Reporting Paddy Power To IBAS: Part II

It has been a week since I published THIS POST in which I wrote about an issue I have with Paddy Power Online concerning a bet I placed on Keith Lee to win the United States Championship match at WWE Elimination Chamber 2021.

My wager was declared a loss despite Keith Lee being replaced by John Morrison in the match and other sports betting firms (such as Sky Bet and Kambi) cancelling bets due to the late change.

Paddy Power refused to void the bet by claiming that the market was an outright/antepost and not one of the regular markets for matches.

After reaching an impasse with the customer service rep, I filed a complaint with IBAS. I then waited for a response from the sports betting adjudication service.

During the time while waiting for IBAS to get back to me, I sent an email to Paddy Power Betfair CEO, Peter Jackson, in the hope that he could help with my issue in any way. 

I didn't hear anything back from Mr Jackson as of the time of writing. I received an email from IBAS yesterday, though.

In the mail, I was informed that I needed  a 'final decision from Paddy Power' in order for the complaint to progress.

After writing to Paddy Power's escalation team - using the email that IBAS instructed me to use   I received an email informing me that the inbox was no longer in use. I was then given a few links that would send me to the live chat.

I was sent back to where it all began - the customer service team's live chat facility.

To try not to bore you with all the details, I was chatting with one person on Monday evening, but I had to leave the chat. The agent promised me that somebody from the escalations team would email me. 

I waited all Monday night and, this afternoon, I decided to get back through to them. I ended up back with a new agent and explained that I needed the final decision from the escalation team so I could send it across to IBAS.

The agent then passed me onto a manager who looked over my case. I showed her most of the things I pointed out in last week's post (the betting rules, evidence that Sky Bet and Kambi voided their markets for the match, proof that there was no clear message above Paddy Power's market for the match which stated that it was an outright/antepost market).

The manager got in touch with a trader. The trader got back to her once again stating that the market was an outright one and that all bets were settled correctly and referred to the outright rule that 'bets placed on superstars who take no part in the match will be settled as losers'.

As I've argued - the US Championship match market was not outright and therefore, the rule that the market would be voided with the circumstances that  'should a match have a wrestler added/removed/replaced, so that it fundamentally alters the manner of the contest' 

The manager then went on to say that they noticed that I had not made any previous misunderstandings and would refund my wager as free bet as a 'good will gesture'.

I declined pointing out that the misunderstanding was on their part. I wanted my refund as cash.

(I didn't even think about this until after the chat, but to say that I had no previous 'misunderstandings' was insulting considering I had contacted them following the Survivor Series of 2016 or 2017 when they had accidentally settled a bet in my favour.  I pointed out that I should have lost)

After declining the offer of a free £4 bet, I was then given an ultimatum: I could get the refund as cash with an added condition that I would never be able to get a 'good will gesture' if any other issue were to arise in future. 

Seeing as I gamble with the sportsbook on other genres like American Football, the fantasy sports and other things - and bearing in mind I know that market was settled incorrectly with no misunderstanding on my part - I refused the offer by saying I would continue with my request for IBAS to look at it for me.

The manager told me that an email with my reference for IBAS would be sent to me. 

Once it arrived, I noticed that the letter - which was from Paddy Power's Complaints Case Coordinator - detailed that I had been offered the £4 in cash. However, it was missing the condition that forced me to turn it down. I replied, pointing out that I hoped what forced the impasse would be known to IBAS when the case is looked into.

The complaints coordinator replied swiftly to inform me that there would be no suggestion from her side that I would not be excluded from any future goodwill gestures. I then had to go back to the chat with the manager, find where she made the ultimatum, and send it back to the coordinator.

In her reply, the coordinator gave me her word that I would get the £4 back as cash without any unforeseeable issues in future.

The money was refunded to me.

I don't even consider today's result a win. It's clear as day that it was a regular match market and the company made me out to be the one who had made the mistake, which is ironic considering that Paddy Power promotes itself as a brand that gives justice to the punter.

It's just a marketing scheme when it all boils down.