Beware, MtGox arbitrarily freezing verified accounts

[Ghostofkobra]

My discussion with mtGoxx support is approximately the same.

When i saw that the account was empty i checked the withdraws and noted the time of the withdrawal.

Asked mtGoxx for information about logins (because i knew i didnt log in at the time of the withdraw).

Got a list with login's (no IP's) and the list showed that no user was logged on at the time of the withdrawal.

Asked mtGoxx how this could happen and for IP's of the logins.

And all of a sudden i start to get the same answer on every question.
- We only talk to the police.
- Upload your scanned ID and the police report.

If someone "lost" 380 of my bitcoins and refuse to tell me how it happened i sure as hell wont give them my ID.

They claim they cant reimburse me coz i it might attract scammers, and they cant be sure i didnt transfer them out.

LOOK AT YOUR OWN LOGS YOU SENT ME.

I WAS NOT LOGGED ON. and noone else was logged on either....

Sorry for the caps, still get irritated about this.
I think i will scan the police report on monday when i get back to work.

[ArticMine]

...

It should also be noted that we are actually required to require AML data from all customers, but allow use of the service anyway as long as we don't see anything that could be suspicious (in case of fraud we end paying if we don't have any aml data). "Suspicious" is defined as anything that has been known to be done by hackers. This includes accessing multiple accounts, using proxies, etc...

...

This says it best. If you wish to use MtGox get verified and provide the AML/KYC information. Otherwise there may be problems. Personally I went through the verification process first before depositing any funds there, and have had no problems.

[caffeinewriter]

There was a reason I left Mt. Gox soon after I joined. Now I keep my funds in my own wallet. I have no wants to cash out right now, so it works for me.

[JoelKatz]

If you wish to use MtGox get verified and provide the AML/KYC information.

You mean the information MtGox *claims* is AML/KYC information. I've asked MtGox a few times to provide any evidence that they actually require this information for AML/KYC purposes and have never gotten a reply. Bluntly, I don't believe it. I think it's much more likely that they want this information for anti-fraud purposes.

[cdb000]

For what it's worth... MtGox froze my funds a while back and demanded scanned ID and utility bill. I obtained a scanned ID and utility bill, uploaded them, got my funds out and have never logged in there again.

On another topic, not entirely unrelated: If you want to use Gox etc. and want a hard to trace IP address, a cheapo prepay mobile phone jacked into a laptop would seem to be the way to go. No need to mess with proxies, just throw the sim chip away and buy a fresh one every time the credit expires. Pay cash at a market stall rather than buying in a supermarket full of CCTV...

Back to Gox: I don't mind if someone, individual or company, decides not to do business with me. That choice is theirs to make, but I'll be damned if I will put up with anyone taking my cash (whether USD BTC GBP EUR or any other) then refusing to return it until I jump through hoops. I would accept them closing my account and returning funds. I will not accept them holding funds to ransom.

When I want to trade BTC to/from fiat these days I use localbitcoins.com. Maybe I don't get quite the same rate, but I'm willing to cope with that in return for the simplicity of a cash transaction, and have as a bonus some occasional fun moments (like when the other party chose to wear a mask while meeting to trade - awesome! I bought Bitcoins from a guy wearing a Guy Fawkes mask)

[URSAY]

Goxxxed.

Again and again and again.

Yet they yearn for more goxxxing.

GOXXX on GOXXX on GOXXX.   

[tvbcof]

For what it's worth... MtGox froze my funds a while back and demanded scanned ID and utility bill. I obtained a scanned ID and utility bill, uploaded them, got my funds out and have never logged in there again.
...
Back to Gox: I don't mind if someone, individual or company, decides not to do business with me. That choice is theirs to make, but I'll be damned if I will put up with anyone taking my cash (whether USD BTC GBP EUR or any other) then refusing to return it until I jump through hoops. I would accept them closing my account and returning funds. I will not accept them holding funds to ransom.
...

Sounds like you 'accepted' and 'put up with' what Mt. Gox coerced you into and it doesn't matter what you do now; they got your goods.  Unless you managed to pass them fake info I guess.

