I was attracted to FBS for their bonus offer, and now I understand why the offer such - because they know you won't be able to make profit, with their dirty scam-ish tricks!
I opened an account with FBS on 6th Aug 2014 and made an initial deposit of $1000, and I'd say my trading went not too bad in the next few days as my balance became more than $5000 by 8th Aug 2014 (Friday) - that's the point FBS began to act funny and suspicious: they increased the spread from normal 1.1-1.4 pips to 2 pips plus (much more than 2 pips considering you never get the quote the system shows!); they began to make the chart moving really slow and you hardly see the actual situation...
And if it's not enough, they simply just freeze your platform and literally STOP you from trading! So on 8th Aug 2014 Friday night, I suddenyly found I cannot close my positions (at a price where I can make slight profit and go right with the market trend) or make any modifications to them, neither could I place any new orders! I kept trying and waiting but the platform kept failing with 'off-quote'! So I reported this issue via their livechat immediately - Olivia on the livechat just asked me to send her the screen shot of my MT4 platform (which I did immediately), and then she just told me her 'shift is over' and 'I need contact them on next Monday', and she just left! I tried to connect with livechat again but nobody answered - and it's only 9 pm, the market was not even closed!!
Despite my extreme anger and satisfaction, I still followed Olivia's instruction and contacted FBS's livechat around 7:10 am UK time (yes first thing in the morning), and this time I connected to Alena. I explained the whole situation and asked them to manually close my orders around the price I wanted. Alena played a little bit 'terms & conditions' and '10 days timeframe' trick. Despite my outrage, I still decided to wait. However, in a short while, I received a response email from FBS informing me they're gonna do nothing basically, as 'there is no intention to close orders and the requested price was not reached, according to the logs', and that's the point I was convinced FBS IS ANOTHER SCAM!!!
Now let me explain my accusation with justice:
1. The response email itself is full of basic mistakes (purposed in my guess) and lies - the server was found frozen by me at 19:31:40 on 08/08/2014 (as I was trying to make modification to my order and system failed), and the price for EURUSD between 19:45 to 20:00 on 08/08/2014 was 1.34127 - 1.34161, and my requested price was 1.34150 - so the price did reach my asked level, AFTER the server was frozen and I was stopped from any execution;
2. I immediately connected to Alena, who wrote the response email herself, and raised my strong objection, and here comes the second dirtiest scam act of forex brokers (wait for the FIRST): Alena again told me I had no intention closing those positions, as they can ONLY REFER TO ACCOUNT LOGS TO JUDGE THE INTENTION. I explained my situation: as the server was frozen, I was not sure if it's my internet or other reasons, if it's temporary or permanant, so I wouldn't be so imprudent to click 'close' button directly as it can result huge slippage since the server was slow/frozen, but of course Alena would follow her company's moral stance and deny my explanation. I didn't hold on to it because I found one more important fact: I tried to place 8 lots EURUSD sell stop order at the price 1.34050 for hedging purpose as well - I tried many times, and they all failed with 'off-quotes', which were all RECORDED IN MY LOGS! And Alena began to speak evasively (by pretending she didn't hear me pointing out their lies and mistakes), and just promised this would be looked into 'quickly'. So, more waiting!
3. While the market is moving against me (cuz my set orders and requests were not executed!), I start to worry and do research about FBS as a company - mainly it's regulation, and I was shocked to find FBS IS NOT REGULATED (properly) and it scared the sh*t out of me - it means they can basically do whatever they want to you and not need care about what you have to say even it's truth only but nothing else! For example, if they don't like you making profits, they can just purposed creat some issue for you and wait for your claim, then abuse the '10 days response time-frame', and the best you get is go back to normal (and you have to be very luck I believe); and then all over again, and again... all your trading life could be wasted in such exhausting circle and your hard earned money would be just robbed, if you haven't ran away
quickly enough - all because there's NO PROPER REGULATION!
