Yeah, Scooter, I have an opinion too. (what else is new? <GGG>)
IMO, when a broker opens a site on the internet and launches a national ad campaign that says, "Come trade with us, we're professionals," they have an obligation to report to their customers what the status of their account is. If they say you can use their web site to trade, it seems to me that you should be able to use their web site to trade, and you should be able to believe the messages conveyed via that web site. If they are unable to provide you with accurate information, real time, then they have no business taking your money, because they are not providing the service they lured you in with.
The fact that you had to call them to get the real information about your account means that they didn't do their job. When they then didn't know themselves the status of your account, it is conclusive proof that they are either incompetent or dishonest, or both. Don't confuse the issue with MMs, server problems, untrained people on the phones, or any other lame excuses. The fact is that you made an order, and based on what they told you, you then made several followup actions, which they, through their incompetence, managed to screw up royally.
Imagine having comparable problems with a plumber, a mechanic, or any other service provider. Just because brokers act like professionals, it doesn't mean they actually are. Just because you got confirmation on the internet shouldn't mean that all mistakes are automatically your fault. The fact that you had to pick up a telephone means that their system was unreliable, and they should take full responsibility for all the compounded errors that they caused you to make.
IMHO, of course.
Any jerk that tries to lay responsibility off on you for problems caused by a broker should be ashamed of himself.
jim |
