Ok, What is the safest, most sensible way for Americans to buy BTC these days???

[HappyScamp]

THat's the question... pretty busy so I don't have time to follow everything....

I appreciate your help and this excellent forum!

Thanks!

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[Jandur]

Depends on what your intent is. But Coinbase is easy and simple. The issue is that they will charge your bank account (which is reversible), so they wait 7 days before they deliver your coins. You will get your coins for the price you put in your order however. After 30 days you can get level 2 verified and buy coins instantly.

Also, first time buyers sometimes get flagged as "high risk" and their purchases get cancelled. It's annoying. But anyone, once the kinks are ironed out it's smooth sailing. Otherwise you're going to have to deal with Localbitcoins or maybe wiring money to Bitstamp.

[Izerian]

Otherwise you're going to have to deal with Localbitcoins or maybe wiring money to Bitstamp.

I thought the same until I tried international wire transferring the funds to Bitstamp. Every single local bank charges 40+ USD just to do the transfer and that's after a 'verification' wait period.

Localbitcoins seems like the fastest if you don't mind a leap of faith.

[ralree]

Locally, face to face, at a mall or some other public place.

Subject says "safest" as the first qualification.  Buying face-to-face is the least safe way to buy.

[TheButterZone]

Locally, face to face, at a mall or some other public place.

Subject says "safest" as the first qualification.  Buying face-to-face is the least safe way to buy.

Unless you do it at a private location, then good quality surveillance and home field advantage defensive techniques can be used by the occupant, and if the person coming to the location gets attacked by the occupant, they can have a friend waiting in the car on an open radio channel ready to back them up/call police. If the location seems sketch when you drive up, you drive away.

[beetcoin]

Depends on what your intent is. But Coinbase is easy and simple. The issue is that they will charge your bank account (which is reversible), so they wait 7 days before they deliver your coins. You will get your coins for the price you put in your order however. After 30 days you can get level 2 verified and buy coins instantly.

Also, first time buyers sometimes get flagged as "high risk" and their purchases get cancelled. It's annoying. But anyone, once the kinks are ironed out it's smooth sailing. Otherwise you're going to have to deal with Localbitcoins or maybe wiring money to Bitstamp.

i've been hearing about this.. what are the parameters for being a high risk? i would hate to buy coins low and then have a rally.. only to receive an e-mail of "sorry, you are a high risk."

for those of you who sell/trade on coinbase: do you actually plan to report your selling for IRS purposes?

[sushi]

Safe way must be Bitstamp.net and Coinbase.com. 

As a first time coin buyer, Bitstamp will get you the coins faster than Coinbase.  Coinbase takes not just 7 days but about 10 days before they release the first coin purchase, IF THEY DON'T REVERSE IT during the wait period.

If you can't wait for a week to 10 days, then another option would be...

Localbitcoins.com can be scary but if you do the homework and the sellers give you all the contact info, at least if the seller scams you, you can call 911 on the spot or report him/her to the police.  (Problem is it's cash based, so if you get mugged while waiting for the seller, you are done 

[TheButterZone]

Locally, face to face, at a mall or some other public place.

Subject says "safest" as the first qualification.  Buying face-to-face is the least safe way to buy.

Are you kidding me? What is unsafe about meeting someone in a busy coffee shop or mall food court?

If you study crime and such, you see that:
Surveillance cameras are usually shit, with low resolution showing little more than a humanoid blob
Witnesses are shit as they almost never have photographic memory and/or the artistic skills to give a "beyond a reasonable doubt" ID of criminals
Most anyone without a badge is unwilling to risk getting involved
and worst of all...
Effective self-defense is prohibited in most public venues around the world, even if a not insignificant number would want to help without being suicidal about it

If being in public were so safe, the vast majority of criminals wouldn't commit their crimes there with impunity.

[lyth0s]

Coinbase.com, very easy to use, links straight up to your checking account, it's a US based company and has 2 factor authentication option built in.

