Did anybody experienced any IB TWS problems ? I am opening account and TWS demo sometimes shows up, sometimes does not. Is there any other access to trading account when this fails ?
Might just be the demo system. I rarely have a problem If browser version doesn't work, you can try stand alone version (and vice versa). Other than that, the only way to place or cancel order is over the phone.
ChrisM: I have been with IB for over three years and I have never placed an order by phone. In the age of computer trading I find that by the time I get a trade placed by phone with any broker, it is much too late. I think you will be very happy with IB as I have.
I also have never tried calling to make a trade. If you have your own systems problem, you can probably get through in a reasonable amount of time. If it's IB's problem (rare), I expect you can forget it. Check out the reviews of IB elsewhere on this site. The only complaint I have (and is fairly common) is that support is lacking. I always get a response to E-mails but it takes a few days. Also, I find that if you aren't very specific with your question/issue in only a few words, you risk getting a canned response that is off target. For example, I recently sent them a note telling them that I had not received credit for a dividend. Their response, "You have to own the shares on the record date to get the dividend." Well, I know that and triple checked everything before sending them the first note. In my response, I was very specific about everything and they then handled it.