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Hello there, I'm wondering if there is some way to inform BetFair 'officially' that I am using their API to place bets, so it's not a surprise to them that my account is active for most hours of the day and night.
I have been using a purchased package (BetSender) to place bets, last year I got an email saying that BetFair wanted 'a chat', I got in touch and essentially they were concerned that I was betting for very long periods.
I told them that I used software to place bets, and bet on markets around the world so yes, the account is active 24/7 but I just spend 15 mins to set it up in the morning and off it goes.
They were fine with this, eventually... but it took a long time to have this chat as they wanted a scan of this and proof of that etc. to make sure it was me, plus long delays when transferring me from one agent to another, asking pretty much the same question in 3 different ways etc etc.
In the end they seemed happy with things, all good, chat done.
I've recently been developing my own software to do betting and last week they did it again, asking me to get in touch for 'a chat', and imposing a deposit limit.
I don't want to deposit anything but the implication seems to be that if I don't get in touch, they might impose betting restrictions or something, so I contacted them.
Essentially the same conversation again, with the same delays, proofs etc etc. and again asking if I was manually obsessing on the a site 24 hours a day etc.
Again I told them I use software, and answered all the questions about whether I depend on betting income to pay my bills (since I never withdraw any balance, that's obviously a 'no' !!) and the rest of it, and they removed the restriction, not that I needed them to, I don't want to deposit anyway, but didn't want to just ignore them. It took over 2 hours to tell them just what I told them last time.
I get the feeling this is going to happen repeatedly, they didn't remember that I told them I use software and still seemed to think I'm on the web site betting manually all day and night. Surely they can tell that it's software using the API doing the betting, not me on the web site doing it by hand. I mean, they provide the API so people can automate things, so surely they can tell that's what's doing the betting.
I hardly ever make a deposit, am not losing big, nor winning big for that matter and am not withdrawing anything, just gradually increasing a small (barely into 4 figures) balance over time with small ups and downs.
Is there some way to avoid them doing this every few weeks, I mean, reassure them in a more long-term way ? - I have read stories on some boards about accounts being cancelled if they think the account holder is a 'problem gambler', and it makes me concerned about my account getting closed if I somehow fail to satisfy them I'm not an obsessive in chat; and all the work I've put into it being wasted, not to mention potentially losing the balance in the account !
It also makes me reluctant to pay 299 quid for the live API key (am using the delayed one while writing my application so far) - if they close my account then I guess I don't get that back.
Fair enough if I was constantly depositing, losing, depositing, losing; it's good that they might intervene if that was the case, but it isn't.
Any advice much appreciated,
Cheers,
Paul
I have been using a purchased package (BetSender) to place bets, last year I got an email saying that BetFair wanted 'a chat', I got in touch and essentially they were concerned that I was betting for very long periods.
I told them that I used software to place bets, and bet on markets around the world so yes, the account is active 24/7 but I just spend 15 mins to set it up in the morning and off it goes.
They were fine with this, eventually... but it took a long time to have this chat as they wanted a scan of this and proof of that etc. to make sure it was me, plus long delays when transferring me from one agent to another, asking pretty much the same question in 3 different ways etc etc.
In the end they seemed happy with things, all good, chat done.
I've recently been developing my own software to do betting and last week they did it again, asking me to get in touch for 'a chat', and imposing a deposit limit.
I don't want to deposit anything but the implication seems to be that if I don't get in touch, they might impose betting restrictions or something, so I contacted them.
Essentially the same conversation again, with the same delays, proofs etc etc. and again asking if I was manually obsessing on the a site 24 hours a day etc.
Again I told them I use software, and answered all the questions about whether I depend on betting income to pay my bills (since I never withdraw any balance, that's obviously a 'no' !!) and the rest of it, and they removed the restriction, not that I needed them to, I don't want to deposit anyway, but didn't want to just ignore them. It took over 2 hours to tell them just what I told them last time.
I get the feeling this is going to happen repeatedly, they didn't remember that I told them I use software and still seemed to think I'm on the web site betting manually all day and night. Surely they can tell that it's software using the API doing the betting, not me on the web site doing it by hand. I mean, they provide the API so people can automate things, so surely they can tell that's what's doing the betting.
I hardly ever make a deposit, am not losing big, nor winning big for that matter and am not withdrawing anything, just gradually increasing a small (barely into 4 figures) balance over time with small ups and downs.
Is there some way to avoid them doing this every few weeks, I mean, reassure them in a more long-term way ? - I have read stories on some boards about accounts being cancelled if they think the account holder is a 'problem gambler', and it makes me concerned about my account getting closed if I somehow fail to satisfy them I'm not an obsessive in chat; and all the work I've put into it being wasted, not to mention potentially losing the balance in the account !
It also makes me reluctant to pay 299 quid for the live API key (am using the delayed one while writing my application so far) - if they close my account then I guess I don't get that back.
Fair enough if I was constantly depositing, losing, depositing, losing; it's good that they might intervene if that was the case, but it isn't.
Any advice much appreciated,
Cheers,
Paul
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