[Robert Lewandowski]

Coinbase.com, very easy to use, links straight up to your checking account, it's a US based company and has 2 factor authentication option built in.

But how safe is it to link up your bank account? Some people dont even like to link up their Paypal with it.

[moderate]

Coinbase.com, very easy to use, links straight up to your checking account, it's a US based company and has 2 factor authentication option built in.

But how safe is it to link up your bank account? Some people dont even like to link up their Paypal with it.

That is a new record, I can't think of anything online more unsafe than that. Even intentionally installing a couple of viruses is safer than that, the cryptolocker guys need some lessons from coinbase.

[Robert Lewandowski]

Coinbase.com, very easy to use, links straight up to your checking account, it's a US based company and has 2 factor authentication option built in.

But how safe is it to link up your bank account? Some people dont even like to link up their Paypal with it.

That is a new record, I can't think of anything online more unsafe than that. Even intentionally installing a couple of viruses is safer than that, the cryptolocker guys need some lessons from coinbase.

So by reading what you said youre saying Coinbase is super secure but linking your bank account is not a good idea...

[moderate]

Coinbase.com, very easy to use, links straight up to your checking account, it's a US based company and has 2 factor authentication option built in.

But how safe is it to link up your bank account? Some people dont even like to link up their Paypal with it.

That is a new record, I can't think of anything online more unsafe than that. Even intentionally installing a couple of viruses is safer than that, the cryptolocker guys need some lessons from coinbase.

So by reading what you said youre saying Coinbase is super secure but linking your bank account is not a good idea...

No idea how you concluded that I said coinbase is super secure, care to explain ?

[Robert Lewandowski]

Coinbase.com, very easy to use, links straight up to your checking account, it's a US based company and has 2 factor authentication option built in.

But how safe is it to link up your bank account? Some people dont even like to link up their Paypal with it.

That is a new record, I can't think of anything online more unsafe than that. Even intentionally installing a couple of viruses is safer than that, the cryptolocker guys need some lessons from coinbase.

So by reading what you said youre saying Coinbase is super secure but linking your bank account is not a good idea...

No idea how you concluded that I said coinbase is super secure, care to explain ?

At first i concluded from the first part that you're telling me that linking my bank account to Coinbase or any other BTC site is unsafe. Then you say "cryptolocker guys need some lessons from coinbase" which i understand as Coinbase is secure enough to metaphorically teach the crypto guys how to do their job. Haha, no worries though

[moderate]

Coinbase.com, very easy to use, links straight up to your checking account, it's a US based company and has 2 factor authentication option built in.

But how safe is it to link up your bank account? Some people dont even like to link up their Paypal with it.

That is a new record, I can't think of anything online more unsafe than that. Even intentionally installing a couple of viruses is safer than that, the cryptolocker guys need some lessons from coinbase.

So by reading what you said youre saying Coinbase is super secure but linking your bank account is not a good idea...

No idea how you concluded that I said coinbase is super secure, care to explain ?

At first i concluded from the first part that you're telling me that linking my bank account to Coinbase or any other BTC site is unsafe. Then you say "cryptolocker guys need some lessons from coinbase" which i understand as Coinbase is secure enough to metaphorically teach the crypto guys how to do their job. Haha, no worries though

In case you missed it, and you did, cryptolocker is a virus (look it up).

[leogdesouza]

How does this face-to-face transactions are done? I mean, OK, I'll bring USD 500 and you'll give me the equivalent in BTC. But how? A mobile application?

[Ruzka]

I just use coinbase, that or local bitcoins probably.

[Haidang1796]

I believe it's by the middle person. It's not safe for face to face

[chaosknight]

How does this face-to-face transactions are done? I mean, OK, I'll bring USD 500 and you'll give me the equivalent in BTC. But how? A mobile application?

Yes but what can you do if the people do the double spend technique after that?

[leogdesouza]

double spend technique? What is that?