Yesterday (11/14) morning I tried to place an order for 3 Nasdaq 100 NDX Dec 2100 Puts for around $70 while the market was at NDX 2090/SPX 1490. The order was rejected. I tried again and again and the same thing happened. I had more than enough cash in my account and it there were no regulatory issues either. There didn't appear to be an issue with the contract either. It was trading normally.
I called IB immediately and was placed on hold for more than 10 minutes. During the hold I attempted to log in using another computer but I was unsuccessful placing the order. I received a error messaging saying I could only close positions for that specific contract. When I finally got through to IB, I spoke to Scott. He was also unsuccessful at placing this order. He speculated that perhaps it was an exchange problem or they were "retiring the strike." I find it very unlikely all the exchanges were suffering from this problem, and I've never heard of the retirement of the strike price for NDX. He said they would investigate and return my phone call. At the market close and earlier this morning they were still trying to figure things out.
Scott finally called back and said I would be able to open a position on the contract within 10 minutes. He didn't have an explanation for what happened. I told him I wanted to buy it at $70 not at the $100 it was currently trading. He said even if it was IB's screwup they were not liable and responsible for opportunity cost. They also have no intention of calling me back if they do discover what happened.
Is there anything I can do about this? Any explanations on what might have happened?
My experience with IB has been mostly positive in the past as I've recommended them to everyone. It's disappointing to see how IB fails to take responsibility when they screw up.
As for lessons learned, I should have immediately purchased similar contracts such as NDX Dec 2075 puts, MNX Dec 210.0 puts or QQQQ puts. I also placed too much faith in IB. Next time I'll have equivalent contracts ready in case of a similar problem reoccurring.
I called IB immediately and was placed on hold for more than 10 minutes. During the hold I attempted to log in using another computer but I was unsuccessful placing the order. I received a error messaging saying I could only close positions for that specific contract. When I finally got through to IB, I spoke to Scott. He was also unsuccessful at placing this order. He speculated that perhaps it was an exchange problem or they were "retiring the strike." I find it very unlikely all the exchanges were suffering from this problem, and I've never heard of the retirement of the strike price for NDX. He said they would investigate and return my phone call. At the market close and earlier this morning they were still trying to figure things out.
Scott finally called back and said I would be able to open a position on the contract within 10 minutes. He didn't have an explanation for what happened. I told him I wanted to buy it at $70 not at the $100 it was currently trading. He said even if it was IB's screwup they were not liable and responsible for opportunity cost. They also have no intention of calling me back if they do discover what happened.
Is there anything I can do about this? Any explanations on what might have happened?
My experience with IB has been mostly positive in the past as I've recommended them to everyone. It's disappointing to see how IB fails to take responsibility when they screw up.
As for lessons learned, I should have immediately purchased similar contracts such as NDX Dec 2075 puts, MNX Dec 210.0 puts or QQQQ puts. I also placed too much faith in IB. Next time I'll have equivalent contracts ready in case of a similar problem reoccurring.
