Alternatives to Interactive Brokers

Discussion in 'Retail Brokers' started by achab, May 21, 2007.

  1. Sorry, gkishot. "Official websites" with "formal complaints" from customers do not exist. You will have to make due with unofficial websites showing informal complaints. The worst part is that you really will need to think for yourself if you want to protect your account.
     
    #11     May 21, 2007
  2. Are there any other brokers getting posts like this from folks with 1 or 2 posts?


    I guess all other brokers are perfect.

    hmmmmmm....
     
    #12     May 21, 2007
  3. Tums

    Tums

    1st rule: don't trade with money you need for other purposes.
     
    #13     May 21, 2007
  4. Tums

    Tums

    OP's first sentence says it all:

    I opened an account with Interactive Brokers because of their state of the art technology.
     
    #14     May 21, 2007
  5. GTS

    GTS

    Can you point me to the link that describes their technology?
     
    #15     May 21, 2007
  6. I use ETRADE PRO and love it, if your trading equities and options its awsome, free real time everything data, if you trade futures I would use IB, which is where I trade them as well much cheaper there.
    I have been with etrade 8 years and never had a problem, transfering money in and out is done the same day, for futures stick with IB.
     
    #16     May 21, 2007
  7. achab

    achab

    Hi Petteri,

    It was actually a small amount: about $11,000. I called IB's customer service, told them about what happened, and that I placed another ACH order sunday night. I told them that if the money is not in my checking account this Tuesday morning, I will close my account with them.

    Thanks for the E*Trade suggestion (not by Petteri, by somebody else). I had an E*Trade account for about 10 years. I have been using them until a few months ago when I waited almost an hour on the phone to talk to a customer service rep. Which is what made me switch from E*Trade to IB in the first place.

    It's time for another switch. One would think that with all the number of brokerage houses competing for customers, there would be at least one with a good customer service.
     
    #17     May 21, 2007
  8. nove

    nove

    IB do not include great customer service in their mission statement - in fact if you left one broker for poor customer service and went to IB you really didn't do your due diligence.

    IB is a good broker for experienced traders but, as someone said, they don't do hand holding.

    You might do your research better next time including a close self examination.
     
    #18     May 21, 2007
  9. cstfx

    cstfx

    Didn't we have this similar thread just a month ago?
     
    #19     May 21, 2007
  10. achab

    achab

    Hi Nove,

    The due diligence I do of many service providers is to try them out. If I read something about them on the internet, if it's positive, I have no idea whether it's written by some marketing guy working for the company. And if it's negative, I have no idea whether it's written by some marketing guy working for a competitor. So I only use online research to get pointers, but then do the due diligence by actually trying the service.

    My favorite word with service providers is "Next". Until I exhaust all the suggestions I get, then go back to the first one to see if they cleaned up their act since the last time they gave me a hard time. So far, I've written off E*Trade, Scott trade, TD*Ameritrade, and tomorrow will decide whether or not to write off IB. And of course I am looking for the next service to try. E*Trade did the best so far by keeping my business 10 years. Scottrade lasted one hour. TD*Ameritrade 6 months and IB a couple of months if I write them off tomorrow.
     
    #20     May 21, 2007