which of course horrified me ! however i couldnt imagine one skin offering such a prize and not the other so i looked on the Littlewoods site and there it was in all its glory i even telephoned Littlewoods at the time to see how long this promotion lasted (as i have an old account with them)and was informed that indeed the package was awarded for making the final table in the freeroll.(denlizliz)

Robert "Animal" Price said...

Wow, well if i dont get one now i will be worse knowing that. Thx for the info mate, may use it in a further email if necessary. They have confirming they are now "investigating" the situation so we'll see. C ya at the tables !

Poker play the Soap way said...

Let me know what happens Animal as playing there now simply because of what i read on your blog.

If thats not worth anything will go back to where I came from

Dests said...

Thx for comment Rob :-)

Just read blog and I would say Littlewoods are defo in wrong, I'd be bloody annoyed too. Hope you get your seat.

Rach

Robert "Animal" Price said...

Without giving further detail it sounds more promising from contact ive had. Could be Friday before i find out for sure though.

Small Stakes Poker said...

Nail em, they are bang to rights
gl gl

Anonymous said...

Hi Robert Denliz here again just back from a live session tonight and interestingly i got talking to a good friend of mine who like you queried the promo offer apparentley offered by Littlewoods he assures me he has a email from support confirming that a package is to be paid for final tabling the freeroll final anyway he has given me permission to give you his details if required so please post if you wish me to do so ps the player is quite well known on the crypto network and has represented several of them at large events GL

Robert "Animal" Price said...

thx m8, its ok for mo. cant go into any more detail just yet as above but will giv ya shout if need more help.

Game101 said...

i think its pretty clear you should get the package! were they being vague intentionally?

Robert "Animal" Price said...

Well, im off out on the piss none the wiser. Heard nout today so i expect its gonna b a long weekend now in the dark. Hears hoping no news is good news !

Robert "Animal" Price said...

Well, im off out on the piss none the wiser. Heard nout today so i expect its gonna b a long weekend now in the dark. Hears hoping no news is good news !

Poker play the Soap way said...

any news mate?

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm, normaly blogs are full of such shit. However i see the issue here. I had a similiar problem with Pokerstars a few month's ago, after numerous emails they finally backed down, but not until they were threatened! I enclose the mail. I hope you don't need it.





Hello there,

I enclose in this mail correspondence between yourselves(pokerstars) and my friend, Afzal Hussain(Kopman2012)

As he has told you, he played the APPT game on the basis that the $3200 could be took as W$, I gave him this information, based on what you told me in your Email when I enquired about this. You have stated that this Email you sent me was a mistake and 'incorrect information' This is your problem, not his, Afzal played the game on the basis of that Email. Withholding this sum, is now tantamount to theft, your terms and conditions are irrelevant as your Email to me clearly changes them. I am appauled that you can treat a customer in such a way, the mistake is clearly yours and therefore yours to rectify. I urge you to reconsider your position, before this matter goes further.


A.P. Reynolds




My guess is that LW will cave in. GL

APR

Robert "Animal" Price said...

Latest = heard nout. Chased sat night as had to email them bout other refund anyway. Not even a reply to that. Will almost def be on phone 2moz. For those of u unaware this is now turning into a " 2xEPT package issue " as im playing my heart out going for the top 10 this month but i see that as irrelevant to the Jan promo details. On another note i won £6,400 for 2nd/356 in the £40k last night. Aint gonna blog any new posts until im updated though for time being and to be frank that cash win makes little difference to how strong i feel about the EPT situation. Thx for comments etc.