Bitinstant/ Mt. Gox seem unprofessional, it's really bad for bitcoin. Same goes for dwolla. I wouldn't trust my money with any of them.
Thats the funny thing, they're not (well BitInstant isn't, MtGox can be at times). Its only in the last few days people have been having problems, and mainly (all?) newbies at that. Its most likely just a temporary issue.
Keep in contact with them, they're a registered legal company, take them to small claims court if they scam you.
BitInstant is looking very fishy right now, i would suggest using virwox
I'd normally say the exact opposite to that.
Here's the thing: BitInstant and Mt. Gox are not just unprofessional. They're amateurish, bush league. I'll throw Dwolla in there as well. THe real problem with Dwolla is that they don't want to be known for bitcoin. They think they can sort of be a bitcoin without the bitcoin.
With Mt. Gox, you can't have these kinds of reputational issues, ever. Plus all of the ID requirements, what a joke. Virwox destroys Mt. Gox in terms of convenience.
Bitinstant is pretty much a joke, in my opinion. No one wants to have to physically deposit cash at CVS. 4% fee on top. And Dwolla purposefully makes it difficult for bitcoiners.
Coinbase is on a totally other level in terms of professionalism. I think an internationally capable coinbase would send the price of bitcoin soaring.