Bowmans is honorable...

[Cons]

Alright, the previous post has been closed down in order to pave way for a new one, and let it be so...

This might seem unbelievable, but Gary Bowman himself got in touch with me today and we discussed the matter at hand. It comes as a shock to me that the king of sportsbetting, the man behind Bowmans itself, has taken the time to talk to someone like me, one in a million...

I must say I'm impressed to say the least. I had a great chat with Gary Bowman and he portrayed himself as a total pro. He's such a charismatic person, and I only wish more people had the chance to get in touch with him personally. This is the only example in the sportsbetting industry that I know of where the man in charge of it all has come down and made contact with one of his clients.

It shows that the company treasures its clients, and Gary assured me that what happened was a mistake in the line itself, and that the mistake wasn't dealt with correctly. It's amazing to see the boss reach down and settle things personally, but it just shows that he really cares about the industry and makes sure that his company is well above the rest...

To be honest I'm shocked, and just when my doubts were beginning to settle in, Gary Bowman comes in and explains everything to me personally. Man, I wish every book would provide its customers with such service... how many books do you know where the president himself comes down to talk with you about any problems you might have? I know of only one, and after clearing all my questions and assuring me that Bowmans plan to go online, I am sure Bowmans provides a service second to none.

They are, after all, my first sportsbook, and although I was getting upset, I never planned on closing my account. Having an account with them is like having an account with Citibank, so I'm happy to be a client and be able to make my bets knowing that my money will still be there in the morning. This is, after all, the most important aspect of it all.

Take care guys and let me assure you that Bowmans is a safe place to make your bets. As far as betting options go, it's all up to you to decide where you want to bet your action, and which place takes the bets you want. But if you want to have an out that's a safe place coupled with good betting options, then look no further. And, before I forget, Bowmans does have honour... and I still can't cope with the fact that the man himself took the time to get in touch with me personally. This has simply never happened to me before... They truly are unique...

[Shawn]

Cons,

I never commented on your original issue as I felt it wasn't my place, I didn't know the facts, and I wanted to see how stuff shook out.

A satisfied customer of any sportsbook is a joy to see; I'm glad you feel things worked out for you.

I do have a question that you or perhaps one of our site admins could answer:

Gary Bowman may be a prince (I've no idea; never had the pleasure of meeting him) but his bookmaking operation is large and he has other business concerns as well. So no matter how much of a gentleman he may be (and again, I'm not claiming anything to the contrary) I doubt he has time to personally call everyone who has a beef with his shop.

I'm wondering if we know what prompted him to call you. Did you do a lot of sabre-rattling yourself on the phone to clerks and managers beforehand? Did your other thread spur their company into action? Did one of the site admins here take up your cause?

Whatever the answer(s), it would be instructive to the rest of us. Sooner or later everyone has minor disputes even with the most reputable of books. Info on how you got to chat with someone so well-placed at a book might help us all.

Cheers,
Shawn

[Jeff]

I have to chime in......again.

1st let me say that Bowmans was also the very 1st book I ever used that wasn't located within 30 miles of my house.

I also think that they are responsible for this industry having such a high level of customer service to begin with. In the early years that I used them, the customer service is what really stood out. As they've grown,(and yes they do actually take 150 simultaneous calls at crunch time) they have encountered growing pains that any company with tremendous growth would experience. It's actually amazing there aren't more problems.

I also feel that they still need to address the problems that have been brought up here in the forum.

One area I really disagree with Cons though, is where he states "how many other books would have the president/owner call....."(something along those lines)

Truth is, just about all of the books would. In many of the books, the president/owner is still answering the phones!

But I can tell you without a doubt, especially after meeting face to face with many of the book owners, that just about all of the books, and certainly all of the books on this site, would not hesitate to do the exact same thing. They have great pride in the businesses they have built, and most are smart enough to realize that thee customers are the most important aspect of their businesses.

It's because of these book owners that take great pride in their business, that enables us as players to get together in this forum and complain about things like rude clerks or honest mistakes, rather than complain that we were stiffed by so and so......

Remember, that's what "rants and raves" started out as. A way to separate the books that pay, from those that don't.

The industry has come to a point where we now can choose a book the way we choose any other company we might do business with. Based on how well we're treated, etc.etc.etc.


[Note: This message has been edited by oddswiz]

[Cons]

Shawn, when I moved from the US to England I changed my address details with Bowmans. Silly me forgot to change the phone number though...

I received an email from Bowmans stating that Gary Bowman is very concerned about the problem I faced recently, and that he has been trying to contact me directly.

I was provided with a number that put me straight through to Gary Bowman himself, bypassing the office. We had a great chat and as I mentioned before, I'm still amazed to have had the chance to talk to him personally!

Jeff, I remember finding your site (Oddswiz) for the first time a few years back, and it was your advice on the different sportsbooks that pointed me to Bowmans. At the time, I had a bad experience with Wagersport.com (Paulie DV and I fought hard to shut down their web site and prevent countless others from being stiffed) and needed a sportsbook that would be as safe as Ford Knox. Bowmans was the only book with a track record of over a decade, and I had several recommendations about them regarding their outstanding service. Looking through the list I quickly realised that they were the only logical choice, and to this day Bowmans remains one of my main outs, and safety one of my main priorities.