3 years. 70+ attempts. Payout approved then denied. Sumsub offers a manual override. The firm said no.
UPDATE: ETF HAVE RESPONDED. HERE IS WHAT THEY LEFT OUT.
ETF's public reply disputes several points but conveniently omits others. Here is what they did not address.
On the name: their own registration form has two fields. First name and last name. No field for a third name exists. You cannot penalize a trader for a field you never provided.
On the address: they acknowledge regional documentation differences but offer no solution for Kenyan traders whose national ID carries a lifelong origin address that will never match a current residential address. That is not a reconciliation failure. That is a system built without Africa in mind.
On the Sumsub override: they did not deny the option exists. They confirmed they chose not to apply it. That is a choice, not a policy.
On the Discord: every post I made was deleted. I was banned for 24 hours, then 7 days when the ban lifted. I never got to respond to a single community member. ETF said nothing about this in their response.
On the terms they quoted: they cited a clause protecting their right to void payouts. They cited no obligation to ensure their KYC system works for the countries they profit from.
The payout success page shows two Kenyan traders in two years. Two.
This is not a rant. This is a record.
ORIGINAL POST
I have been with this firm for over three years, failing 70+ funded and evaluation accounts before finally passing and qualifying for my first payout on a 10K Static Elite Sim Funded account. No trading violations. Ever.
My payout was approved. Then denied. My account was terminated.
THE NAME ISSUE
Your registration form asked for a first name and last name. Two fields. I filled them both correctly. There was no field for a middle or third name. After three years, my payout was partly denied because my full legal name, which includes a third name, was not on my profile. A name your own form never asked for. That is a design failure, not a compliance failure.
THE ADDRESS ISSUE
In Kenya, a national ID carries your place of origin, fixed for life regardless of where you currently live. My bank statement (Proof of Address) reflects my current urban address. These two will naturally differ for most Kenyan citizens. That is not fraud. That is how our documentation system works.
Your KYC provider also requires a street address, house number, and flat number. Most of Kenya runs on P.O. Boxes. I cannot provide a street address that does not exist.
I PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED KYC WITH THIS FIRM
The firm underwent major structural changes over my three years here, including removing a KYC process I had already completed successfully. My identity was verified and accepted by this firm before. The documents have not changed. The firm's infrastructure did. I should not be penalized for that.
SUMSUB OFFERS A MANUAL OVERRIDE. THE FIRM SAID NO.
This is the most important detail. Sumsub, the firm's own KYC provider, recommended that my case could be resolved through manual verification with an exception. The firm has a clear path to resolve this fairly. They chose not to take it.
Instead they kept the profits from my account, denied the payout, and refunded only the evaluation fee. After three years, 70+ attempts, and a legitimately earned payout, that was their choice. That is not compliance. That is deeply unethical.
THE NUMBERS
Check the firm's own payout success page. Over two years, only two Kenyan traders appear. Two. That is not coincidence. That is a systemic barrier quietly operating while the firm continues collecting challenge fees from across the continent.
On top of all this, when I shared my experience on their Discord to warn other African traders, my posts were deleted and I was muted for 7 days.
If you are based in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania or anywhere in Africa where P.O. Boxes are standard and national IDs carry origin addresses, understand this: you may pass every evaluation, trade perfectly, and still be denied at the finish line. And this firm will decline the tools available to them to fix it.
This is not a rant. This is a record.
We take reviews like this seriously and want to clarify several inaccuracies so other readers have a complete and accurate understanding.
First, this matter was not related to trading performance. As stated, there were no trading violations involved. The outcome was based entirely on KYC identity verification requirements, which must be successfully completed before any payout can be processed.
Second, the claim that the payout was “approved and then denied” is misleading. Payout requests may move through preliminary stages, but final approval is always contingent on successful identity verification. In this case, verification was not completed, so the payout could not be finalized.
Third, regarding the name discrepancy: our requirements are not limited to how many fields appear on a signup form. Users are responsible for ensuring that their account reflects their full legal identity and that all submitted documents are consistent. In this case, the submitted documents reflected different name formats that could not be reliably matched.
Fourth, regarding the address: while we understand that documentation standards vary by region, we still require a verifiable and consistent address that can be supported by acceptable proof. The documents provided contained multiple differing addresses and formats, which could not be reconciled into a single verifiable profile.
Fifth, the statement that our verification provider recommended a “manual override” is not accurate in the way it is presented. While SumSub may support additional review methods, all verifications must still meet our internal compliance standards. Not all cases qualify for exceptions, particularly where core identity elements cannot be consistently established.
Finally, we do not restrict participation based on region. We have users from many countries successfully complete verification and receive payouts. Each case is evaluated individually based on whether the required documentation standards are met.
As a result of the failed KYC verification, the account was closed and applicable fees were refunded in accordance with our Terms of Service. Specifically, if any ETF Trader is unable to complete a Trader’s KYC onboarding process within seven (7) days from Trader’s submission of KYC documents, as solely determined by ETF, ETF reserves the right to deny or void any payouts that Trader would otherwise be entitled to, revoke access to that Trader’s Account(s), and deny Trader the use of any of ETF’s Services.
We understand this outcome is disappointing, but KYC requirements are in place to ensure fairness, security, and compliance for all users.
The complete KYC policy in question is accessible here: https://help.elitetraderfunding.com/help/kyc-policy
Terms of Service is accessible here: https://help.elitetraderfunding.com/help/terms-of-service
ETF Team
I would like to express my sincere…
I would like to express my sincere thanks to Elite for their high level of professionalism and outstanding support to traders.
My experience with you has been positive in every way, سواء من حيث ease of use of the platform or the speed of response and problem-solving.
A company that truly deserves trust for anyone looking to grow in trading.
Thank you for this excellent level of service, and I wish you continued success and progress.
Thank you for the kind words! We're glad to hear the platform and support have met your expectations. We appreciate you being part of the ETF community and wish you continued success in your trading journey!
ETF Team
