[brownsfan019]

Originally Posted by cooter »

Have they fixed the outstanding issue with bracket orders yet? This is another issue that caused problems for some traders recently. I didn't see a fix or upgrade yet....

IMHO, when you get to the point of having to run Camtasia Studio on all your trades, "just in case", you have to wonder....

My brackets are fine Cooter, so I didn't ask.

If it's that big of a concern, then shop around and see what's out there. There's plenty of FCM's and IB's to trade through; however, I wonder how many would step up AND take responsibility like OEC has done.

[Reaver]

I don't know a whole lot about OEC and a few things always seemed weird to me, as other brokers have their own quirks...but to back up a statement like that with MONEY....that earns some respect...Word are cheap and easy...but once again Money Talks-BS Walks.

I'll give it to OEC on this one. I definitely noticed.

Originally Posted by brownsfan019 »

My brackets are fine Cooter, so I didn't ask.

If it's that big of a concern, then shop around and see what's out there. There's plenty of FCM's and IB's to trade through; however, I wonder how many would step up AND take responsibility like OEC has done.

Very few, actually. And that's the good part, I suppose. But I think that a lot of the issues that OpenECry are facing are simply because of growing pains, since they made a push in February to grow the retail side of the business.

And with that growth comes the 1-lot pikers and their complaints. Plus veteran traders who notice subtle but nonetheless consequential issues (like data feed accuracy) that can affect trades.

You probably won't notice the bracket issue unless you are using more than half of your available margin when trading. Then the failure becomes a risk to both you and Open E Cry - auto-cancelled OCO stop and target brackets are unacceptable when the main order is accepted, worked and filled. It's just plain logic, IMHO, since the stop or target should not pose additional margin risk (assuming the same position size as the main order).

As you say though, $h!t does happens. Hopefully, OEC will be more responsive to proactively fixing issues that occur than waiting for them to reach critical mass with traders in public forums.

[dupaski]

I use Open eCry as one of my brokers and the pluses have outweighed the minuses for a long time. However they may be a victim of their own success.

Saxon listed his experience over on the ET brokers review page and I have to say my experience with the people who pick up the phone has been similar.
I think that OEC has a lot more potential but if they want to get a chance to fulfill it they need to achieve some level of consistency with customer service and support.

[Reaver]

I sincerely hope they do not become victims of complacency.

They seem to have a good program, though there are a few things that concern me....they seem to be working past those issues....but, I guess we'll just see.

[brownsfan019]

I'll add my 2 cents after the previous couple posts - I'm not exactly sure how OEC operates for the retail trader trading small lots. This is not meant to be a shot or a look at me post, but I guess there are a couple sides to every story. I've dealt with a certain assigned rep to me from day one and having this personal connection who is 'in the know' at OEC obviously helps. I am writing this to provide that other side of the story and also to give you an idea of how things operate when you move up levels if you will. What's important to note is that when you get to the point of trading substantial contracts, things change than what you are accustomed to in the beginning. It's important to realize as you design your business plan that you want to reach this level. This is not an exclusive thing to OEC, but my experience thus far has been great since trading at OEC.

This post will obviously make sense to those that are serious about their trading and are/plan to get to the level of requiring exceptional customer service. If you are reading this saying 'what business plan' or 'yeah right', please reserve your judgments for another thread.

[Reaver]

Point is Brownsfan that we are here to discuss the broker and these are all pertinent issues.

If I or any "small trader" is having issues, then we probably couldn't care less how the "big boys" get treated.

Not trying to be inflammatory, and yes I understand your point....but my point is, complacency is a killer. I am rooting for them, but if they can't swim, then they'll sink and that's that. I like what they have going on, but I have no personal problem with going wherever treats me the best.

[brownsfan019]

Originally Posted by Reaver »

Point is Brownsfan that we are here to discuss the broker and these are all pertinent issues.

If I or any "small trader" is having issues, then we probably couldn't care less how the "big boys" get treated.

Not trying to be inflammatory, and yes I understand your point....but my point is, complacency is a killer. I am rooting for them, but if they can't swim, then they'll sink and that's that. I like what they have going on, but I have no personal problem with going wherever treats me the best.

I agree, but the last word I would consider using to describe OEC is complacency. Let me ask this - are you currently trading at OEC? If so, how has your personal experience there been? If not, then it's hard to offer an opinion of a firm that you have no experience with, correct?