Have any of you ever had your Coinbase or Circle accounts closed?

[SyGambler]

for me I haven't tried any of them , cause they don't accept registrations from my country
but I heard a lot of stories about coinbase closing accounts due to some gambling activities but never heard about closing accounts due to high volume
indeed they don't take the bitcoins they only ban you from using their services in the future , so it's not a big deal I guess

[European Central Bank]

30 grand a month is a hefty chunk of change. I'd be looking elsewhere. Maybe some type of OTC deal. There's no way I'd want my money and coins tied up with trigger happy guys like Coinbase.

[tn211]

for me I haven't tried any of them , cause they don't accept registrations from my country
but I heard a lot of stories about coinbase closing accounts due to some gambling activities but never heard about closing accounts due to high volume
indeed they don't take the bitcoins they only ban you from using their services in the future , so it's not a big deal I guess

Circle is not available in my country too, but I am for over a year with coinbase and i never ever had a problem with them. A very straightforward service with a even better support team.
A+ from me.

[LTU_btc]

I'm using Coinbase as my main wallet and I never had problems with it because I'm trying not to break their terms of use. I never using Coinbase wallet for depositing or withdrawing from gambling sites.

[Monnt]

I recently purchased a Circle debit card (I live in Australia) and can happily say that I have not recieved any problems! Low fees, fast deliver, everything that I could hope for.

[OROBTC]

...

I just got started with Circle, so far so good.  No problems, no accounts closed.  Low fees when I buy Bitcoin. 

Re Coinbase, I have not even been able to open my account with them (US citizen).  Maybe there's a glitch.

I had been wanting to get an account with someone to buy BTC as I am tired of paying 9% - 14% at the BTC ATMs and the hassle of localbitcoins.  Winner so far?  Circle.

[Michail1]

Yes, I know for fact that coinbase is closing accounts.   Mine was closed, and I couldn't figure out why (at first) other than my OTC ratings and Localbitcoin.com account (both of which haven't been used in a very long time (before I established a coinbase account)).

First, they asked questions on where I get my coins, etc.  I gave a detailed account.  (Mostly mining via BFL (hosted), cloudhashing, and at home (even with receipts, hosting fees, and pictures of the gear creating mass heat in my house)).

Then, they said I was an MSB and wanted me to register as such.  Talking to an accountant, he said I am not an MSB being that I (at the time I was mining, selling odds and ends on craigslist for BTC (when possible), and buying locally.  Rarely ever do I sell any coins.

Being that I declined to register as an MSB, I was prompty terminated from the program.  Fortunately, I was able to withdraw the coins I purchased from them (although they didn't have a choice since they pulled the funds from my bank account) and I still have those specific coins.

With my account/wallet, I have only purchased things like:  overstock.com, plane ticket, gold/silver (providentmetals and apmex), newegg, Casascius and Titan Mint coins, software (slysoft), a lock, trezors, movie, and a painting (bitcointalk).  Nothing that could remotely be considered bad.  I even gave detailed transaction numbers and details.

All the above said, I was later shown a wallet explorer / tracking info regarding my wallet coins (not by coinbase).  And, we think we figured out the reason.

It turns out I made several loans to a person that is/was fairly well known.  (Saving secured loans whereas I got his Casascius coins as collateral each time - and still have them (since graded and added to the collection)).
He disappeared and after waiting over a month past the default period, I considered all the coins mine.  He has since never shown up or contacted me.

The reason I bring this up is because as he was sending me the physical coins and I would send him the additional BTC each time, it turns out the addresses he had me send to are listed as Silk Road, evolution, Gambling, and Mixers.  (Addresses were labeled as such by the tracker, but I don't know by whom or even if correct info.)  Obviously there is no way for me to have known I was loaning coins to an address that was and/or later determined to be anything illegal in any way.

Although the government and authorities, etc can see I have never gambled, bought drugs, or even had an account with any such site (although possibly the reason the guy disappeared/defaulted), coinbase can't see that or doesn't care to look into it.

