In other words, you can get a customer service rep faster than you can get a quote. Sounds like they have their priorities backwards. OldTrader
Coming from a poster that shills for IB I am not surprised the concept of good customer service is foreign to you. When portfolio margin came out I called IB 4 times and sent two emails asking about it. Every answer I received was different and essentially incorrect. You cannot compare IB to TOS for range of products, IB clearly wins; and you cannot compare TOS to IB for service, TOS clearly wins. And as far as commissions and interest, I get far better rates after negotiating with TOS than I would with IB. I will try to explain this again. TOS quotes are not slow, the charts can lag if there is a major instant move like a fed announcement. That is one reason they have the Prophet quotes/charts because it is a different feed so there is a backup. But as to the most important aspect, the system itself does not go down or freeze when the market is really busy, something most other brokers cannot claim. If you truly want speed you can use their institutional product; I have tried it and it is very fast. All that said, I am the first to complain that TOS needs to add the things we all want, tick charts, T&S, DOM, backtesting, more products, etc. According to the meeting yesterday, those are all coming sooner rather than later. To expect an options broker to be the best futures broker is asking a little much, but over the next several months they may start being a contender in the futures arena.
TOS for futures... If you're gonna scalp futures, then TOS in its current version is wholly unsuitable - even if you disregard the comiss. of $7 p/RT (which in my wallet rules it out unconditionally) there are no T&S or DOM, which without I wouldn't even DREAM of trying to trade the futures market (nor should any other sensible persons). If you are considering TOS for futures, and are willing to stand the comm., then I suggest paying a subscription for a dedicated futures platform - over the month the costs are at least equivalent, but of course trading futures through X-trader (or other) is a whole lot easier, quicker, and with the T&S and DOM you need. FYI, I trade both futures and options - I use TOS platform for options trades, X-Trader for futures. The gross reality is that TOS will never (or at least not in the near term) match the functionality and reliability of the platforms TT and PATS (or even Ninja) offer for futures traders. However; TOS does have its uses for futures traders - I use TOS charts for all my price action and volume analysis [if the 15 second or so delay in chart updates for futures is an issue for you, then TOS really isnt what you're looking for] - personally, I think TOS charts are awesome (added to that, X Study sucks, but of course this is subjective). I make trades using the TOS charts, along with the T&S and DOM that TT has. With regard to futures, both TOS and TT can be measured and left wanting - but combined they make a formidable pair of tools. Pardon me for being abrupt, but that's the whole point of it - "Don't bring a knife to a Gun fight".
Frankly I'm amazed that anyone would put customer service ahead of the speed of a quote. But hey, there's no accounting for stupidity. I didn't bring IB up, but since you did, I think they have their priorities right. I haven't needed customer service more than a hand full of times in the years i've been a customer at IB. Maybe that's why it's a low priority for me. For you, since you evidently need hand holding, it's more important than the speed of your quote. Each to his own. OldTrader
Why do people equate valuing customer service to needing hand-holding? That\'s a pretty weak assumption. Some people prefer having access to a live person in the event of a catastrophe, or just prefer not being treated like shit if they need to call in for whatever reason. The way a company treats its customers is a great reflection on how they operate...this is not fail-safe, but it is a good indication.... I guess for a scalper or something yeah the super light speed quotes are a big deal, but for one who\'s not a scalper/very short term day trader.....well, quotes aren\'t as big a priority....
There was a common response to old fart traders on the floor that turned into the proverbial bitter old men; why don't you just die already. If you are clearly so unhappy with your life that most all of your posts are bitter and attacking, what is the point? Just put yourself out of your misery.
Go read you own posts you moron, then think about what you just said. Geezuz there are some fools around here. By the way, never heard that "common response" when I was on the floor. OldTrader
Before you call something a "weak assumption" you might want to trade for longer than a couple of years son. No one said "having access to a live person in the event of a catastrophe" is "hand-holding". And I would guess that even you would grant that catastrophes don't happen every day, week, or month. Why do you think I said I have only needed customer service a handful of times in the a number of years? You do have to be able to read. The online users manual, and other online help is quite comprehensive. And yet, I will guarantee you that large numbers of IB customers to not take the time to avail themselves of this help. Instead, they call IB, tieing up the lines for more critical problems, to ask a question that could have been easily answered out of the users guide. When they get what they feel is a rude response, then they are all over customer service instead of taking responsibility for their own lack of resourcefulness. Or perhaps they post here, usually with some dramatic, accusatory title about IB, when the source of the problem was really themselves. Now, I doubt anyone would call me a "scalper". Yet, speed of quote is more important to me than someone patting my ass weekly over some question that I could have known through other sources. Call me crazy. OldTrader
Well, old fart trader has obviously had an onset of senility, or possibly inbreeding and a poor education have made that eventuality moot. For anyone else following along, old fart thinks that TOS has slow quotes yet all the posts on this thread say the quotes are not slow. Apparently thicker reading glasses are in order. Old fart thinks that only stupid people want customer service, but anyone who has ever traded options seriously knows that you need a good broker to work orders for you, especially large complex orders. Additionally if your internet goes down or your computer acts up, it can be extremely beneficial to get someone on the phone immediately who can take care of whatever positions or orders you need. I find it illogical to trade at a firm that charges too much, and provides almost nonexistent customer service unless you need their large product mix.