4. There are not only one broker in this business lacking proper regulation, I'd admit, so it all depends on the company's own ethics and profession for decent act - and for a company like FBS, you can set assured that is NOT the case! Among my ten years trading life and rich experiences (problems as well) with numerous brokers, I can confidently say FBS proved as the DIRTIEST scam I ever met - not only they scam you, they even can't find a slightly more smart trick to fool you, as all the lies they tell are apparent and self-contradictory! So I want the 8 lots EURUSD sell stop order to be executed at set price 1.34050 (at least), as the failed attempts are recorded in the logs - it was their excuse of 'no log record' to deny my order close wish just about 10 minutes ago, but now with the hard fact of log history, they just began to look for other excuses, just like a scam company would do exactly! First they told me at the price 1.34050 I had not enough free margin - while the truth is I should have around $500 free margin at that price level, and it's more than enough to open a hegding position, and possibly another 8 lots sell position - and such positions should have all hit the take profit level already; then they told me for a bonus acount the max leverage should be max 1:200 - while I always have had 1:500 since my account opening till this very moment! They showed me the t&c about it which I can confirm but never saw before (guess they changed without notice) , and said 'even I have 1:500 now, it should be changed to 1:200' - however if so, the two positions I requested to close at 1.34150 shouldn't even have been opened in the first place! So I just asked them the following simple question: 1. if the leverage should be 1:200, should be order 18726541 be opened? 2. If it's the 1:500 I always have had since account openning till right now, should my sell stop order at 1.34050 have enough margin to open, considering it's a hegding position and I had about $500 free margin there? And it should take a whole afternoon for them to answer such a simple a question!!! While I am writing here, I'm also talking to Maria from FBS livechat, and I kept asking her this simple question, but you know what - she could't even answer such a simple question, but keeps avoiding it by telling irrelevant stuff; and after my constant request to have someone do the simple math from the whole company, she began to act like a total fool and complete outsider of forex trading - she couldn't do the simple math of 'is 1600 - 1137 a positive number', neither does she even know what 'sell stop order' is (she told me 'Please take a notice that there was no such price as 1.34050 on Friday.' as she thought that might be why my 'SELL STOP' order wasn't executed)! BUT, above everything, here comes the dirties and most funny act I ever see from all brokers: to prove 'I had not enough margin to execute the sell stop order at price 1.34050', they even made up a FAKE order history on my platform, only that someone made the most stupid mistake for the whole scamming world - he made the set price as 1.33050, instead of 1.34050, with a order comment 'delete [no money]' - hahahahaha, can anyone please please kindly tell me if you ever saw the EURUSD reached price 1.33050 this whole year??? And yes I kept all the screen shot and chat history - before this happened, I was just gonna write reviews on websites, but now I shall file FBS as scam OFFICIALLY to their so-named Russian regulator and every place I can find!
5. Now after all the whining, let's do this simple math all together and see how FBS shall responde: the time is 18:10 UK time (20:10 MT4 platform time), and the current bid price of EURUSD on FBS's unlimited account is around 1.33830. My free margin showed in FBS's account is about -1300, and I literally have two 4 lots sell positions open and two 8 buy lots positions open, which makes my actual effective position 8 lots buy EURUSD. So what my free margin should be if the EURUSD bid price moves to 1.34050? My answer: 8 lots EURUSD position would gain $800 from every 100 mirco pips, and 1.34050 - 1.33830 = 0.00220, so the difference is 220 mirco pips. $800 x (220/100) = $1760, and 1760 - 1300 = 460. Bang, POSITIVE and way MORE THAN ENOUGH to open the hedging 8 lots SELL STOP order! Mary used the excuse that the new bonus T&C gave max 1:200 leverage so my sell stop orders shouldn't be executed due to insufficient free margin - however, the new bonus T$C was published on [Mary: It was changed on Aug. 11 (today) at 9:00 MetaTrader time], and my sell stop order price was hit by the first hour of MetaTrader time on Aug. 11 (today), while all my other positions were opened before Aug. 11 - so how could you have any excuse to not execute my sell stop order!!
