Avantgarde FX Review – 5 things you should know about Avantgarde-fx.com

Beware! Avantgarde FX is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.

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Avantgarde FX is an offshore Forex brokerage registered in Vanuatu. It provides the MT4 trading platform and there is a wide range of trading products. We, however, see an unfavorable spread of 2.5 pips on EUR/USD but a generous leverage of up to 1:400 and a surprisingly low minimum deposit at $200.

Avantgarde FX regulation & safety of funds

Through the information presented on the website we understand that the company behind the brokerage is registered in Vanuatu with the name Liquidity FX Broker LTD. and that it is regulated by the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission.  We remind readers that the VFSC does give financial dealer licenses to Forex brokerages, however, the regulatory oversight and financial mechanisms for compensation cannot compare with renowned European agencies such as FCA or CySEC. Nonetheless, a Vanuatu license is certainly better than nothing. The commission supports a website where you may download a pdf file with a list of all the licensees. The company does in fact have a financial dealer license from the Vanuatu authorities, however, such regulatory oversight cannot compare with top European watchdogs and we appeal to readers to have that in mind. All in all, we fear that due to the lack of credible regulation potential clients of the brokerage may be open to substantial risk.

Traders needn’t have to worry themselves with such risk if they choose to trade with a brokerage regulated and authorized by a prestigious regulatory agency. Such agencies are the FCA in the UK or CySec in Cyprus which have been leading names in Forex trading for some time now. Their regulatory framework is composed of a number of strict rules which prevent clients from falling victims to fraud. Such rules include the segregation of accounts which assures that commingling with the client’s money is not possible. Furthermore, a license by such a regulatory body entails participation in a financial mechanism by which clients may be compensated if they suffer losses due to fraud or bankruptcy. With the FCA the compensation is up to 85 000 pounds, where as with CySEC it is up to 20 000 euro per person.

Avantgarde FX trading software

The brokerage does provide the MetaTrader 4 trading platform which in our books is always an advantage since it is the foremost trading terminal at the moment equipped with features such as almost a 100 market indicators, as well as customizable trading robots. It is also the preferred choice for more than 80 percent of the traders in Forex. We were able to easily register for a demo account. We could see a spread of 2.5 pip on EUR/USD which is a pip higher than what we would consider favorable which makes it an unattractive offer for eager traders. However, better spreads are available for clients who go in with more money which renders the low required minimum deposit meaningless.

Avantgarde FX deposit/withdrawal methods and fees

Potential clients of the brokerage may deposit or withdraw via the standard Visa and MasterCard, as well as Bank wire and e-wallets such as Skrill, Neteller, Sofort, FasaPay, Vload and Bitcoin.

Avantagarde FX charges both withdrawal and deposit fees which differ according to the payment method. Deposits by both Skrill and Neteller will be followed by a 3.9 percent fee, FasaPay 0.5 percent and VLoad 4 percent, however, Bitcoin, Ripple ane Ethereum deposits are free. Withdrawals via Skrill and Neteller will be charged 2 and 1 percent while withdrawals via bank wire will cost an extra $20 plus a 2 percent fee. A Bitcoin withdrawal will cost $70 which is quite high. This is why we advise traders to always put up only the required minimum deposit, instead of risking a bigger amount with no certainty. Afterwards, they may also try to withdraw a small amount in order to check for any unexpected fees or delays. Such fees and delays are usually the signs of a scammer.

How does the scam work?

Even though the forex trading world is extremely large and encompasses millions of people around the globe, the most common scamming is pretty simple and straightforward and as such – it’s not particularly daring to avoid. Here is a quick overview of how it is done:

Through clicking an ad with promises for fast money, you will be redirected to a website such as DaxRobot or CryptoContracts where registration will require you to give your address, email and phone number. After sharing your personal information, you will being receiving calls from brokers, compelling you to invest with them and win big. After a few minutes hearing their pitches, you decide to deposit some $200-250. And just like that – the scammers take a fat commission from this initial deposit.

After they are done with you, senior scammers begin working you into putting even more money. They say it’s the only way to profit from trading even more. After making the mistake of investing even further, you’ll begin wanting to get out of this and withdraw what you have left.

Unfortunately, the con-artists have no such thing in mind. They will now begin persuading you to wait it out and not withdraw right now. The angle here is pretty blunt – traders have a limited time period for filing a chargeback with their bank and get their money back. The “recovery department” will simply want to mislead you into missing thе crucial period and, along the way, losing any chance you might have of getting the money back.

It is important here to take notice that both Visa and MasterCard are taking measures to combat unregulated forex brokerages by classifying all forex transactions as high risk. And they are correct in doing so. Furthermore, supporting their intention with clear actions – MasterCard has increased the previous time period of six months for filing a chargeback to a year and a half.

What to do when scammed?

As was mentioned above, scamming is quite the common in the trading world and, sadly, even you might suffer from it. In such an unfortunate case there still may be some available options for you.

You may contact your bank or credit card provider and file a chargeback. 

If, however, you have provided the broker with your credit card details, immediately cancel your credit card.

If you have given information regarding your online banking pass – you should switch it asap!

Beware of potential calls from self-described “recovery agencies”! They prey on scammed and vulnerable traders who are desperate to recover their losses. They will require an “up-front” payment to help you, but after paying them, no such help will be coming your way!