Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Bitcoin Discussion => Topic started by: tiptopgemdotcom on May 11, 2012, 05:36:05 AM



Title: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: tiptopgemdotcom on May 11, 2012, 05:36:05 AM
I recently evangelized a significant business about the opportunities available with bitcoin:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=80468.0 (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=80468.0)

What is really unfortunate is that since I paid for my order ($160 worth), bitcoin has tumbled to $4.89.  This is a very solid pharmacy- I know because I have used them in the past by paying with a credit card.  They have excellent customer service, quality products, and they ship quickly.  

I would hate to see this initial experience with bitcoin turn into a bad one.  If you buy medication, please take a look at their website:

http://www.theswisspharmacy.com/ (http://www.theswisspharmacy.com/)

Also if you see a product at a good price and you already buy it from another source, email them and let them know that you are interested in paying with bitcoin.  It could make all the difference in whether they see bitcoin as a positive or a negative.  

info@theswisspharmacy.com

I suggest something along the lines of:

"I heard about you on bitcointalk.org.  I currently buy my __________  from another source, but would love to buy from you if you take bitcoin."  Mention the actual dosage that you buy- specifics show that you are a real person who needs their product, not someone with an agenda other than to buy medication.

What do you think- can we support a good business who has already taken the plunge and agreed to accept bitcoin?  


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: ElectricBrain on May 11, 2012, 12:09:23 PM
I'll check it out.


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: rjk on May 11, 2012, 02:21:38 PM
If you are going to be pushing bitcoin on merchants that are new to it, you should recommend a merchant solution of some sort to go with it. MtGox has the lowest fees, but is very basic, Bit-pay has a complete polished product with reasonable (to some) fees, and I haven't looked into Paysius (sp?) since they started, but they offer more competitive fees. There may be others as well.



Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: tiptopgemdotcom on May 11, 2012, 02:24:24 PM
I recommended Paysius, but also mentioned that BitPay was a solution provider.  I didn't realize MtGox was in it as well.  Good call rjk- thank you!


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: doldgigger on May 11, 2012, 09:24:55 PM
I recently evangelized a significant business about the opportunities available with bitcoin:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=80468.0 (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=80468.0)
Great! This is the kind of momentum bitcoin needs!
What is really unfortunate is that since I paid for my order ($160 worth), bitcoin has tumbled to $4.89.  This is a very solid pharmacy- I know because I have used them in the past by paying with a credit card.  They have excellent customer service, quality products, and they ship quickly.  

I would hate to see this initial experience with bitcoin turn into a bad one.
You did tell them that BTC works like a separate currency and has somewhat volatile exchange rates, so they were able to make an educated decision about how much to charge in BTC, didn't you?


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: tiptopgemdotcom on May 12, 2012, 06:11:50 AM
I did not.  I should have.  I see bitcoin is up just a little bit now at 4.93 or so. 


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: tiptopgemdotcom on May 12, 2012, 06:42:15 PM
They just joined the forum- please go to this thread and welcome them!

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=81488.0 (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=81488.0)


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: casascius on May 12, 2012, 07:05:46 PM
I will buy!

My body has a clobetasol habit or else I get rashes.  But I hate scheduling the dermatologist a month out and spending half a day to get a refill on the same thing I already know I need.  I also don't like giving out my credit card info to overseas pharmacy websites, or any websites really.  Online pharmacies probably can't reliably take PayPal for much of the same reasons we hate PayPal.  Buying with Bitcoins would be so much easier.


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: Raoul Duke on May 12, 2012, 07:09:32 PM
I will buy!

My body has a clobetasol habit or else I get rashes.  But I hate scheduling the dermatologist a month out and spending half a day to get a refill on the same thing I already know I need.  I also don't like giving out my credit card info to overseas pharmacy websites, or any websites really.  Online pharmacies probably can't reliably take PayPal for much of the same reasons we hate PayPal.  Buying with Bitcoins would be so much easier.

Your problem is solved, Mike ;)
Now maybe welcome them on the thread linked above, or help them getting bitcoin payments integrated into their site :)
I helped them as much as I can now. No, I wasn't of much help :(


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: casascius on May 12, 2012, 07:22:23 PM
Your problem is solved, Mike ;)
Now maybe welcome them on the thread linked above, or help them getting bitcoin payments integrated into their site :)
I helped them as much as I can now. No, I wasn't of much help :(

If they just generated hundreds of bitcoin addresses and dispensed one with each order, then they could just look for the incoming payment on blockchain.info and know when the payment came, without actually having to put any bitcoin wallet or bitcoin software on their web server.

Or even simpler and dirtier, they could just send me a bitcoin address via e-mail (including my order details so I know I'm not getting phished) and I just pay... if they get enough orders doing that, they'll know whether it's worth their while to upgrade to something less manual.


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: Raoul Duke on May 12, 2012, 07:41:36 PM
If they just generated hundreds of bitcoin addresses and dispensed one with each order, then they could just look for the incoming payment on blockchain.info and know when the payment came, without actually having to put any bitcoin wallet or bitcoin software on their web server.

That was one of the suggestions I gave them. And they could even ask their usual php dev to do it.


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: casascius on May 12, 2012, 08:24:03 PM
I was able to place an order and pay for it - will report back when it comes!


Title: Re: If you take medicine, I need your help.
Post by: tiptopgemdotcom on May 16, 2012, 03:33:02 PM
Good job Mike!  :)

I am happy to report that my first order from them that was paid with bitcoins has arrived.  The pills just go down a lot easier knowing they are free of the taint of the global banking system.  Not a single central bank, credit card company, or payment processing company was involved and the merchant and I were able to do business directly for mutual benefit and with complete satisfaction.

Bitcoin=Freedom