Racing: Hell hath no fury like a punter scorned

My Mark “Makybe” Freeman

Utter disdain – that’s what Eskander’s Betstar treated me with this week, punters. But read on, there’s a marvellous sting in the tail.

Hell hath no fury like a punter who’s missed out on his cup trifecta because of a technicality – and in this case it was the Betstar’s website’s little deceit in which their calculator indicates it performs fractional (aka ‘flexi’) betting on exotics.

For evidence, see below Betstar’s online bet coupon for a multi trifecta at Lismore dogs last night. Note how if you enter “0.2” in the bet amount, the total cost comes up as $7.2 for a bet that would have cost $36 for a dollar. But if you were happy with this bet and clicked on submit – the computer says no: A window pops up saying must be 50-cent minimum per combination.

Now as outlined on Wednesday, I found this out all too late on cup morning, and it cost me a gorilla collect: instead Eskander pocketed my $144 for a trifecta that I had to cut down in combinations to afford the 50 cents per combo.

So I had the temerity to complain about this little deceit, and let them know that I was so aggrieved about what happened that I wanted to close my account and could they let me know how to go about it.

How did they respond? Did they email back saying “Yes, Mr Freeman, we can see how that could have happened. Now that you know we have a 50-cent  minimum on trifecta combinations, here’s a substantial free bet in recompense”?

No, they didn’t respond at all.

I called them later the next day to find out they had closed the account. I gave them an earful about pathetic public relations.

Then Alan gave me a call. Alan told me he was a very busy man and that, with respect, he said, I was a $10-average punter. Finally he stopped banging on with his own self-importance and I told him his company’s attitude to customer relations was pathetic.

He grudgingly offered a $50 complimentary bet to a bloke he’d cost a gorilla – and not just on any race, on the cup trifecta, no less. Sheer contempt. I rejected it.

He said his company prided itself on having the best customer service in the business. Clearly he couldn’t give a rat’s arse about keeping me as a customer.

See you later Al, don’t get too far ahead of yourself, son.

AND GET THIS PUNTERS: I told my friends at Centrebet.com about what happened, and here’s their response:

“All customers/clients are good irrespective of spend and as a company you would think that customer satisfaction would be of the highest priority. Check your account for a little something …”

Not only do they offer flexi-betting on exotics, excellent early odds and the better of top fluc and best tote, but they’re great blokes as well – they dropped a $250 free bet in my account!

That’s what you call excellent customer service. Take a good look, Al.

All right punters, I’m angling to get to Daff’s (leave pass being fought out) so we can bang out some specials for tomorrow, but I know it will at some stage involve the champ – All Silent.

Betstar bet coupon Thursday evening:

Trifecta

Lismore, Race 9 – Renzo Park Gr5 Stk

First
1. Mjala Warrior

Second
1. Mjala Warrior

Third
1. Mjala Warrior

Cost per $1 unit: 36.00

BET AMOUNT ($)

TOTAL COST ($)