Has anyone else noticed that each time you play at Virgin Poker you're forced to pay an additional 'rake' when you leave the poker room? The money in your "poker balance" is automatically sent back to your "Virgin Account" after your poker session is over and if your Virgin account currency is in anything other than Euros you get dinged a surcharge on top of the rake you've already paid.
In fact, even if you don't play a single hand of poker you still get dinged this 'fee'. If you enter the poker room and transfer 10 euro to your poker account and then leave the poker room without playing any hands you'll end up with 9.89 euro.
I tried talking to someone there but they didn't return my phone call (four hours later) even though they claim to do it within 30 minutes. They didn't respond to my emails either. I finally get someone on the live chat and they tell me there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.
I guess Branson needs the money or something, lol.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
Those conversion fees wait at some corners. So it is best to set up your whole money system in a way that you don't have to pay them. (Pokerroom in Euros? => account in euros, e-wallet in euros)
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Sweden
Age: 46 (M)
Posts: 47
Sounds like they need to look over the currency policy to keep their players satisfied and if not, I would suggest you withdraw what ever you have there and play elsewhere. That is not a good customer service letting you wait for 4 hours just to let you know in the live chat that you cant expect any changes. Thanks for the warning tho.
Joined: Feb '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 1886
I never heard about this before. I have some of my poker accounts in GBP. I think just the ipoker ones. They ask you when you register what currency you want to use. I'm currently working through my bonus at mansion where I take ten dollars to the tables. When I leave the table it says do you want to exchange the chips at that same exchange rate as when you bought in. Nothing mentioned about a fee. Am I losing money cos of this? I'm sure its not much but with the amount of times I buy in a week I guess it adds up.
Joined: Jan '08
Location: Canada
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 2698
Posted by shokaku: Do you have your poker accounts in Canadian dollars? If not, you will lose money in every transaction.
Thanks for letting me know. Do you know how much I lose? I emailed MoneyBookers but they said I cannot change the currency of the account because I already made a transaction. I'll try to email them again and maybe I can make a new account cause i have a lot of money in there.
Joined: Jan '08
Location: Canada
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 2698
Okay thanks shokaku,
When I'm dealing in 1000s then that's a lot of money . I'll try and see if I can get an account with CDN dollars. By the way, do you know any poker rooms that deal in Canadian dollars?
Joined: May '08
Location: Canada
Age: 48 (M)
Posts: 1017
you can in canadian dollars at most Ipoker sites you are given the choice of which currency you use.........and my money bookers account is in canadain dollars pay almost no fees and unless I use a credit card to upload.........
Joined: Feb '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 1886
I want to know is it just virgin poker that does this or do other sites. Particularly i poker network which gives you a choice of currency.
I understand moneybookers charging you interest on the exchange because they are actually changing money to put in your bank account. There is an actual conversion needed. But the poker client to the online table, no actual money is needed to be exchanged. The money is still in the poker client. The client just needs to remember how much each of their players has in all currencies. Or am I missing something here?
Joined: Jan '08
Location: Canada
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 2698
MoneyBookers said I can close my CDN MBs account and open a USD account. I think I will do that. I don't think Pokerstars charges a conversion fee? So I won't lose if I deposit in USD to Pokerstars and withdrawal in Canadian dollars?
awood88, you're right. they shouldn't be charging a fee. I wonder too if ipoker has the same problem.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
Posted by awood88: I understand moneybookers charging you interest on the exchange because they are actually changing money to put in your bank account. There is an actual conversion needed. But the poker client to the online table, no actual money is needed to be exchanged. The money is still in the poker client. The client just needs to remember how much each of their players has in all currencies. Or am I missing something here?
Yep. You are dealing with a business. If they can charge a fee and come away with it. They will do it.
. I'll try and see if I can get an account with CDN dollars. By the way, do you know any 
