Netpond Point Payments and Epassporte

[apcwebmaster]

Gotta agree with the Wolf and Varzi, more trouble than it's worth and the requirements way are over the top

[Varzi Network]

Originally Posted by Lipshtich Lady

why not just take off the option to load funds?

Once the load option is added it can never be removed even if the account as in Pam's case is closed or expired it still remains. So basically if you have loaded the account and your funding source has since been closed you have to replace it and verify a current funding source. What you are saying would of course seem logical but actually goes against the reason this is happening entirely.

This is a probe due to an investigation into illegal gambling and money laundering stemming from activity at these Casinos. Epassporte wants to keep very tight lipped about the real reasons because either it would create panic and cost them money or they may be under a gag order. Yes most all major Casinos are now blocked but fact is Epassporte made big bucks off many US citizens who were involved in illegal offshore gambling.

How much more proof does one need to see that this is about Gambling?

Those who want to continue doing business with a company who is currently under a federal criminal investigation can feel free.

As another e-wallet service pulls the plug on U.S. poker players, two Congressmen introduce a bill to prevent the UIGEA implementation.

"So far, many poker players are getting around the ban through various methods. However, one of the methods just ceased yesterday. ePassporte, which allows customers to deposit money into online poker sites, has announced that it will no longer serve U.S. customers. In a statement released to online poker sites such as Full Tilt and PokerStars, ePassporte said:

'We have been advised that the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York is conducting a widespread investigation of internet gambling, including poker. All though we do not believe we have done anything illegal, we do not wish to be associated with anything that might be considered illegal by the United States government. Therefore, we are terminating the ePpurchase provisions of your agreement immediately and have suspended your account pending further review.'

ePassporte had replaced Neteller as a method to deposit money for playing online poker. Along with Neteller and ePassporte, EcoCard, Citadel, and FirePay have all left the internet gambling arena since the UIGEA was passed."

As another e-wallet service pulls the plug on U.S. poker players, two Congressmen introduce a bill to prevent the UIGEA implementation.

"EPASSPORTE Quits Online Poker Market 04/14/2008 07:44 AM

Over the weekend, it became apparent that something other than reported technical issues was wrong with the e-wallet EPASSPORTE, as one by one, online poker sites began posting messages about no longer being able to process EPASSPORTE transactions. With no official statement from EPASSPORTE, information began leaking out that the e-wallet was notifying poker sites that it was dropping out of the internet gaming business due to a widespread investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The question that remains unanswered is why EPASSPORTE suddenly took this action when it was widely known that the DoJ had been engaged in this investigation for quite some time."

Poker Room Review - Search Results for term ''ePassporte''

"ePassporte is a really quick and easy way to receive your payments in time. It is anonymous, you don't need a bank account, so you don't have to explain your bank where your money is coming from. You don't need to wait hours or even weeks to cash your check or worry about wire transfer: with ePassporte you get your money instantly! Jump to casinos that accept ePassporte"

ePassporte casinos. ePassporte deposit method at online casinos.

"ePassporte is another excellent alternative payment method to fund your online casino account. ePassporte is an anonymous pre-paid and re-loadable virtual VISA. You can use this virtual VISA to make purchases online anywhere VISA is accepted as well as using it to fund your online casino account."

ePassporte - An Alternative Payment Option | Poker News

"ePassporte is available to anyone, there is no credit checking, no intrusive questioning and it is the perfect solution for people that wish to have financial privacy. This facility is one of the world’s preferred systems for use in online casinos - you can see the casino reviews below. The implementation of ePassporte has enabled dramatically increased spending confidence across the virtual spectrum. The anonymity and discretion that they offer, provides the perfect solution for customers to make the most out of the internet."

ePassporte Online Casinos

[_LB_]

I have supplied those documents probably 4-5 years ago ... and never an issue with Epassporte since. Apart from the check (I mean who uses checks anymore?!) .. most of the info should be fine. I don't understand why people refuse to comply. Try dealing with some of the more shadey payment processors.

Thing is there are laws Epass have to follow, and by just ignoring them they are damaging their customers by putting their funds at unnecessary risk.

Moneybookers asks for it, Paypal, Netteller ... most of them do. Big deal ... surely you have those things or can talk to them about a substitute.

[pam]

I've never gambled in my life so they can investigate me all they want!

LB, I told them I don't have all the documents and they said I have to produce them or lose the accounts.

I have never, ever had to supply PayPal or Money Bookers with any such documentation.

What laws are they following? I thought supplying such info in the EU was illegal, and they are not bound by USA laws.

With all the hacked accounts at ePassporte, would YOU trust your private information to be sitting on their servers?

[_LB_]

Pam .. I have been asked for , and supplied the same info to MB and Paypal. I think you will all find its a matter of time before all online payment companies ask for those documents especially if they want to deal with US banks.

To have a Visa bank on board unfortunately you have to resign yourself to following some US laws. People who refuse to supply docs to these companies are just going to have to eventually stop using such services. Most countries are tightening their anti money laundering laws and I think you are going to see much more of this in the future.

