In the last few weeks, I have had quite a few friends report a suspension from their Merge accounts due to uncleared payments. They all seem to have similar causes; Their banks were unable to process their transaction when they previously were able to. Everyone has emailed them regarding this concern and after a week, not one single response from customer support. Most of you remember that this was the first sign of FTP's seizure and it also seems really strange that this is occurring during the exact same time frame as last year.

Has anyone else experienced this? Thoughts?

POTY, thanks for the confidence, BTW is alright to worry about my FTP funds yet or is it a bit early?

Their cashout time went from like 2+ months to lately under a month. I have no problem depositing and if you see the people complaining about depositing they are coming from the same large Bank network. All it is is a big bank has black balled one of their larger processors. (UIGEA makes banks the arbiter and enforcer, that is why we have seen this many times in the past.) The player base is higher now then ever. Deposit problems have happened on every site and will until regulation. We saw this WAY WAY before BF and even on the major sites. The difference here and FTP is when the deposits can't go thru merge isn't crediting phony baloney money on the site.

We also have not seen a .eu domain ever seized yet. A lot of the smarter legal minds believe merge is much better positioned then the sites that were flaunting pre BF.

I have deposited on Merge twice since Black Friday with zero problems. February 29th I attempted to make a small deposit and it was declined numerous times with plenty of funds coming from the same card as my two initial deposits. The next morning I received a call from my bank (very small, but awesome CU) asking me about the charges and whether or not I was behind them.

According the bank, the reason the charges were declined is because my bank has blocked all transactions from the UK due to high amounts of fraud, and this payment processor was attempting to make the charge from the UK. They asked if I wanted to allow the charge and "unblock" the UK, but let me know that I would be held liable in the future with any such charges if I decided to do so. I declined, so not sure if that would have resolved the issue.

I have a small bank as well with exact same thing. I did allow and it did deal with the problem.

It will be interesting to see what the DoJ does, because seizing the domain is likely not an option. For sure, they are not taking the Antigua domain. Pushing ISPs to block would probably get the government sued by the ISPs, and new domains are really cheap. Going harder on banks seems like the only option, unless we threaten sanctions(no way). An indictment isn't going to do much if everyone can still play, not to mention the indictment will be harder to get.

That's my thought (as I wait for the Deepstack to start on Carbon right now for some morning degenning)

oh come on, like the DOJ would actually shut down a poker site.

black friday the 13th in 4 days

I agree with all of this. Obviously proceed with some caution, but I really think the DOJ options are limited in this instance. As for depositing, I assume you can still use WU so why is anyone screwing around with trying to use a bank?

As has been said a million times, don't keep any money on there that you can't walk away from. On the other hand don't be such a life nit that you won't risk a hundred bucks or so to get started and the time investment of playing. You're a gambler aren't you?

This +1

hide yo kids, hide yo bankroll

glad I don't have any funds on merge. if you do, cashouts gg approx 2months by then it'll be shut down. time to start selling funds online before DOJ says hello

I know citibank was just in the news for not being strict enough with regards to preventing money laundering. This may have something to do with it.

I get a lot of scam inquiries for my rental property that want to pay me $ from their UK employer.

Cashed out what I had on there about a month ago, felt my money wasn't safe there. I do think they'll get shut down eventually. Any money people have there should at this point definitely be money they're "fine" with losing

I withdrew funds through western union on Lock 2 days later the request was cleared and I got my money at the nearest WU location.. This was last week.

you Americans crack me up. fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on you! fool me 3 times blame the DOJ! don't get burnt again! the doj is trigger happy right now due to the tilt scandal. take your money off and play B&M

DOJ has never taken any money from me. People who lost in FTP and UB/AP was due to the site management of funds, not DOJ...

Nettler-> DOJ gives funds back
Pokerstars-> DOJ gives funds back
FTP-> Spent all funds, DOJ did not reimburse
UB/AP-> Always was scandalous. Funds lost way before BF..

Trigger happy is not a legal framework for action. No .eu domain has ever been seized (it is functionally impossible with where the servers are) and as previous posters pointed out they are in a very hard spot legally to prosecute anything or anybody here. Its not OMGZ sky falling.

Even if DOJ took money everytime I still make way more multitabling and cashing out then single tabling 30 hands an hour B&M. Not even close.

oh but it is! you will see! merge might have the same problem as tilt you never know! also your B&M statement is 100% false.

I might get shot in a casino robbery in B&M too. I am not going to play in fairytale land when I can use my brain and look at the industry landscape.

I don't want vertical volume in my game. Horizontal much better for me. B&M=Vertical volume for same win rate multi-tabling/rakeback/bonuses give. Just a pure fact.

I'll take my calculated risks.

fyp

Multitabling online > Live unless u playing some really juicy games, also ppl forget to calculate expenses like gas/food/time itself

there are no calculated risks in BM? i thought the same rules and math applies?

also that's only true if your playing in a casino in Mexico.the probability of that happening is ........... but a plane could also fly into your house as well though, so really your not safe anywhere......

Yes.... That is the point. "OMG same thing might happen on merge as it did on FTP!11"

A lot of things might happen.

get out once and a while kid. you will find BM very juicy. i have been beating live middle stakes at 17bbs for the last year and a half! that is much nicer than online. you guys forget that ppl playing in casinos are mostly casual and have not learned a single thing since moneymaker boom