Ordering products off the TV in seconds with Bitcoin...

[Michael Robinson]

I was watching TV and they were showing an ad for a product.  At the end of the commercial they provided a number you can call to order it.  So I'm thinking "Okay, I call that number, go through a bunch of menu options, wait on hold for X number of minutes, get a person, create an account and/or give them my name, address, phone number, credit card number, expiration, security code, etc etc."  

However, with Bitcoin, they could just show a QR code and say "Send Bitcoin here, include a note with your address."  You press a couple buttons on your cell phone, and you are done in seconds.  They receive the Bitcoin along with your address, and can mail the product to you.

Probably be seeing this in the near future?

[neofelis]

Be careful though. Would you send cash to somebody you don't know on the other side of the globe? Sending bitcoin is the same as cash. If the other guy decides to rip you off, what is your recourse? If he claims he never received it or that you sent it to the wrong address, what is your recourse?

I think bitcoin is far better for face to face sales at least at this point.  Maybe some sort of escrow service will be used for online purchases but right now you are relying strictly on the reputation of the receiving individual.

Caveat Emptor!

[ThePurplePlanet]

Be careful though. Would you send cash to somebody you don't know on the other side of the globe? Sending bitcoin is the same as cash. If the other guy decides to rip you off, what is your recourse? If he claims he never received it or that you sent it to the wrong address, what is your recourse?

I think bitcoin is far better for face to face sales at least at this point.  Maybe some sort of escrow service will be used for online purchases but right now you are relying strictly on the reputation of the receiving individual.

Caveat Emptor!

There can be reputable escrow services with multisig transactions until the product is delivrred

[Schumacher]

Sending bitcoin is the same as cash. You can send bitcoin to somebody you don't know and just be robbed

[franky1]

easy to implement. customers simply register with the TV channel their name, home(delivery) address and their bitcoin public address.(a one time event just for registration)

and all the TV channel need to do is display a qr code that is unique to each product so they know what people are ordering


the TV channel will see incoming transactions and know what the product request is, due to the bitcoin address receiving the funds.
imagine the QRcode address was 1H0m35m4rt54mur145h4rp3n3rb1ahb1ahb1ah (homesmart samurai sharpener for laymans example), but in actual real world it would be a non-vanity address that is logged on the stock database as being linked to the sharpener (much like a barcode that never changes)

thn simply monitoring the blockchain, a script can see who paid and know where to deliver it to due to the bitcoin address the customer is sending the funds from matches the bitcoin address they logged when registering.

they ship out goods without needing a telephone call centre or banking system processing customer card payments.

no home address passes through the blockchain or the earphone of a sales reps phone-headset.

[guybrushthreepwood]

Sounds like a good idea, but you can usually always just go online and order the stuff as well. I think a payment processor app could get around if there's any problems ie the place doesn't actually ship you the good etc.

[Balls]

I think it's a good idea. Might not get chance to scan the QR code in time if its on an advert though lol

[hilariousandco]

I could see this happening. I'm sure these sort of companies would rather get around having to deal with creditcard companies etc as they always take a nice little slice of their profit in fees.

[Peter R]

I was watching TV and they were showing an ad for a product.  At the end of the commercial they provided a number you can call to order it.  So I'm thinking "Okay, I call that number, go through a bunch of menu options, wait on hold for X number of minutes, get a person, create an account and/or give them my name, address, phone number, credit card number, expiration, security code, etc etc."  

However, with Bitcoin, they could just show a QR code and say "Send Bitcoin here, include a note with your address."  You press a couple buttons on your cell phone, and you are done in seconds.  They receive the Bitcoin along with your address, and can mail the product to you.

Probably be seeing this in the near future?

This will come eventually if bitcoin adoption continues to grow.  There is already Pounce which permits one-touch ordering with bitcoin.  You scan an item from a flyer with your phone, the Pounce App recognizes it, you press "buy," and the product is shipped to the address you have on file with Pounce.  Pounce then debits your Coinbase account.  It is actually a really cool idea that for some reason never got a lot of attention.  

The QR code on the TV add is just one application of this general concept of linking a bitcoin address (or a chain of BIP32 addresses) with a shipping address.  Imagine QR codes on pizza menus, or QR codes on everyday household products.  If you want to order a pizza, just scan the QR code next to your selection, press "pay," and receive the pizza at your door 20 minutes later.  Or perhaps you just ran out of laundry detergent: scan the QR code, press "pay," and a new container is automatically shipped to you.  

