The Ultimate Rip Off?

[tonkarentino]

Thought I'd just share this cautionary tale. Was in a pub last week in the Midlands with a "Hotwire" machine. Unfortunately I didn't have any change-the queue at the bar was six deep so in my impatience I put a £20.00 note into the note slot expecting the machine to offer me £2.00 worth of credit and a bank of £18.00. BIG MISTAKE: What was actually offered was £2.00 in the bank and £18.00 worth of credits. Now those of you familiar with said Hotwire will be aware of how hard these are to win on but this seemed to want to play a bit on the racetrack game (whose actual name escapes me). Nevertheless it was a struggle to get the winnings up to my original £18.00 "super stake". I managed it with £7.00 left in the credit slot. At this point I collected my £18.00 +£2.00 original prize. It paid out £19.00 and then put up the I.O.U. message rendering any further play impossible. Fortunately the kind barmaid decided that she would give me the money owed as credit from the till. This however meant I'd made a profit of £7.00 when had I been playing with smaller notes or coin it would have been approaching what was clearly the max of £20.00.
This episode got me thinking...has the machine been somehow programmed to know that it cannot pay out as much as the £18.00 I could have taken from the bank and acted accordingly by making it credit instead? If so it represents a whole new chapter in virtual theft and for me a previously unconsidered aspect of the £20.00 float abomination. I certainly won't be using such high denominations again.
Has anyone else had this type of thing happen?
Surely it cannot be legal?

[QuizMaster]

Sounds iffy to me. It should have a setting which locks out the note acceptor if the float in the hopper is too low. So if it's accepted your £20 note, it must be because the hopper thinks there is more money in there than there actually physically is.

£18 worth of gameplay on a Hotwire? I'd rather put a gun in my mouth.

[harry2]

Doesn't say a lot here.

http://www.fatspanner.com/includes/pdf/ ... manual.pdf

Might be worth giving them a ring. Surely it should be 18 bank and 2 credit.

[cp999]

Thought I'd just share this cautionary tale. Was in a pub last week in the Midlands with a "Hotwire" machine. Unfortunately I didn't have any change-the queue at the bar was six deep so in my impatience I put a £20.00 note into the note slot expecting the machine to offer me £2.00 worth of credit and a bank of £18.00. BIG MISTAKE: What was actually offered was £2.00 in the bank and £18.00 worth of credits.

So.. it was a Sceptre machine then?

Why on earth would you put a £20 note into one of them? Even if you got the anticipated £2 credit and £18 bank, all you would be doing was changing the note and emptying the hopper thereby leaving no money to win.

Sounds iffy to me. It should have a setting which locks out the note acceptor if the float in the hopper is too low. So if it's accepted your £20 note, it must be because the hopper thinks there is more money in there than there actually physically is.

Which, unless my sources and multitudinous experiences have been entirely misleading, it does on a very significant % of Sceptre machines. Until, that is, you collect the >£20.

[cool]

sceptre are still up to it (low floats) .Feed their machines with one pound coins as you go.Dont let them rip you off by their meagre floats.All other companies as far as I know and I have a guarantee in e-maily fashion from Gamestec that they keep a float that is suggested by Fat Spanner, act in a player friendly way.Dont blame Fat Spanner.They know all about the Sceptre practice but cannot do anything about it.It makes their companys products look shite if they dont pay out but as Sceptre are the biggest player in the market there is nowt they can do.

[cp999]

So.. it was a Sceptre machine then?

Why on earth would you put a £20 note into one of them? Even if you got the anticipated £2 credit and £18 bank, all you would be doing was changing the note and emptying the hopper thereby leaving no money to win.

Furthermore, there's a decent chance there wouldn't even be £18 in the hopper!

I've said it before, and doubtless will say it again, but there are Sceptre machines advertising prizes which, if they were to be won, there is not and CAN NEVER BE enough money in the hopper to pay fully.

[eddiesdad]

just dont blame the poor engineer we would rather refloat to max and sit in a laybye reading the papers ,keep on ringing head office and complain

[cp999]

just dont blame the poor engineer we would rather refloat to max and sit in a laybye reading the papers ,keep on ringing head office and complain

I know, it's a management directive. Or "adjusting their operational methodology", apparently (not what I'd call it).

[tonkarentino]

So.. it was a Sceptre machine then?

Why on earth would you put a £20 note into one of them? Even if you got the anticipated £2 credit and £18 bank, all you would be doing was changing the note and emptying the hopper thereby leaving no money to win.



Which, unless my sources and multitudinous experiences have been entirely misleading, it does on a very significant % of Sceptre machines. Until, that is, you collect the >£20.

Ah! You have me bang to rights there. Put it down (as I said in my original post) to a lack of patience and foresight. It doesn't however excuse the underhandedness of the whole shebang. I have taken the advice and will ring "Head Office".

Lesson well and truly learned. Remember: I come from the era where you could wipe out a machine of well over £100.00-and it would pay every coin.
Q.M. In my defence I had absolutely no intention of playing through £18.00 worth of credits when I put the note in.

[cp999]

Ah! You have me bang to rights there. Put it down (as I said in my original post) to a lack of patience and foresight. It doesn't however excuse the underhandedness of the whole shebang.

.

No, absolutely not.

I have taken the advice and will ring "Head Office".

I'll be interested in hearing what they have to say for themselves..

Remember: I come from the era where you could wipe out a machine of well over £100.00-and it would pay every coin.

Q.M. In my defence I had absolutely no intention of playing through £18.00 worth of credits when I put the note in.

a) I know, I remember some too. b) I'm not QM, but glad to hear it.

[paragoon]

I had a problem last week when a machine wouldn't pay out. Pub was usual 'not our problem' so I rang the number on the machine. Was told by Gamestec woman : "we're not allowed to speak to the general public" !! Ludicrous imo.

[cool]

The woman was talking rubbish. I have spoken and e-mailed Gamestec on many occasions.Perhaps as it was a one site non-payout problem rather than a general software issue they are disinclined to speak to you.

What you need to do if its a significant amount and not a couple of quid contact the machines manager at the pub company involved.NEVER ask to speak to the area manager for that chain as (a) The machine manager has absolute control over these issues. (b) area managers tend to side with their managers they are not impartial and are all about driving profit. Give all the relevant info to the machine manager including time/date of malfunction and name of any bar staff you have spoken to at the time.

I once had a protacted (over many months) battle with the manager of a very well known chain pub over a large sum that he kept fobbing me off with.

[cool]

I had almost given up but with one last throw of the dice contacted the Head Office of the chain.I thought that he had prob pocketed the sum (over £40) and thought I would go away.The machines manager contacted me after an investigation and said that there were irregularities and pending disciplinary issues without going into detail.I was then sent a cheque for the full amount! Please no one PM me to ask where it was.Im not saying!

[quizard]

Wetherspoons?

[cool]

no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and thats not a cue to name every pub chain under the sun. non cryptic clue chain involved a quite famous banning but that is as far as im going.