Customers Mobilise in Neteller Standoff

The Neteller saga has taken a new twist with the formation of a Neteller customer coalition aimed at coming up with ideas on how to free up millions of dollars denied to US-based Neteller customers thanks to US government action against the e-wallet company.

Using the Yahoo! Groups facility, over 400 US customers of Neteller are meeting in virtual space to discuss ways and means of accessing their frozen funds. The predicament is a result of a legal spat between the US Department of Justice and Isle of Man-based Neteller starting with the arrest of two of the company’s founders. Neteller responded by immediately pulling out of the US market and freezing all US customer accounts.

The US government action is part of its recent banning of internet gambling that has hugely inconvenienced US gamers. The former Neteller founders have been arrested in the US on money laundering-related suspicions, charges Neteller are keen to deny has anything to do with them.

With up to 50 new members joining every day, the new customer coalition claims they represent up to US$1.5 million of the estimated US$150 million currently tied up by Neteller’s actions.

The founder of this new coalition, Eric Goldstein, claims he has $1 400 in Neteller that he cannot access.

“The latest decision to delay the case (against arrested 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,” said Mr Goldstein. “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.”

Online bingo players interested in what the coalition has to say can reach the site at: yahoo sports group

Written by John Witherspoon - More fun with playing bingo games online