I have had great dealings with Epassporte since their opening, and I haven't tried to fight the system. In the end its up to you really Nobody is making you give the stuff over.

[facialfreak]

Originally Posted by _LB_

Thing is there are laws Epass have to follow ...

EXACTLY MY POINT and I could not have said it better!!!!

Merchants and MSPs ARE NOT ALLOWED to store CVV2 numbers physically, digitally, or else wise, and each violation is subject to up to a $100,000.00 USD fine .... as per U.S.A. Credit Card Regulations.

I have lost all faith in a company that asks me to knowingly do something illegal, and unless this is amended, I will regrettably stop accepting Epassporte in about 25 days ...

[_LB_]

Originally Posted by facialfreak

EXACTLY MY POINT and I could not have said it better!!!!

Merchants and MSPs ARE NOT ALLOWED to store CVV2 numbers physically, digitally, or else wise, and each violation is subject to up to a $100,000.00 USD fine .... as per U.S.A. Credit Card Regulations.

I have lost all faith in a company that asks me to knowingly do something illegal, and unless this is amended, I will regrettably stop accepting Epassporte in about 25 days ...

Maybe epass isn't classified as a merchant. I doubt they are going to ask for the stuff if its gonna put them in the shit.

Anyhow nobody is holding a gun to your head and making you use epass. Don't like the requests .. follow the others and stop using them. The next payment provider you move to will ask you for docs eventually, and then you can move to the next and so on.

Imagine if paypal had been more thorough with asking for this stuff. The guys who stung you years ago wouldn't have had that opportunity. Worth thinking about.

[Lipshtich Lady]

Originally Posted by facialfreak

EXACTLY MY POINT and I could not have said it better!!!!

Merchants and MSPs ARE NOT ALLOWED to store CVV2 numbers physically, digitally, or else wise, and each violation is subject to up to a $100,000.00 USD fine .... as per U.S.A. Credit Card Regulations.

I have lost all faith in a company that asks me to knowingly do something illegal, and unless this is amended, I will regrettably stop accepting Epassporte in about 25 days ...

Read the info - you just black out the CVV2 numbers as well as the middle eight... so what is your point?

[Lipshtich Lady]

Originally Posted by pam

It depends. If you have a credit card attached to your card for loads, you have to send copies of the front and back of it and the statement. For me, I loaded once when I opened the account, and the credit cards on file are not valid, yet I MUST send in a copy of the credit card and statements on a non-existent account.

no just the credit card with the CVV2 NUmber and the middle 8 blacked out -if you dont have it and dont want to update the credit card in your load account (key word here being load account - where you can add funds by charging to credit card) they are not asking for a statement - you are misreading

Originally Posted by pam

I have a business bank account tied to my ePass account so I can transfer my earnings into it, so they want a copy of my bank statement. They also want a voided check yet I remember providing that for them via fax a while back (I think it was when I attached the account to ePassporte).

so if you already have provided such - what is the big deal on providing again - business or personal account - a checking account is a checking account

Originally Posted by pam

you truly want me to give them such sensitive information?

again - you are just verfiying information you already provided




I really dont understand that big deal so many of you are making of this - unless you are not declaring the income gleaned via epassporte and purposely have left identifying information off your account what are you hiding?

[pam]

Originally Posted by Lipshtich Lady

no just the credit card with the CVV2 NUmber and the middle 8 blacked out -if you dont have it and dont want to update the credit card in your load account (key word here being load account - where you can add funds by charging to credit card) they are not asking for a statement - you are misreading

So, you are now speaking for ePassporte?

From my epassporte admin area:

Requested Document: Copy of Credit Card Statement

It CLEARLY says they want a copy of the statement. I am misreading nothing.

Why would I want to update the load card? I used it when I opened the account and the card is no longer valid. A second card on the account was put there in case I had to load, and never did, and it's no longer valid either. Plus, they are Mastercards and ePassporte does not accept Mastercard, or rather Mastercard does not do business with ePassporte.

Originally Posted by Lipshtich Lady

so if you already have provided such - what is the big deal on providing again - business or personal account - a checking account is a checking account

No, it isn't. My business account is on file with ePassporte. My bank statement is private. How much I make and to whom I write checks isn't their business.

Originally Posted by Lipshtich Lady

I really dont understand that big deal so many of you are making of this - unless you are not declaring the income gleaned via epassporte and purposely have left identifying information off your account what are you hiding?

Yet another one who thinks it has to do with taxes.

NOTHING they ask for asks for a social security number or tax ID, so how could it be related to taxes?

Let's see. To transfer funds, I had to give them my account number, bank information, etc -- what did I leave off?

What I am "hiding" is nothing. What I am not doing is giving a non-government agency with clear security issues my information.

[pam]

Originally Posted by _LB_

Pam .. I have been asked for , and supplied the same info to MB and Paypal. I think you will all find its a matter of time before all online payment companies ask for those documents especially if they want to deal with US banks.

