How to Resolve Your #BinanceHell - The Exact Steps I Took

How it all Started

It all started on February 28, 2021, when I finished withdrawing XMR, NEO, REQ and was moving onto ADA when my account was flagged for "Risk Control".

Going a few days back, my account started on December 21, 2017 and I completed the "Advanced Verification" on February 25, 2021.  "Authorize New Device" was also completed February 24, 2021.

They also asked for "Deposit Records" within 6 months, which is rather unreasonable from someone who's purchased majority of my holdings back in early 2018.  There has been no "deposits" made from other exchanges, but I have made purchases directly on Binance.  (This was the main reason why they held my account hostage!!!!!  TAKE NOTE EVERYONE!!  Because they refused to acknowledge that I purchased directly on Binance through Simplex, one of their partners.  Screenshots to come.)

A couple of tickets were initiated on Binance with Zendesk (8633184 and 8632911), and after submitting over 15 videos, the tickets were closed without solution. My account remains locked.  The videos require users to conduct some impossible and unreasonable tasks.

Reddit Age

Since I am getting no help whatsoever from Binance, I have reached out to the Binance community on Reddit for help on March 7, 2021.  My first post:

Life After Locked Account

I realised that Binance Chats do not have time stamps, so I started to time stamp daily myself with a short update.

Have eventually started to collect cases where others, from Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and the US who are faced with the same problem - locked accounts and/or funds and unable to have customer support to help them.  You can find the document here (please note "Copy of #BinanceHell" is the version being updated as someone hacked into the first copy and took over with N words.....)

Each time when I submitted new evidence, a message was shown that Binance will review and respond after 220 hours.  After 220 hours of wait, it goes back to a generic wait message.

The Mind Blowing Conversation Where the Agent Confirms My Account Was Verified, But Magically Locked

The Mysterious Senior Agent and How They Are Caught in a Lie

After a couple weeks of radio silence, I was escalated to a "Senior Agent", who was less bot-like, but just as useless.  Account issues still unresolved.

Binance Employees, Really?

Binance Outreach

I got tired of reading about other users in the same boat.  Binance locking our accounts and ignoring us.  I had to take the following steps:

• gathering other cases on Reddit into a document
• tweeting Binance CEOs and journalists 
• sharing the document of Binance cases to journalists as evidence
• messaging CEOs, journalists and news outlets on LinkedIn

Eventually I had to hire 3 assistants to help as my businesses were slipping, Glyde, Maria and Jara to help with the Outreach.

First Human Contact

First, the CFO responded to the Outreach, but perhaps one of the assistants went a little overboard.  She was angry and so was I.  Shout out to Maria: thank you for help with the outreach!!!

Managed to get Jeff Yew's attention through LinkedIn Sales Navigator on April, 2021.  After being unable to get help from Binance and their staff over Twitter, email and LinkedIn.
****UPDATE - Another Redditor got in touch with Jeff on April 25, 2021 and Jeff indicated he is NO LONGER WITH BINANCE AUSTRALIA****

Jeff was able to unlock my account.  I then shared the document (then was about 45 pages of complaints) for him and his team to resolve.  Have not heard back since.  

Journalist Attention

Conor Maloney (please find which agency) has published an article on our #BinanceHell - Rebel Group of Locked Account Holders Complain of “Binance Hell”

Nik and the other journalist name from CoinDesk are also investigating the matter of lack of customer support and communication.

Resources, Findings, Suggestions and Tips

• As Binance does NOT timestamp any of the chats, I find it useful to time stamp daily with a short update
• Based on the 65 pages of cases (as of April 24, 2021), half of cases are from the US and half of the cases are from Canada, Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia.
• Tweet as much as you can to gain exposure for yourself.  Please help me help you.  I cannot be the only person pushing for Binance to resolve your ticket.  
• If they block you on Twitter, go to LinkedIn.  Personally, going on LinkedIn worked on unblocking my account 
• For users in the US, file formal complaints against Binance online with SEC, CFTC, FRC and BBB
• Help with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 1-310-824-4300 
• SEC 1-800-732-0330

I will strongly advice everyone to try reaching out to them on LinkedIn as well since they are probably not as use to people reaching out to them there yet! 

LinkedIn

• Changpeng Zhao (CZ) - Binance CEO
• Brian Brooks - Binance US CEO
• Catherine Coley - Binance.us CEO
• Yi He - Binance CMO
• Zuowen Wei - Binance Director
• Jered Kenna - Marketing Director
• Bryan Benson - Managing Director

Twitter

• Changpeng Zhao (CZ) - Binance CEO
• Brian Brooks - Binance US CEO
• Catherine Coley - Binance.us CEO
• Yi He - Binance CMO
• Luke Martin - Director [Tenesse, USA]
• Jered Kenna - Marketing Director
• Bryan Benson - Managing Director
• Binance_AUS
• Binance

WARNING FOR AML (Anti Money Laundering)

Thanks to another user on Reddit, he's adviced that I be careful when withdrawing fiat:

The second i've touched fiat for withdrawal in my case it was flagged for AML by some of the banks, as the gateway is attached to a crypto exchange. Never touch fiat unless you're absolutely sure what you are doing, or, touch fiat in case that you have confirmed with your bank, that there is no problem with that first. I think, that this massive lock was initiated by the order of the central banks, not sure which institution in US this is. For as long as there is an AML flag on one's account, Binance can't do jackshit until it is being cleared by the bank initiated it. They can not comment nor to tell the costumer, that there is such lock on his account, hence the complete silence. Rules are rules

If you have any questions for me, will try my best to answer and help.

(I will try my best to keep up as I was not social media active before #BinanceHell. I have also hired a small team to help out so it may be me, Maria, Glyde or Jara who answers and add your issues to the document.)

Please get in touch if you have YOUR case resolved and can help the community too on how they can replicate your steps and unlock their funds!

Happy trading or HODLING.  

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