American financial services company that facilitates commission-free trading of stocks and exchange-traded funds via mobile app Robinhood has been called out by users over refusal to pay out profits made on Silicon Valley Bank stock (SBNY) following the collapse of the bank.
Several Robinhood users who predicted a possible slump in the bank stock price, swiftly purchased put options on the stocks before it collapsed.
The problem is, according to users of the trading app, Robinhood isn’t allowing them to sell their contracts or get paid, while a slew of the contracts is set to expire on Friday which has left them frustrated.
Several users of the platform who have taken to Twitter to express their grievances disclosed that their trades on SBNY stock were halted by the firm after it disclosed that they won’t be able to cash out their profit as the stock is no longer trading.
Users have continued to ask the all-important question of why they were allowed to buy put contracts on stocks they didn’t own in the first place if that was a condition for getting paid if a situation like this played out. On the request to know if the stock is going to trade again, the company revealed that it doesn’t know yet.
A Twitter user @OmniBubblebear, took to his Twitter handle to share the message he received from Robinhood after trading on SBNY stock, the message reads,
“Per your request, I’ve included some additional details about your SBNY puts. As discussed, you are currently unable to exercise the long puts because you currently do not hold shares of SBNY. As you may know, Robinhood does not allow short positions.
“I also looked into the possibility of transferring the position out of Robinhood, however, ACAT transfers take 5-7 business days to complete, and your options expire on 03/17/2023. There is no way for us to expedite a transfer, so the contracts would most likely expire before the transfer completes.
“I know this is not the outcome you were expecting, but I hope I was able to clarify why we are unable to exercise your long puts. If you have any additional questions regarding the stock or the halt, I recommend reaching out to SBNY investor relations.”
Following the incessant complaints that have seen users call out the company, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev took to his Twitter handle to tweet that the firm was working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Investors King understands that about three months ago, Robinhood was hit with a huge fine of $70 million for misleading customers and encouraging potentially ruinous trades. The app reportedly used push alerts that encouraged users to make trades that could potentially put them in debt.
The company lost users after federal regulators fined them for several misleading practices. In a bid to lure users back on its platform, it introduced fee-free individual retirement accounts aimed at gig workers, who don’t always have access to retirement savings plans.
According to the Wall Street Journal, roughly 80% of Robinhood’s customers are millennials and the average customer age is just 26. Robinhood typically only supports trading stocks and ETFs listed on the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange, and normally does not support over-the-counter securities such as those traded on OTC Markets.