To have a Visa bank on board unfortunately you have to resign yourself to following some US laws. People who refuse to supply docs to these companies are just going to have to eventually stop using such services. Most countries are tightening their anti money laundering laws and I think you are going to see much more of this in the future..

I don't agree with "having a Visa bank on board" because if you did, you'd be able to issue chargebacks and ePassporte won't allow it.

2 years ago I purchased software online and never got it. I issued a chargeback and ePassporte would do nothing for the non-delivery of merchandise.

If they were a credit card processor, it would have been done. If they were regulated by a bank, I could have taken it further.

I will supply documentation when it's legal to ask for it, and most importantly, when I know it's kept securely. Hundreds of ePass accounts have been "hacked" in some way or another.

PayPal is based in the USA and if there is an issue, I can take action. With ePass being hidden in some other country, well, our hands our tied.

[_LB_]

Originally Posted by pam

I don't agree with "having a Visa bank on board" because if you did, you'd be able to issue chargebacks and ePassporte won't allow it.

2 years ago I purchased software online and never got it. I issued a chargeback and ePassporte would do nothing for the non-delivery of merchandise.

If they were a credit card processor, it would have been done. If they were regulated by a bank, I could have taken it further.

I will supply documentation when it's legal to ask for it, and most importantly, when I know it's kept securely. Hundreds of ePass accounts have been "hacked" in some way or another.

PayPal is based in the USA and if there is an issue, I can take action. With ePass being hidden in some other country, well, our hands our tied.

Did you pay using your card, or by sending epass funds ? If sending epass funds then you have no buyer protection. Also its my understanding that a debit card which is pre-loaded can't chargeback. I thats the case with my visa debit card with my bank. I would assume that since its not a 'credit card' its the same with the electron card.

Visa doesn't just deal in cards that provide credit.

[pam]

Originally Posted by _LB_

Did you pay using your card, or by sending epass funds ? If sending epass funds then you have no buyer protection. Also its my understanding that a debit card which is pre-loaded can't chargeback. I thats the case with my visa debit card with my bank. I would assume that since its not a 'credit card' its the same with the electron card.

Visa doesn't just deal in cards that provide credit.

I don't have any debit cards. It was via Virtual Visa card. So, if governed by Visa since it's still a credit card -- virtual or not -- a chargeback should be allowed. Right?

Unless, of course, they call it a Visa card but, in reality, it's a debit card ....

[facialfreak]

Originally Posted by _LB_

Imagine if paypal had been more thorough with asking for this stuff. The guys who stung you years ago wouldn't have had that opportunity. Worth thinking about.

This is as much of a crock of shit as saying that if perhaps my car had better bumpers on it, that drunk driver might not have t-boned me ...

Asking to store my CVV2 number from one of my credit cards is NOT going to do jack shit towards protecting me from scammers ...

The entire doing this for our own protection is a giant smokescreen!!! Wake up and look further than on the surface ..

[pam]

Know what's comical about this?

A few months ago I purchased some design services from someone and paid them around $60 via PayPal. A few days letter PayPal notified me my account was being closed due to my paying for gambling with my PayPal funds.

I was stumped as I'd never gambled in person, let alone online. I don't even buy lottery tickets!

So, I investigated and they said the person I paid for design uses his funds for gambling. Mmm, ok. And that person pointed out to me in the PayPal TOS where paying at this certain location was allowed (or paying to this entity, whatever it was).

So, I emailed PayPal and told them they'd better investigate a little further as I paid someone for design work. I pointed out that this was discussed in public on a forum dealing with a script, and if they checked my account, they would see I paid for that script the week before with PayPal funds. I also told them if the designer chose to gamble, I should not be punished for using him as a designer.

I figured they'd want some documentation, and I waited. But nope, they asked for nothing, instead they emailed me 2 apologies and said their investigation turned up no evidence of illegal gambling on either of our parts and my account was now restored.

I was pretty surprised due to all the horror stories with PayPal, including my own in the past.

[Varzi Network]

Originally Posted by _LB_

Moneybookers asks for it, Paypal, Netteller ... most of them do.

Paypal has never asked me for any such documentation and Netteller was also nailed and the owners arrested for violation of US gambling laws. In fact all Netteller accounts and the funds inside those accounts ended up being frozen by the DOJ for over 6 months.

Neteller, the online ewallet company that at one time provided payment processing services for over 85 per cent of the online gambling industry, has been in legal limbo since the DOJ arrested two former executives on conpiracy and money laundering charges back in January. Neteller became the primary funding source for the online companies that continued to service the American market after the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) drove the American credit card industry out of the market.

Neteller to pay up as feds ease up | The Register

Im sure thats no big deal to you being a sponsor that depends on them to pay affiliates. I really begin to wonder how some people it in this industry cannot survive without supporting or having ties to criminal elements. This documentation will in fact be collected for and handed over to the federal government. Yet there has been no disclosure while this information could potentially be used to prosecute innocent people which of course is also no big deal.

Those who choose to continue doing business with Epassporte can enjoy the risks. I refuse to take a gamble with my money by using a company who does nothing but lie to cover its own ass.