I am aware of the disadvantages and chicanery with S/B's but there is one thing I simply can't understand - How do they know how long you intend to hold a position when you open it? I just don't understand what you mean by "If you try and scalp or short term trade using a spreadbet they will NOT let you get away with it." So I enter a trade and it immediately goes in my favour 3 points are you saying they would prevent me from closing that position until it has retraced to a loss? That has never happened to me, never. In the last year or so whenever I have put a trade on with a S/B I have my DMA prices available so I know what's what and what's not.
Ok, when I first opened my account with world spreads I was having no problems at all. As they became aware I was short term trading they put me on to dealer referal. This was confirmed by the guy on the telephone at World spreads.
I will give you examples of what EXACTLY happened once I was on dealer referal. This was on the YM.
1. Clicked to go short at 11, as the price moved upwards I was filled at 19. I clicked to get out at 21, the price kept going up and at this point was at 40 and they offered me 33 to get out, which I took.
2. Clicked to go short again around 11/12 I got offered 94.
3. Clicked to go long price raced up and I got "price no longer valid message"
There were more incidents that this, and if you are put on dealer referal you will know right away that there is a problem with the platform. You will get big delays between you clicking and getting filled and more often than not if the trade runs in your favour straight away they just won't fill you.
In answer to your watching 3 points turn in to a loss. I actually saw a 20 point profit reverse to a loss with world spreads and that's when I ditched them. Just clicked to get out and kept getting "check open positions to see if position is still open"
I have no reason whatsoever to make this up, and you might think it's paranoia on my part but trust me it isn't. I have spoken with 2 different people at world spreads who have confirmed my account is on dealer referal. Once this happens it's game over with whatever s/b firm you are with.
AT first World Spreads were very retisant to confirm I was on dealer referal. However, I called them a week later and the guy told me straight out because of my style of trading they had no option but to put me on to dealer referal.
In answer to your question "how do they know how long you hold a position when you open it ?" People are generally creatures of habit. Someone who has taken 50 trades with you and all of them under 2 minutes in duration you are not going to put money on the 51st lasting for 45minutes.
In fairness Worldspreads are a TIN POT operation and I've not experienced this with any of the larger S/B firms.