Hi Peter,
I started reading this thread from the beginning, got 40 pages or so in and stopped and skipped to the end. I was prompted to start doing some research on other SB platforms after I was told by email that the old platform was closing later this month. That finally prompted me to take a proper look at next gen. The first glaringly obvious problem was that the instruments I have finally started making a small amount of money on in the last year are not present (TSX, Japan Shares).Like I say thats how I found this forum, looking for a solution to my problem.
Then as I read this thread that you started, I was taken into the technical world of "execution, spreads and prices". Something came to my awareness whislt reading this. I often observe how different the prices where at any moment in time when comparing them to other market indicators, I never really have had an issue with this, I am just grateful that SB firms have innovated platforms that allow people to play on the markets in a realtively simple fashion. But then it dawned on me from reading this thread just how much better I might be doing if I was buying and selling on prices closer to market reality. I don't think it is possible for any spread betting firm to rationalise their competitive edges using any spreads headline or otherwise, if at the end of the day the system builds in such a margin for the SB firm in real time in relation to the market that the spread is academic, even a layman such as me can see this.
I want to use next generation but I am concerned the instruments I would like to play are not available so have just opened an IG account and an Interactive broker account. At present I havent switched my funds out of the old CMC account...I tried on the phone with CMC last week...it never happened. I have to say that aspect of CMC has always disspointed me...I have been to your offices before, for a free seminar or two, I could see then that the concept of customers service had not been addressed fully. I think you have great techie guys but not very good customer service concepts or training (typical of all bookies or bankers I guess!). Once a customer has tried to initiate transferring his funds to your new platform from the old, it should not be for the customer to keep having to reinitiate that objective...your team if you dont want to lose customers should be proactively contacting your client base and offering to switch over positions and a balance that should prove sufficient to sustain them in the new account. All that being said, early impressions the platform looks good...but if your an old stick in the mud like me, you actually dont want to change from something you have got used to and that your happy with....regardless of the alleged improvements, you just want continuity and consistency. So at the very least if your booting your customer base off your old technology you should be holding the hands of your clients onto the new platform. Then if becuase its lacking instruments or they simply cannot get on with it and decide to leave CMC, at least it would not have been becuase of poor customer service. I fear that your own stats are misleading you...if someone as contented as me with the old platform(I have never even looked at new providers) feels a little dissapointed that we are being told the old platform is closing whilst at the same time not being provided a great deal of support in doing the switch, and that the switch lookslike it is going to restrict our betting opportunties, then you must have a lot of concerned clients at present? Either that or your just focusing all your customer service efforts on your big accounts? That would make sense I guess.
Also one other thing I noticed on the new platform...I cannot find a way to see the total daily percentage change on watchlist of items. That was critical for the crude way in which I trade. When you adjust the time frame down to 1 day it just shows nothing at all. Its alamost as if your starving us of basic information about the instrument we want to bet on.
