Sincere thanks to Foxpup and Stephen for your help.

Thanks gods for you and the info in the rest of your post. It will be very useful.  I'm noticing most of the guidance usually comes from experience, as the material seems very technically-oriented and I about have a stroke trying to decipher the exchange-specific jargon.

I'm in the US, and I would rather use cash. Total anonymity is key, and I now understand that comes with the heftiest fee. That being said, I'm not in a huge rush to get Bitcoins so 1-2 days turnaround wouldn't be bad.  I just assumed "Bitinstant" meant instant, so I was rushing the support team.

I suppose the only cheaper way would be to use Bitme.com and a cash deposit at Chase Bank.  Do you know if they require ID to make the deposit?  What is the turnaround time there?

I used cash deposit via Blockchain.  I received Bitcoins via Blockchain wallet.  I made the deposit in the US and Zip Zap is a US company.

So essentially, I'm paying out the ass for anonymity?

I don't save the Zip Zap slips, but they both had the full amounts to be paid ($300 & $500) plus an additional $3.95 each per their company fee.

Foxpup you were right.

$39 to send $500
$25 to send $300

Bitinstant + private tumbler = 5.04% = $40
Lost/pilfered in Bitcoin exchange = $32

Total fee on $800 = $136 or 18%

I think that's also what the IMF charges the US to launder their heroin money  

I didn't realize how much of a scam bitcoin exchanges really are:

http://nerdr.com/bitcoin-exchange-scam-bitcoins-are-worthless/

Quote from an exchange operator at the above link:  
"I change the Bitcoin price by hand nearly everyday...  They are greedy.  I don’t care if I cheated them.  I wonder is it bad?  I have a nice life now and will marry soon.  We will buy our first house soon with my Bitcoin money the greedy have gave me."

So in addition to the fact that some random person randomly decides exchange rates based on random factors (maybe he's happy and got sex that day, or maybe bad tacos gave him the shits), there are also an exorbant amount of fees tacked on by the exchangers as well as the merchants required to make deposits with the exchanges.

Thanks, Charlie, Ira, and Rachel.  Or, actually, you should be thanking us.

*Newb realization*  

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it.  I understood and had no problem with the 3.99% Bitinstant fee.  I paid an additional $3.95 for each deposit as a fee to Zip Zap as well.

I have no clue what you're reffering to as far as the 8% Money Gram "fee," as I've been using their service for over a decade.  Usually they charge $4.95 for an Express Payment.  Can you cite source material for that?

Read my post closely:


They have been provided all the requisite info. to resolve it.

Additional info:

I have also left several voicemails with Zip Zap, as I believe this is where the problem lies.  If Bitinstant processed the transaction as received from Zip Zap, then someone at that company is defrauding consumers.  It might be as innocent as an employee funnelling small amounts of money from each transaction and hoping new customers won't notice.

However 17% is a lot of money. Did they think I wouldn't follow up?

Firstly, let me say YES I did create an account just to post this thread. Maybe I will post in other areas or provide feedback, or maybe I'll go away when the problem gets solved.  Either way, this has been an unecessarily frustrating situation.

Before we get to it, if there is any other way/service to get Bitcoins (aside from Bitinstant, Zip Zap, or Blockchain) PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEONE ADVISE ME.  This is the last time I will be using this current configuration.  I'd be willing to pay a couple extra % points for better service.

I deposited $800 USD via two separate cash deposits at a Moneygram merchant 48+ hours ago.  It took about 3 hours to recieve the first Bitcoins, however only $170 posted to wallet.  It took another 10 hours for more Bitcoins to post, bringing the total to $663.  Where are the rest of my Bitcoins?

I provided Charlie with my Zip Zap account info and Moneygram info, and he has been prompt in responding however he forwards/refers my case to another person named Ira.  Ira has sent me the Blockchain ledger info regarding my two deposit transactions, BOTH of which are significantly less than my actual account deposits:  $252.72 (should be $300), and $421.20 (should be $500).

Ira says, "Note that the addresses don't match the one in your email below. Still, you provided these addresses, and we completed the transactions as requested. Is it possible they belong to another wallet of yours?"  

Now here is my theory:  the total amount missing is about $136.  Certianly there isn't a service fee of 17%.  The only explanation is my deposits were sent to someone else's wallet, they took a small amount of money from each transaction, then forwarded the remaining balance to my wallet.

Fraud?