Neteller Customer Coalition "Building An Army"
US customers financially prejudiced by the Neteller vs.
Department of Justice wrangle have formed a strong and fast
growing alliance. Millions of dollars in U.S. consumer
funds have been tied up in the online gambling wrangle
between the US Department of Justice and the Isle of
Man-based e-wallet Neteller since January, with inadequate
communication from the warring parties leaving customers in
the dark. Here's a group where U.S. Neteller customers can
join together to exchange information and formulate common
action to recover their monies. The Neteller Customer
Coalition is using the Yahoo! groups facility at
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com:80/group/NetellerCustomerCoalition/
as a virtual meeting place for ideas on how to free up the
millions of dollars in their funds currently in limbo.
Formed as recently as February 25, the group already has
over 400 members with more joining at the rate of 50 a day -
an indication of the scale of the inconvenience and monetary
prejudice which Neteller has visited upon its customers by
abruptly pulling out of the U.S. market and locking customer
accounts following the arrest of its founding fathers by the
FBI in January. More than 200 members have entered the
totals of their frozen balances in the Coalition's database
which now totals $2.1 million, and Coalition officials claim
there are hundreds - if not thousands - of others with money
stuck in the Neteller - DoJ clash. One official said,
"My guess is that there is at least $150 million stuck at
NETeller, and maybe double that.
"That's in addition to the $55 millions seized by the DOJ/US
Attorneys Office. Our top 25 members have more than $20 000
each stuck. They represent $1.5 million alone."
Coalition founder Eric Goldstein has $1 400 in Neteller that
he cannot access, and says: "The latest decision to delay
the case [against
Neteller founders Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre]
yet again is very disappointing. "What upsets us
most though is that NETeller hasn't said anything in over
six weeks. They are ignoring their customers while holding
millions and millions of our dollars hostage. "The
US government is trying to control what average Americans
can and can't do with their own money in the privacy of
their own homes. It's outrageous.
"We're building our army while everyone waits for the
battle to erupt," Goldstein concluded.
In the absence of clear and regular progress reports from
the feuding parties, speculation is running rife that the
extension to the Neteller founders' case reflects weaknesses
in the DoJ case. However other opinion suggests that the
defence's acquiescence to the third extension since January
indicates that either a deal is in progress or the defence
also needs more time to prepare. Either way, customers are
out-of-pocket whilst their frozen funds gather interest that
they may never see. The Coalition has started a database
in order to better calculate the total amount of money being
withheld from U.S. customers, and lists as its goals the
organisation of all U.S. and other members that have money
tied up in Neteller.
"We are actively pursuing all avenues that will get our
money released - going after Neteller, the government, the
media, etc.." the site introduction informs.
Posted: March 21, 2007
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