Topic: I think Bitstamp have stolen from me (Read 235 times)

I think Bitstamp have stolen at least £276.21 from me following the unexplained termination of my account immediately following a large deposit.

I've been systematically ignored by their discourteous, elusive and evasive support team leaving me furious and extremely vexed. 

I hope someone here can help me find answers.

Following years of using Bitstamp without problem, on the 15th August 2017 I made a deposit of £7703 GBP via international transfer to their bank account in Slovenia. The money left my bank account on the 16th August, but was never credited in Bitstamp (though, via account details I retrieved via a Subject Access Request, I can see it entered their bank account on 16th August.)

On 23rd August  2017 (they had held my money hostage for a week by this point, while I watched the price of Bitcoin rise by ~ $500) I received an Account Termination Notice from Bitstamp stating my account had been terminated. I contacted Bitstamp support via email, phone, Facebook and Twitter to ask what had caused my termination, and when I would receive my funds back.

I was completely ignored - with not a single reply to my many emails and messages.

Eventually, following advice I found on this forum, I submitted complaints to the Commission de surveillance du secteur financier in Luxembourg, plus a complaint to bitstamp copying in the CEO, plus a subject access request, and I finally received a response saying they couldn't tell me why my account was terminated, and that I would have my deposit refunded, and my account balance returned. As I could not log in to Bitstamp, I could not verify my outstanding balance.

After waiting another week, and seeing the price of Bitcoin rise further, I received 2 payments from them:

30th Aug - £348.21 – presumably this was my outstanding bitcoin balance, though I cannot verify
30th Aug - £7,426.79 –I think this is the refund of the deposit I made, except, it is £276.21 short of the £7703 I deposited.

I have contacted Bitstamp support to ask why has my deposit not been returned in full, and I have been ignored.

Bitstamp actively advertises itself as being fully regulated and being granted a license in the EU as a payment institution by the CSSF.

Unfortunately their customer support is completely inadequate for the types of customers they are serving and It seems there is no accountability for their actions.

I've checked the fee schedule https://www.bitstamp.net/fee_schedule/ and (in spite of the fact that charging any fee whatsoever for a deposit only to immediately terminate an account is utterly scandalous, outrageous larceny) I cannot see how any application of fees could sum the £276.21 shortfall.

There is a 0.05% deposit fee on international transfers that would total £3.8515, and if I have been charged all the 'NON-STANDARD PROCESSING' fees (which would be disgraceful), they would total $170 USD.  Nowhere near £276.21.

Could currency exchange rates somewhere along the line be to blame, due to the fact that they held my deposit hostage in a different currency while they were fucking around terminating my account? If this is the case, it's shameful.

I've still no idea why they terminated my account. I see, from the subject access requests, that my passport on their system had expired, perhaps that was it. Fuck knows.

I cannot believe my account was closed for no obvious reason, but I simply cannot accept that immediately prior to that, I gave them money, and they skimmed off the top before handing it back.

It's absolutely, utterly, dispicable. And they haven't even got the courtesy to acknowledge me.

Do not use this company.