Online Bingo Pet Peeves and What You Can Do About Them

If you’re an online bingo lover, despite the fact you probably think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, there’s an equal chance that there are things about the game that drive you nuts.
You’re certainly not alone, as we’ve been researching players pet peeves when it comes to playing, and what (if anything) you can do about them. Here’re our top three bothersome bingo issues:

1. Screen/Game Freezing

Nearly all of us have experienced this problem at some stage in our online bingo lives. There you are, in the middle of the game, perhaps with only one or two balls to go, and the screen locks up. Gah! Several mouse-clicks and bashing of hands on keyboards later, the game’s back but – oh look – it’s ended! This issue is obviously even more frustrating if you choose to daub your cards manually. Other than checking that it’s not your computer having a grump, what can you do? Unfortunately, not a lot!

Well first of all, in most circumstances you won’t need to worry because your game and the result should still be the same whether you are in the room or not. But in the rare instance that your whole game was lost then online bingo sites have something called a Limitation of Liability within their terms and conditions that states they are not liable for access interruptions. However, if you don’t ask, you don’t get, so it’s worth mentioning that you have had problems as soon as possible to your chat host (if you’re playing in a moderated room) or speaking to Customer Support, in case they’re happy to give you a refund on the cost of your game card/s.

2. Missing and out-of-date promotions

How many of you have received mailers offering a fantastic prize or promotion, and yet when you click through to view it, it’s nowhere to be found? It’s very irritating indeed, and some could say it’s false advertising. Why this happens isn’t terribly clear, but it’s likely to be down to the team who look after the site’s PR sending out details of offers before they’ve been updated on the website. Unless you’re feeling very patient and are prepared to check back at a later date, the best thing to do is get in contact with customer support and ask for details of the offer. Equally frustrating for bingo players are out-of-date promos being advertised on-site. Some can be up to a year past their expiry date, and can be a big source of annoyance for people who stumble across them via Google, only to find out they’re no longer valid. Whilst it’s not mandatory for brands to remove expired offers (so long as they display the end-dates), some would say it’s a matter of basic housekeeping and politeness to offer players the latest promos and not old ones. The best course of action? Either play elsewhere, or complain/proactively suggest to the support staff that it would be helpful if old items were removed, and encourage your fellow roomies to do the same.

3. Stuff the prize – gimme the money!

Our final pet peeve is the lack of alternative cash prizes on offer. Perhaps you want to enter a competition that has several prizes up for grabs, one of which, you’re not interested in. Perhaps you’re scared of water or get sea-sick and don’t necessarily fancy that luxury cruise round the Med? Or, that romantic spa break for two doesn’t sound so inviting when you’re a singleton? Maybe you’re not available to jet off on a free holiday on the dates specified in the promotion?

Many players are finding that bingo brands either don’t offer a cash alternative or if they do, it’s worth significantly less (sometimes as much as half) than the prize on offer itself. Sadly, some sites simply don’t give cash alternatives at all, and they’re under no obligation to do so. Again, it’s worth having a gander at the terms and conditions page to see what their stance is on alternate prizes; you’ll often find something along the lines of “there is no right to a cash alternative,” or “at our sole discretion.” However, it certainly can’t hurt to get in touch and enquire whether they’d be prepared to offer a cash alternative or different prize before taking part, but the chances are, you’ll be disappointed by the answer. The solution? Only enter competitions and promos, or play at sites where you’re 100% happy with the prizes, and terms and conditions, advertised.

So there you have it – our top three pet peeves for online bingo fans. You could even play your own game of bingo by ticking off how many of these issues have ever plagued you, although sadly, we don’t offer a prize if you get a full house ;-).

Unfortunately, it’s often the case that you either need to complain if you have an issue, and any site worth its salt will do all they can to get matters resolved….. but if they don’t well the only option you have is to look to join a different site that doesn’t have issues or will deal with your problems sympathetically. Remember you have the power in your purse or wallet – after all you will run out of money before you run out of online bingo sites to play at, so choose wisely.