The interesting thing is that Mt. Gox has shown no interest in defending or explaining their practice especially in contrast with PayPal who seem to not need to hold funds hostage.  I guess it makes some sense in that they tower over all other exchanges and are likely to indefinitely. If Mt. Gox is generous with the info they gather, the whole Bitcoin system is potentially perhaps the biggest honey-pot on the net for marking up people with 'interesting' things going on.  Actually, it may be second to tor...but that's just a suspicion of mine...time will tell.

To all the people who have been burnt in this manner, thanks for the heads up.  Really!  Not sure if I would have found the fine print on Mt. Gox's site before attempting to get some fiat out of my BTC speculation through them or not since I have not dug around to date.  Doubt it.

[iCEBREAKER]

 - My account is verified
- You have a copy of my passport
 - You sent a Yubikey to my home address
 - My account didn't go to an "Unverified" state, it went to "Fully locked". Right now I can not withdraw even a single bitcent.

If you want to somehow unverify my account because the documenation I submitted isn't enough anymore then fine, but take me to "Unverified", not "Locked down".

Additionnaly if there are additional verification requirements since September 2011 you should have notified me in advance, let me decide whether I wanted to comply or take my business elsewhere. But CERTAINLY NOT freeze my account and lock my funds without any kind of police report or accountability.

I do not think it is bad to have stringent AML requirements, it's even necessary. But the way they are implemented in my particular case is not acceptable. I refuse to see my money frozen arbitrarily and instantly.

I've taken the liberty of boldfacing and underlining the part where your problem is.  By complying with these intrusive instruments of state coercion you feed the beast, and thus lose any sympathy I otherwise naturally would have had for a fellow bitcoin user.

Boycott these jackboot licking business, or you deserve all the negative consequences resulting from your embrace of the Money Nazi regime!

[cdb000]

... scanned ID and utility bill. I obtained a scanned ID and utility bill, uploaded them, ...
...

... they got your goods.  Unless you managed to pass them fake info I guess.

Let's simply say that they do not have my goods.

[Boussac]

Paymium, I remember seeing that in my mailbox... Yep, the guys who registered a "bitcoin" trademark in France to steal the bitcoin.fr domain. Hope now they know that no, it's not "legit" to register a trademark for the purpose of taking over a domain name.

How could anyone think it is possible to "steal" a domain name by registering a trade mark ?
This is both defamatory and insulting.
By the way, mt gox registered the trademark first. Our registration in some classes is to prevent troll registration and trolls in general to use the bitcoin name. It's also to go against the stronghold that mt gox is building on bitcoin.

Yes the bitcoin.fr is wasted by the current owner who is describing bitcoin on the home page as follows:

"On reproche à juste raison à cette monnaie d'être une aubaine pour les mafias : pas de trace, pas de contrôle. "

Translation:
"This currency has been criticized rightly to be a boon for the mafia : no trace, no control."
I am not talking about the wbesite design that would make any mt gox website design look good.

Yes this is problematic for the adoption of bitcoin in France because anyone googling bitcoin in France will get this page FIRST.

So I confirm: we (Paymium) would like to convince the current owner to sell it or otherwise hand over the control to the Foundation.


Mr Karpeles, your unjustified, reiterated accusation does not bode well for your tenure of the board seat you purchased at the bitcoinfoundation.
In my view you do not belong in the Bitcoin Foundation because your dominant market share among exchanges is a threat to the decentralization of bitcoin.
You intend to take over the bitcoin.fr domain like a white knight to further your own interests: that's why you do not hesitate to denigrate your competitors with false accusations.

[URSAY]

Getting GOXXXED 101.

Step 1.  Start by using MTGOX

Step 2.  Wait...

Congrats!  The predictable has come true!  You've been GOXXXED!

There is a wealth of negative stories about Gox.  Meanwhile there are plenty of other services without problems.  Soooooo...

Hmmmm...kind of confusing that people STILL use Gox and STILL complain about it.