I care much about my money, but I HATE dirty shamless scammers, so I would do everything I can to ruin such scammers' business to save more innocent people become victims, just like me! So, if you don't wanna be completed exhausted, frustrated physically, mentally and most important FINANCIALLY - STAY AWAY FROM FBS FOR GOD'S SAKE!!
P.S. While I'm still on the livechat of FBS, keeping pushing them for a simple answer about the free margin, they just disclosed their rogue true face - by suddently changing my account leverage to 1:200 (yes, no notice at all), and brutally closed one of my 8 lots buy positions and caused me losing 2512 dollars!!!
P.S.2 I have attached the screenshot url and part of my account log history, so refer it as proof freely:
Screen shot:
https://prntscr.com/4bswob https://prntscr.com/4bswuu https://prntscr.com/4bswwr https://prntscr.com/4bswyi https://prntscr.com/4bsx05 https://prntscr.com/4bsx1z https://prntscr.com/4bsx4c https://prntscr.com/4bsx66Logs:
19:34:23.538 '360309': previous successful authorization performed from 42.49.215.172
19:34:26.081 '360309': modify order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250
19:36:41.056 '360309': modification of order #18726541 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34138 sl: 1.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 1.00000 tp: 1.34250 failed [Trade context is busy]
19:36:41.056 '360309': modify order #18726541 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34138 sl: 1.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 1.00000 tp: 1.34250
19:37:33.054 '360309': login
19:37:36.711 '360309': login
19:37:37.555 '360309': previous successful authorization performed from 42.49.215.172
19:37:47.159 '360309': modify order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250
19:38:00.191 FBS Trader build 670 stopped
19:38:14.993 FBS Trader build 670 started (FBS Inc)
19:38:14.993 Data Folder: C:\Users\flower\AppData\Roaming\MetaQuotes\Terminal\9D15457EC01AD10E06A932AAC616DC32
19:38:19.800 '360309': login
19:38:23.326 '360309': login
19:38:24.178 '360309': previous successful authorization performed from 42.49.215.172
19:38:30.501 '360309': login
19:38:33.606 '360309': login
19:38:35.467 '360309': previous successful authorization performed from 42.49.215.172
19:38:45.615 '360309': modify order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250
19:41:04.479 '360309': login
19:41:08.140 '360309': login
19:41:08.976 '360309': previous successful authorization performed from 42.49.215.172
19:41:19.461 '360309': modify order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250
19:44:27.419 '360309': modification of order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250 failed [Off quotes]
19:45:08.282 '360309': modify order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250
19:48:49.132 '360309': modification of order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250 failed [Off quotes]
19:50:31.375 '360309': modify order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250
19:51:57.854 '360309': order sell stop 8.00 EURUSD opening at 1.34050 sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.33850 failed [Trade context is busy]
19:51:57.854 '360309': pending order sell stop 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34050 sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.33850
19:53:54.370 '360309': modification of order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250 failed [Off quotes]
19:55:21.660 '360309': order sell stop 8.00 EURUSD opening at 1.34050 sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.33850 failed [Off quotes]
19:56:30.235 '360309': pending order sell stop 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34050 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000
19:56:56.586 '360309': login
19:57:00.885 '360309': login
19:57:01.793 '360309': previous successful authorization performed from 42.49.215.172
19:57:15.259 '360309': pending order sell stop 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34050 sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.33900
20:00:26.989 '360309': order sell stop 8.00 EURUSD opening at 1.34050 sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.33900 failed [Off quotes]
20:18:27.391 '360309': modify order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250
20:21:31.996 '360309': modification of order #18725841 buy 8.00 EURUSD at 1.34148 sl: 0.00000 tp: 0.00000 -> sl: 0.00000 tp: 1.34250 failed [Off quotes]
20:22:17.234 FBS Trader build 670 stopped