4:07am: This is based on news from Pocketfives.com and two plus two. Apparently, there is a rumor that EPASSPORTE has decided to pull the plug on U.S customers. However, at this point nothing is known for sure. The threads on both websites have brought forth emails from Pokerstars and Cake Poker, an image of a deposit attempt using EPASSPORTE on Full Tilt, and also a phone conversation with EPASSPORTE representatives regarding the situation.
Emails:
1. From Cake Poker
To all Cake Poker Customers:
We have received notice from ePassporte today that they are unable to continue to provide CakePoker with merchant e-wallet services. We have since confirmed that this situation is not unique to CakePoker and is, in fact, industry wide.
While we are disappointed with this decision, we want to reassure all players that there will be no impact to either your account balances or your account status at Cake. We are pleased to have launched earlier this week with a new payment processor and have already secured alternative processors/eWallets that we will be launching in the weeks to come. We are also in discussions with other providers that will be making their services available in the CakePoker cashier soon. Players are welcome to inquire with Customer Support for more details.
As always, we value your business and will continue to make every effort possible to make your poker experience a great one.
Regards,
The CakePoker Team
2. From PokerStars:
(a). Thank you for contacting PokerStars.
>
>Please accept our apologies for this inconvenience. At this moment,
>ePassporte is experiencing technical difficulties, so this option is
>not available for any player to use. We are sorry, but we do not have
>an estimated time when ePassporte services will be restored. I am
sorry, but
>at this time I can not confirm anything but this.
>
>In the meantime, you may use any of the other deposit methods we
>offer, as we do not yet have a time frame on when this problem will be
>fixed.
(b). Thank you for contacting PokerStars.
I am aware of the rumors in the message boards, but we have not received
such a message from ePassporte, so we are only able to advise you what we
are being advised from ePassporte.
Regards,
Randy
PokerStars Support Team
Screen Shot of Deposit Attempt on Full Tilt
Verbatim Account of a Phone Conversation with Epassporte (via twoplustwo thread):
“I just got through and spoke with a customer service representative of Epassporte on their California telephone number. He repeatedly assured me that this is a technical problem that should be resolved within 24 hours. I, more than once, asked if Epassporte was no longer servicing online poker sites for US customers. I informed him that Cake Poker has a message that Epassporte has stopped servicing them (I tried Poker Stars, FT, Walker Poker, a Merge net skin and Pokerari, an Everleaf skin and none had this message). He told me that Epassporte has not made any policy changes and that Cake Poker was mistaken. I suggest that we wait 24 hours before concluding that Epassporte has left the online poker market.”
========================================
So what do we know for sure?
1. Absolute has removed EPASSPORTE as a deposit/withdrawal method.
2. PokerStars either (a) has less information on the subject than Cake does or (b) knows what’s going on and is lying to us, or (c) Cake Poker is exaggerating the whole ordeal.
3. EPASSPORTE ATM withdrawals still work, as of 3:00am on 4/12
4. EPASSPORTE is denying publicly that they are pulling the plug on online poker relations
5. The original poster on twoplustwo claims to have “inside information” that it is indeed true that EPASSPORTE is pulling the plug on online poker relations
I will post more information as I have it. Stay tuned.
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