I tried to explain this to coinbase and to have them research it more; however, they were only interested in talking to my MSB Compliance Officer, of which I obviously don't have one.

Short answer to the question.  Yes, I have had a coinbase account closed and without clear definition as to why.

[BitcoinSupremo]

They can monitor accounts or hot wallets of betcoin.ag, but how can they monitor for example directbet.eu, they use a different wallet everytime, especially when you only send to directbet.eu wallet money, and you decide that you want winning in a different wallet, in this case I think is quite impossible for coinbase to check this. By the way what do they have against gambling in the first place ?
Isn't anyone free to do what he/she likes with his/her bitcoins anymore ?

[Michail1]

They can monitor accounts or hot wallets of betcoin.ag, but how can they monitor for example directbet.eu, they use a different wallet everytime, especially when you only send to directbet.eu wallet money, and you decide that you want winning in a different wallet, in this case I think is quite impossible for coinbase to check this. By the way what do they have against gambling in the first place ?
Isn't anyone free to do what he/she likes with his/her bitcoins anymore ?

Quite honestly, I don't gamble.  So, I don't know how the wallet structures work on any gambling site and/or how those addresses are leaked to any wallet explorer site.

Since coinbase is tied to the banking industry and to California, they have to follow guidelines for USA.  Gambling isn't legal and US Gov is 'against' online gambling.  So, that is, at least, understandable (not that I agree with it since it's ok to gamble in Nevada (and other areas)).   What isn't understandable is tracing coins to a gambling site and ban members for whom any of those coins went through.   Akin to banning every member that has any drug residue on US Currency in their wallet knowing that 90% of all USD is tainted.  http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/08/14/cocaine.traces.money/    So, I submit that coinbase should simply automatically ban 90% of it's accounts or realize that I don't have control of the actual coins I receive (spammers from gambling sites send tiny fragments to many people as adversing) and the end point to where go when I spend them.

[khalized]

Coinbase is the shittest site I ever experienced in my life!
I had an account there and had received a warning long ago about using funds for gambling on luckybit (I did not knew their TOS at that time). I agreed to their warning and after that I have not used it since 5 months. Suddenly on yesterday I opened my account and this message was shown:



After emailing their support team they replied me this:

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in Coinbase. Our primary goal is to make bitcoin safe and secure for our customers. Coinbase is a regulated Money Services Business under FinCEN (FinCEN.gov), and as part of our responsibility, we are legally obligated to implement regulatory compliance mechanisms.

We regret to inform you that we are no longer able to support your Coinbase account as well as any other accounts you may have created. Please note, we have not blocked access to the bitcoin balance currently in your Coinbase account; while we can no longer process bitcoin brokerage orders via our banking relationship, you may still send your bitcoin balance offsite to an external bitcoin address.

Respectfully,
Coinbase Customer Support
Regards,
Mikheil
Coinbase Customer Support

Seriously, WTF is this shit! I did not gamble with it and kept the account untouched for 5 months and this shit came after that!

Thankfully I did not deposit a single satoshi after first warning.

A jar of piss is better than Coinbase!

[martinacar]

Coinbase is the shittest site I ever experienced in my life!
I had an account there and had received a warning long ago about using funds for gambling on luckybit (I did not knew their TOS at that time). I agreed to their warning and after that I have not used it since 5 months. Suddenly on yesterday I opened my account and this message was shown:



After emailing their support team they replied me this:

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in Coinbase. Our primary goal is to make bitcoin safe and secure for our customers. Coinbase is a regulated Money Services Business under FinCEN (FinCEN.gov), and as part of our responsibility, we are legally obligated to implement regulatory compliance mechanisms.

We regret to inform you that we are no longer able to support your Coinbase account as well as any other accounts you may have created. Please note, we have not blocked access to the bitcoin balance currently in your Coinbase account; while we can no longer process bitcoin brokerage orders via our banking relationship, you may still send your bitcoin balance offsite to an external bitcoin address.

