Coinapult: Crooks or just bad programmers? Both, maybe?

[ZurichLady]

Bitcoinistas: This is very similar to another victim's post. In fact, it's exactly the same...LOL. But no one helped her. I purchased Bitcoins through a Bitinstant deposit via Moneygram. The confirmation emails from Coinapult and Bitinstant contained no information about a PIN number to claim the Bitcoins on Coinapult that are listed right in Coinapult's childish looking e-mail. I am unsure of where to locate said PIN. Can someone please shed some light the mysterious PIN? The money is just stuck there with functionally zero useful instructions on how to get it out. To conclude Coinapult are just crooks is too easy, but certainly tempting. If they aren't crooks it means they are just really, really, really bad programmers. I think I'd rather be a crook that that stupid!

Anyhow, if someone could help me out (and others I suspect) and advise me (and others) how to get/devine/ the relevant PIN I would be eternally grateful. BTW, I asked support at Bitinstant (kinda cool company) and they forwarded the ticket to Coinapult who said I had to put a ticket in at Bitinstant! So we could go in circles forF'never.

Thanks,
A frustrated gal in Zurich 

PS: I admit it's likely something dumb I'm not seeing. But then I admit I'm a total noob. A noob with boobs (IMHO the best kind).
   

[mrmann]

ZurichLady,
Exact same thing happened to me. That was (one of ) the reasons that brought me here. Some advice from another noob w/out boobs,    (take FREE advice for what it's worth), When you were asked to go thru the process of buying the BTC, there's a screen that asks for a PIN but there's no indication that you should keep the PIN, ie. no explanation as to why you're giving the PIN. It's presented as just "input a PIN".

I went thru the process you're describing in your post,
"....I asked support at Bitinstant (kinda cool company) and they forwarded the ticket to Coinapult who said I had to put a ticket in at Bitinstant! So we could go in circles forF'never.) and found Bitinstant was willing to help in anyway they can but Coinapult is less than useless. The never acknowledged they had even received the service request.

I had to go thru the process of buying another BTC and found the screen where they asked for the PIN and I remembered I had used a throw-away PIN (one I use for hotel room keys, casino card PINS, etc). If you'll go thru the process again (only to the point where they ask for the PIN) you may remember what you used. If you have a bank account, s/up an account w/Blockchain ( @--- https://blockchain.info/wallet/----) they are good in that they will s/up a wallet and facilitate purchase of BTC, that you can then "send" to another "wallet" etc., etc., etc.

I also had some problem with "MultiBit" wallet client. But that's another story entirely.

Hope you get your money (BTC), but if you can't remember the PIN you used, I"m afraid you 'll be out of luck, and out your money too. If there's any way I can help please PM back and I''ll help if I can.

[legitnick]

Bitcoinistas: This is very similar to another victim's post. In fact, it's exactly the same...LOL. But no one helped her. I purchased Bitcoins through a Bitinstant deposit via Moneygram. The confirmation emails from Coinapult and Bitinstant contained no information about a PIN number to claim the Bitcoins on Coinapult that are listed right in Coinapult's childish looking e-mail. I am unsure of where to locate said PIN. Can someone please shed some light the mysterious PIN? The money is just stuck there with functionally zero useful instructions on how to get it out. To conclude Coinapult are just crooks is too easy, but certainly tempting. If they aren't crooks it means they are just really, really, really bad programmers. I think I'd rather be a crook that that stupid!

Anyhow, if someone could help me out (and others I suspect) and advise me (and others) how to get/devine/ the relevant PIN I would be eternally grateful. BTW, I asked support at Bitinstant (kinda cool company) and they forwarded the ticket to Coinapult who said I had to put a ticket in at Bitinstant! So we could go in circles forF'never.

Thanks,
A frustrated gal in Zurich 

PS: I admit it's likely something dumb I'm not seeing. But then I admit I'm a total noob. A noob with boobs (IMHO the best kind).
   

Probably both, often criminals arent the best programmers.

[ZurichLady]

TO: mrmann-- Well if there's no way to recover the funds that's pretty F'n ridiculous (after all I am *both* the sender and recipient!!). If I failed to see the warnings about the PIN then that's my bad but it must be mentioned in a pretty low key manner since I was trying to watch my steps (I was testing the system for my boss who is a doubting banker). But I'd be surprised if it was really that simple. That indicates a fairly self-limited system since a criticality 1 failure (total money loss) would be so easy to do (as in I may have done it). If this is indicative of Bitcoin's typical outward facing programming it'll never go anywhere. It's doomed to remain a poorly run boutique.

That said, what I find truly astonishing is how stupendously stupid Coinapult's site is. I know they think they are clever with their name and artwork but they should have put some of that development money into some usable instructions and explinations. When I decided to test Bitinstant I had NO IDEA Coinapult would be any part of the transaction. Had I known that I would *never* have tried Bitinstant after glimpsing Coinapult's stupid, poorly formed, customer disrespecting website.

Overall I think Bitcoins are an interesting experiment and I hope it succeeds. But it won't if these sort of fails are allowed to happen.

TO: Legitnick--LOL. I appreciate the comment and the laugh it provided.

If anybody else has a solution for the Coinapult PIN issue (my top post) please pass it along. I gather I'm not the only 'victim'.

ZurichLady (the noob with boobs)

[ZurichLady]

Well, the highly excellent MRMANN had the answer. A big bow to you, sir. I scrounged around all the papers on my desk and finally found a random PINish looking number and entered it into Coinapult and whala, that did the trick and busted the coinage loose. Had it not been for mrmann I would have given up and let the coins vanish into the ether. I never heard back from the Coinapult people and hope they feel shame for disrespecting their customers. I have less anger towards Bitinstant since they seem to care more about their interface and at least trying to explain how it works. That said they get bad marks too since there should have been more emphasis on the PIN. There is so much security surrounding Bitcoins it's easy for a noob (even a noob with boobs!) to lose track.

A big thank you again to mrmann, who is quite a man.

ZurichLady
The Noob w Boobs