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Michaelg........open another BF account. Use it for a while, then return to your original a/c, use it for a while etc etc etc if needs be open a 3rd a/c.

Michael

I think it's the number of below minimum bets you have in a single market that triggers the alert. Take Marks advice though and open some accounts for test purposes.

I didn't mention that I have another account in pounds sterling.

My below minimum bets were with my Oz dollar account, and when Betfair sent me their original email they said both accounts would be cancelled.

It therefore appears that someone who has multiple accounts are linked. If this is the case then opening and experimenting with new accounts would unfortunately put both my exisiting accounts in jeopardy.

Not if they are in different names.

I think there could be a problem when providing proof of identity?

However, I could probably open one in a friend's name but I wouldn't be comfortable involving anyone, even myself, in something deceitful.

Anyone can "open" an account in a friend's name. However multiple accounts being operated by one person on the one computer can easily be identified. For example your IP address would be logged.

Michael, are you married, have siblings, children (over 18 of course), parents, parents in law??, I'd do it sooner rather than later as they will close you down unless you can talk sweet and fast. In my opinion (and I've told them as much) they are chasing and closing the wrong people. They should start with the bots that jump anything and everything for pennies, unfortunately no markets are immune anymore. But no, they hound the poor aaaaaa who is not a big punter/layer, or the person such as yourself who is testing something and wants to start off small.
When faced with the same dilemma about a year ago, I rang the person who was threatening to close me down to explain my situation. It was like talking to someone who had no idea what Betfair was!! He told me it was his job to investigate bets less than the minimum (was $6 at the time), detect the users, send the warnings and cancel the repeat offenders. He said if I could identify any "wrongdoers", he would investigate. I said ok let's go to a race of your choice, anywhere, anytime. I showed him pending bets on nearly every runner that were less than the minimum and asked if he was going to cancel them all. It's a start he said, so I said let's go to another race, same situation all over again. etc etc A year on and nothing has changed. Go to any race now and you'll find loads of them. Seems he has a job for life.

Having several accounts is also useful for getting around the punitive charges they have for regular winners.....even though winners are (apparently) welcome at BF.

As for multiple users being picked up by the ISP police, we're not dealing with the CIA here.

I think for layers they should have a minimum liability similar to what they had with Betfair SP. That $30 minimum was fair enough in my view.

Michael, I also recieved that e-mail from one of my test accounts, also the same "back down" e-mail the next day. Neither made any mention of linked accounts and the account in question has the same contact details.

It may be a bit tricky to work out but if your using one of the API programs you could probably get around the issue with some conditional trickery i.e

Lay Horse 1 for $6 at 5

if matched

Back Horse 1 for $5 at 5

That type of thing. Would probably work for testing purposes.

Mark, I'm sure if I really wanted to get around it would not be too diffucult as I'm sure other people have done/are doing it. By using a family member would explain the same IP address. But this would only be a ploy to deceive, even though in some people's opinions that under the circumstances it would be justified.

And if I was to successfully do it but somehow later exposed then that would be the end of me on Betfair.

In their second email they are aware of bots and told me if I was using one that it would have to be programmed for the minimum bet of $5. You are right about the many wrongdoers - quite a few of my $5 lay bets are being partially matched for only a few cents at a time.