10 ugly facts about easymarkets What Every Trader MUST Know About them Before Depositing
10 ugly facts about easymarkets What Every Trader MUST Know About them Before Depositing
Main Body
easyMarkets is one of the older brokers in the Forex/CFD world—established in 2001, with headquarters in Limassol, Cyprus. It operates under multiple legal entities (Cyprus, Australia, Seychelles etc.), and claims regulation under several authorities. Many users praise its ease-of-use, fixed spreads, risk management tools, and solid platform choices. But “experienced” doesn’t mean “perfect”—there are several recurring issues that suggest easyMarkets deserves a careful approach, not blind trust.
Here are nine powerful warning signs / limitations to weigh before funding an account.
1) Multiple Regulatory Entities & Varying Protections by Jurisdiction
easyMarkets uses different entities depending on where the client comes from:
- EU/EEA clients: Easy Forex Trading Ltd (licensed by CySEC, Licence 079/07).
- Australia: easyMarkets Pty Ltd, regulated by ASIC.
- International / Offshore accounts: EF Worldwide Ltd under Seychelles license, and other offshore branches.
The problem: protections, leverage limits, consumer complaint rights, and financial safety nets differ greatly among these entities. If your account is opened under an offshore entity, you may have weaker legal protections, less oversight, or longer delays resolving disputes.
2) Trustpilot & Public Feedback: Mostly Positive but Serious Complaints Exist
- easyMarkets has ~4.5/5 rating from ~1,760 reviews. Many users mention “smooth service,” “good support,” “helpful staff
- But there are several 1-star reviews complaining about withdrawal difficulties: for example, a user said they deposited USD 1,000, made about USD 790 profit, but were told they must trade 80 lots before withdrawing profits. That condition was allegedly not clearly disclosed ahead.
These kinds of complaints—on profit withdrawal, surprise terms (like lot-trading before withdrawal), or misleading conditions—are red flags. The existence of positive feedback doesn’t neutralize them; it just means you need to verify your own experience.
3) Withdrawal & Deposit Friction
- Some users report that deposits can take up to a day and withdrawals are often processed within a business day, though with AML verification delays.
- In some cases, there are reports of deposits not being credited, or withdrawals being delayed or held for manual confirmation. For example, in the ForexPeaceArmy review: user says they won a trade, requested withdrawal via Skrill, but after 5 days still waiting, being told to confirm manually.
Thus, while many users get through fine, deposit/withdraw transitions sometimes have friction. Always test with small amounts first.
4) Inactivity Fees / Hidden Terms
One complaint from ForexPeaceArmy alleges that easyMarkets charges an inactivity fee of USD 25, but that this was not clearly disclosed. When the user asked via live chat, they got a brusque answer: “If you want to trade, trade. If you don’t want to and are worried about inactivity rate, don’t open an account.”
Hidden or poorly disclosed fees are a common way brokers degrade trust. Even small fees matter when they catch users by surprise.
5) Fixed Spreads & Guaranteed Stop Loss Features: Attractive but Conditional
easyMarkets offers fixed spreads and some risk-protection tools like guaranteed stop loss and no slippage features. These are powerful marketing draws.
But in reviews, some users say these features have conditions that reduce their effectiveness (e.g. limited instruments, higher cost when volatility is high). Also, fixed spreads often come with less favorable pricing elsewhere or wider average spreads. So inspect the terms carefully.
6) Pricing & Cost Structure: Not Always the Cheapest
- On one side, many reviews cite that easyMarkets has transparent pricing and decent spreads for major pairs.
- On the other hand, easyMarkets may be more expensive for position traders (long-holding), due to swaps, overnight fees, or when instruments are less common. One review said easyMarkets is “prohibitively expensive for position traders with small accounts.”
So if your trading style is long-term, carry trades, or large volumes, you need to compare real costs versus other brokers closely.
7) Customer Support & Behavioural Red Flags
- Some users report poor-quality responses or unprepared staff. Example: the user from Brazil who asked about inactivity fees got a rude, dismissive response from a chat representative.
- Review forums also show users feeling misled or not fully informed about conditions when opening account.
Good support matters: when trouble arises (fork in market, slippage, withdrawal request), you want a responsive, competent team, not defensive or dismissive service.
8) Legal History / Reputation Issues
- easyMarkets used to operate under the name Easy Forex. Over its history, there have been regulatory or legal complaints in some jurisdictions (not always leading to sanctions), linked to practices, clarity, or marketing.
- Some changes: The UK entity is no longer fully licensed, some operations are routed through non-UK/Cyprus/offshore branches depending on region.
This history doesn’t necessarily mean active wrongdoing now, but it does increase the responsibility on the broker to be transparent and on the trader to verify current conditions.
9) Minimum Deposits, Leverage, Account Options
- Minimum deposit tends to be USD 25 for many accounts.
- Leverage varies by region/entity (ASIC, CySEC, offshore). In some regions, leverage can go high; in EU severely limited under ESMA.
Traders must check what leverage / margin rules apply to their specific account — the entity, the country, etc. Overlooking that can lead to unexpected margin calls or losses.
10) Transparency on Claim vs Practice
easyMarkets promotes risk protection tools, fixed spreads, educational content, trading tools etc. Many users confirm some of these features work well.
But some user reports show gaps: for instance, deposits delayed, customer service dismissive under pressure, requirement to trade certain volume to unlock profit withdrawal. These gaps between marketing and actual service feed distrust.
Conclusion
easyMarkets is more legitimate than many newer brokers. It has 20+ years of history (since 2001), holds multiple recognized regulatory licenses (CySEC, ASIC), offers a decent spread of trading instruments, educational content, and many users report positive experiences. These are not trivial strengths. If you choose easyMarkets, you will likely be dealing with a broker that, in many cases, delivers the core service: trade execution, platform access, etc.
However, legitimate doesn’t mean without risk. If you ignore the warning signs, you may suffer avoidable losses—or more precisely, frustrations or surprises—and worst case scenarios with funds.
The strongest concerns revolve around withdrawals, profit-related conditions, certain fees / inactivity charges, and the fact that your legal protections depend heavily on which entity / license you are under. If your account is under a top jurisdiction (Cyprus / ASIC), protections are better; if under an offshore entity, risk is greater.
Here are practical precautions:
- Test small deposit + small trade + small withdrawal first. Check how smooth everything is. If withdrawal is delayed or blocked, that’s your cue to exit.
- Read the fine print: inactivity fees, lot-trading requirements for withdrawal, mandatory verification documents, conditions of risk-tools (guaranteed stop loss etc.).
- Confirm the exact legal entity of your account. Make sure its license is valid in your country and recognized. Ask for license number, address, company name, and check regulatory register.
- Track public recent feedback, especially from traders in your country. If you see multiple complaints about blocked profits, “must trade X lots to withdraw,” or delayed payment—take them seriously.
- Don’t rely solely on high praise. Good reviews are helpful, but one user reporting deposit credited fine doesn’t guarantee your whole experience will be smooth.
