Bitinstant - Straight to Bitcoin address not possible?

[crazylikeafox]

Hi Guys,

I was playing with BitInstant and wanted to test a  Cash Deposit to Bitcoin Address transaction.  Unfortunately, on the confirmation screen it says:

"These coins will then be sent to you via our partner, Coinapult.com. The email will come from Coinapult with instructions on how to send your coins wherever you'd like."

The problem is that Coinapult doesn't offer an option for sending straight to a bitcoin address.  Why does Bitinstant bother even saying that they can send to a bitcoin address when they can't?  I realize that the purchaser can take delivery of the coins via email, then use the bitcoin software or a wallet service to send them from there, but that is a significant additional step that I don't want customers to have to take.  Does anyone have experience with this?  Maybe the page is just making a general statement about other types of transactions they do, and the coins will automatically go to a bitcoin address?

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[ECore]

You can do a moneygram to a bitcoin address.

I go to walmart and they type the info into a computer and then 15 min later I have a direct deposit of bitcoins.

[crazylikeafox]

OK, so once you entered the order details, got the info to put on the moneygram form, and sent the Moneygram, you didn't have to do anything else?  You didn't have to do anything via Coinapult.com?  That's the only thing that concerns me....the steps after the money is sent to Bitinstant.  Their confirmation page says you have to do something with Coinapult.com.

[ECore]

Select moneygram, select the location where you are going to take the moneygram, print off the moneygram slip, take it to your location ...pay.

[crazylikeafox]

OK, so their confirmation page was basically just wrong then when it says that Coinapult.com is involved?

[Stephen Gornick]

OK, so their confirmation page was basically just wrong then when it says that Coinapult.com is involved?

That direct to bitcoin option has always been serviced through Coinapult but I don't know if they've changed it so that now it must be claimed using the e-mail.  Curious myself to know the current method.

[finkleshnorts]

Doesn't that blur the lines a bit between currency exchange/money transmitter?

[crazylikeafox]

Well, if anyone can shed any light on this, I'd appreciate it.  I am holding up development of a software sales module I'm writing until I can find out if the bitcoins will go straight to an address after the Moneygram is sent or not.  Users won't necessarily have the email address of the developer to send it to, so if it's not possible that will kill my idea.  I began development just assuming that Bitinstant's own site was offering services they could actually deliver, which now appears not to be the case.  I've submitted this question to both Bitinstant and Coinapult customer support and have received no response.

[finkleshnorts]

Well, if anyone can shed any light on this, I'd appreciate it.  I am holding up development of a software sales module I'm writing until I can find out if the bitcoins will go straight to an address after the Moneygram is sent or not.  Users won't necessarily have the email address of the developer to send it to, so if it's not possible that will kill my idea.  I began development just assuming that Bitinstant's own site was offering services they could actually deliver, which now appears not to be the case.  I've submitted this question to both Bitinstant and Coinapult customer support and have received no response.

They may have bitten off more than they can chew with the manpower available to them. I'm a bitinstant fan, they just have a lot of projects floating around at once and customer support (apparently) suffers accordingly. I think it's a just matter of time before the gears are greased.

Coinapult
FeedZeBirds
The bitcoin card
The bitcoin debit card
BitInstant money transmitting service
conferences
blogging
this forum
etc.

[Stephen Gornick]

I've submitted this question to both Bitinstant and Coinapult customer support and have received no response.

You wouldn't happened to be in Macau this week?  

Us BitInstant guys are in HK and Macau this week... if any Bitcoiners wanna meet up for coffee or drinks or similar, send me an email (erik@bitinstant)

Its a long holiday weekend in the U.S. and the people filling in are probably backlogged.  You could try to send a PM though to Yankee, that seems to be monitored pretty regularly.

[crazylikeafox]

You wouldn't happened to be in Macau this week?   

Us BitInstant guys are in HK and Macau this week... if any Bitcoiners wanna meet up for coffee or drinks or similar, send me an email (erik@bitinstant)

No, but if it would get my question answered, I'd happily fly to Macau .  Maybe play some baccarat too lol.

[Yankee (BitInstant)]

Well, if anyone can shed any light on this, I'd appreciate it.  I am holding up development of a software sales module I'm writing until I can find out if the bitcoins will go straight to an address after the Moneygram is sent or not.  Users won't necessarily have the email address of the developer to send it to, so if it's not possible that will kill my idea.  I began development just assuming that Bitinstant's own site was offering services they could actually deliver, which now appears not to be the case.  I've submitted this question to both Bitinstant and Coinapult customer support and have received no response.

Hey, I don't understand where the confusion is here.

Select Bitcoin Address, enter the address on our website and wait for the coins. Why is that hard to understand?

I'm not trying to be harsh, I just feel like a quick $20 test is faster then even creating this thread.