Respectfully,
Coinbase Customer Support
Regards,
Mikheil
Coinbase Customer Support

Seriously, WTF is this shit! I did not gamble with it and kept the account untouched for 5 months and this shit came after that!

Thankfully I did not deposit a single satoshi after first warning.

A jar of piss is better than Coinbase!

I must say that is pretty crazy indeed, its pretty weird they have done this even without you doing nothing.
I would as soon as possible contact their support for questions about this...

[khalized]

I must say that is pretty crazy indeed, its pretty weird they have done this even without you doing nothing.
I would as soon as possible contact their support for questions about this...

I contacted them all at once and they replied me that pre-phrased paragraph of bullshit which means nothing in my case. They are explaining as if I am a drug lord.
Now I know why everyone complains about them.

I now hate Coinbase more than Tradefortress.
The name "Coinbase" makes me feel like vomiting on them. All of their staffs are retarded assholes.

[Decoded]

I had my coinbase account frozen for a little while, when coinbase had some trouble with my debit card. They cleared it up though, my account's back now.

[Michail1]

I had my coinbase account frozen for a little while, when coinbase had some trouble with my debit card. They cleared it up though, my account's back now.

Just make sure you don't buy something with your coins.  If you do and those coins eventually go to a bad address, then you will be banned.
This is worse than even paypal as you can be banned for coins you received (even as a donation) all the way to coins which are used for something 'off base' after having gone through even many people down the chain.

Advice?  Don't spend coins you buy from coinbase.  It's considered evil.

[khalized]

I had my coinbase account frozen for a little while, when coinbase had some trouble with my debit card. They cleared it up though, my account's back now.

Just make sure you don't buy something with your coins.  If you do and those coins eventually go to a bad address, then you will be banned.
This is worse than even paypal as you can be banned for coins you received (even as a donation) all the way to coins which are used for something 'off base' after having gone through even many people down the chain.

Advice?  Don't spend coins you buy from coinbase.  It's considered evil.

Best suggestion would be not to visit Coinbase ever.
But if there is no option for you to buy bitcoins other than Coinbase, you might buy them from there and soon after receiving the coins, send them to other wallets of your choice. From there you can do whatever you feel like.

Overall, Coinbase is a bitcoin jail.

[bitlancr]

I had my coinbase account frozen for a little while, when coinbase had some trouble with my debit card. They cleared it up though, my account's back now.

Just make sure you don't buy something with your coins.  If you do and those coins eventually go to a bad address, then you will be banned.
This is worse than even paypal as you can be banned for coins you received (even as a donation) all the way to coins which are used for something 'off base' after having gone through even many people down the chain.

Advice?  Don't spend coins you buy from coinbase.  It's considered evil.

That is indeed pretty ridiculous, I think this is sounding crazy why they are so on their rules...
This will mean that someone can be banned for almost no reason..

[other_side]

This will mean that someone can be banned for almost no reason..

They will end up banning all their customers.

[reb0rn21]

Looks like the rules are way to tight, I know the gov and any entity is looking to control bitcoin as match as they can, bitcoin is a lodger for sure, but they can not guess if some address in past was used for gambling or anything they don`t like to blame it on user!
Its insane, if banks would do the same, ppl would burn them down and that may happen soon as it going!

sure I don`t like thiefs, gambles, etc but arrest them put them in jail, wtf I care but you need a proff

[mkc]

I have a Coinbase account, for over 2 years now. Still open, doing most transaction in local Bitcoin, don't know why I have Coinbase account.

[mrhelpful]

Most people accounts are just cause they see where the  coins are going.

And if it does lead to any of the gambling sites, its safe to assume your account is going be cancelled sooner or later.

Other then that most people are still with them regardless cause they are the only options for the US besides localbitcoins.

I heard they also lack on fufilling order on prices in the past as well.