Did you actually do a test before posting here?

1- Create Slip
2- Hand cash to teller
3- Check your bitcoin wallet

OK, so their confirmation page was basically just wrong then when it says that Coinapult.com is involved?

That direct to bitcoin option has always been serviced through Coinapult but I don't know if they've changed it so that now it must be claimed using the e-mail.  Curious myself to know the current method.

Nothing has changed. We have 2 methods, both services run by Coinapult.

1- Bitcoin Address - enter your Bitcoin address and we send the funds to it.
2- Bitcoin to email - enter your email address and coinpult will email your coins to you in a wallet

OK, so once you entered the order details, got the info to put on the moneygram form, and sent the Moneygram, you didn't have to do anything else?  You didn't have to do anything via Coinapult.com?  That's the only thing that concerns me....the steps after the money is sent to Bitinstant.  Their confirmation page says you have to do something with Coinapult.com.

No, just chose Bitcoin Address from the dropdown and enter your Bitcoin Address into the field, thats all you need to do.

1- Create Slip
2- Hand cash to teller
3- Check your bitcoin wallet

Doesn't that blur the lines a bit between currency exchange/money transmitter?

Nope, I'd be happy to explain why if you PM me

OK, so their confirmation page was basically just wrong then when it says that Coinapult.com is involved?

Nope, Coinapult handles the software processing for us. However, you need not be involved in that.

You wouldn't happened to be in Macau this week?   

Us BitInstant guys are in HK and Macau this week... if any Bitcoiners wanna meet up for coffee or drinks or similar, send me an email (erik@bitinstant)

No, but if it would get my question answered, I'd happily fly to Macau .  Maybe play some baccarat too lol.

Any development questions, feel free to email gareth@bitinstant or ira@bitinstant. General support won't be able to help you.

-Charlie

[finkleshnorts]

Doesn't that blur the lines a bit between currency exchange/money transmitter?

Nope, I'd be happy to explain why if you PM me

I believe you! No need to explain, thanks though.

[crazylikeafox]

Hey, I don't understand where the confusion is here.

Select Bitcoin Address, enter the address on our website and wait for the coins. Why is that hard to understand?

I'm not trying to be harsh, I just feel like a quick $20 test is faster then even creating this thread.

Did you actually do a test before posting here?

1- Create Slip
2- Hand cash to teller
3- Check your bitcoin wallet

While you are correct that a $20 test would have cleared up the confusion, a much easier and customer friendly solution would be to change the text on your own site to be accurate for the method chosen. The confusion stemmed from the fact that when someone starts the Cash Deposit -> Bitcoin Address function, at the very top of the next page, you place the following statement:

Within 60 minutes of your payment, an equivalent amount of Bitcoin will be purchased at the current market price, automatically. These coins will then be sent to you via our partner, Coinapult.com. The email will come from Coinapult with instructions on how to send your coins wherever you'd like.


The bold part is apparently entirely inaccurate according to your response here.  Your own page explicitly states that there is an extra step after the money is sent, but thankfully, there is not.  I would suggest changing or removing that language when sending to a Bitcoin address.   Something like:

Within 60 minutes of your payment, an equivalent amount of Bitcoin will be purchased at the current market price, automatically. These coins will then be sent to the Bitcoin address you specified automatically via our partner, Coinapult.com.


Interestingly, Coinapult.com actually replied to my support request, and they told me that the extra step of receiving the email, going to their site, and then sending the coins out to the address would be required.  So apparently I'm not the only one that is confused.

[Yankee (BitInstant)]

Interestingly, Coinapult.com actually replied to my support request, and they told me that the extra step of receiving the email, going to their site, and then sending the coins out to the address would be required.  So apparently I'm not the only one that is confused.

Hey,

That is only true if you use 'Bitcoin to email', then of course there is an extra step which is kinda obvious (as you would need to get the coins from your email to somewhere else)

As I've mentioned before, if you chose 'Bitcoin Address' and enter the address on our homepage, the coins go directly to your address no extra step required.

We will def take your wording suggestion and probably change it, although the UX of our site will be changing heavily in the near future

Thanks for being a valued customer!

-Charlie

[CIYAM]

If you wouldn't mind alerting someone from Coinapult support to my issue https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=127365.0 I'd greatly appreciate it (have waited since before Thanksgiving with only getting a response from Erik that someone would be in contact about it a week ago).

[Yankee (BitInstant)]

If you wouldn't mind alerting someone from Coinapult support to my issue https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=127365.0 I'd greatly appreciate it (have waited since before Thanksgiving with only getting a response from Erik that someone would be in contact about it a week ago).

Sure, I will forward this over to Coinapult team for you and follow up in a day as well.

[CIYAM]

Sure, I will forward this over to Coinapult team for you and follow up in a day as well.

Thanks - much appreciated.