Bitcoin opens up a lot of exciting possibilities.  

[franky1]

I think it's a good idea. Might not get chance to scan the QR code in time if its on an advert though lol

1990:
i think telephone ordering is a good idea. but might not get a chance to note down the telephone number on paper or type the number into a phone in time if its on an advert

I could see this happening. I'm sure these sort of companies would rather get around having to deal with creditcard companies etc as they always take a nice little slice of their profit in fees.

exactly. instead of being charged per customer transaction, they can just hoard all incoming bitcoins and then make one time withdrawls for FIAT.
also they can do without the 'sales operators' on th phone lines and only need to keep the complaints department alive, thus saving alot on their labour budget

[tabnloz]

I was watching TV and they were showing an ad for a product.  At the end of the commercial they provided a number you can call to order it.  So I'm thinking "Okay, I call that number, go through a bunch of menu options, wait on hold for X number of minutes, get a person, create an account and/or give them my name, address, phone number, credit card number, expiration, security code, etc etc."  

However, with Bitcoin, they could just show a QR code and say "Send Bitcoin here, include a note with your address."  You press a couple buttons on your cell phone, and you are done in seconds.  They receive the Bitcoin along with your address, and can mail the product to you.

Probably be seeing this in the near future?

This will come eventually if bitcoin adoption continues to grow.  There is already Pounce which permits one-touch ordering with bitcoin.  You scan an item from a flyer with your phone, the Pounce App recognizes it, you press "buy," and the product is shipped to the address you have on file with Pounce.  Pounce then debits your Coinbase account.  It is actually a really cool idea that for some reason never got a lot of attention.  

The QR code on the TV add is just one application of this general concept of linking a bitcoin address (or a chain of BIP32 addresses) with a shipping address.  Imagine QR codes on pizza menus, or QR codes on everyday household products.  If you want to order a pizza, just scan the QR code next to your selection, press "pay," and receive the pizza at your door 20 minutes later.  Or perhaps you just ran out of laundry detergent: scan the QR code, press "pay," and a new container is automatically shipped to you.  

Bitcoin opens up a lot of exciting possibilities.  

Anyone remember the advertisements in Starship Troopers?

[franky1]

Anyone remember the advertisements in Starship Troopers?

"im doing my part, service guarantee's citizenship, would you like to know more?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMTz9nIUkGc

[isidore]

I was watching TV and they were showing an ad for a product.  At the end of the commercial they provided a number you can call to order it.  So I'm thinking "Okay, I call that number, go through a bunch of menu options, wait on hold for X number of minutes, get a person, create an account and/or give them my name, address, phone number, credit card number, expiration, security code, etc etc."  

However, with Bitcoin, they could just show a QR code and say "Send Bitcoin here, include a note with your address."  You press a couple buttons on your cell phone, and you are done in seconds.  They receive the Bitcoin along with your address, and can mail the product to you.

Probably be seeing this in the near future?

I've thought about this myself also - paying is not a problem, but "include a note with your address" is the part that doesn't work just yet. There isn't an agree-upon way to store the note.
With BIP070 it appears there will be the ability to send a memo with the payment. See here:
https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0070.mediawiki

[runam0k]

The note would need to be encrypted somehow - you wouldn't want your address linked to the seller's BTC address in a public way for all to see.

[matt608]

I think this is a good idea worth perusing.  As others have pointed out, an escrow service would be needed and could be done use multisig transactions, as well as the address needing to be sent privately to the seller so it's not there for everyone to see.

Setting up an escrow business that carries out this service for products advertised on TV could be a great opportunity, as well as being brilliant promotion for bitcoin.  

[franky1]

I think this is a good idea worth perusing.  As others have pointed out, an escrow service would be needed and could be done use multisig transactions, as well as the address needing to be sent privately to the seller so it's not there for everyone to see.

Setting up an escrow business that carries out this service for products advertised on TV could be a great opportunity, as well as being brilliant promotion for bitcoin.  

TV shopping channels are legitimate companies that have to abide by certain laws and sales of goods acts. thus you can trust they will refund people. so escrow is not really a requirement in regards with this topic.

and there does not need a 'message'.... customers just sign up to the TV network with 3 details
name, home address, and a bitcoin public address before they shop (once in a life time event)..

the rest is easily done by qr codes and public address recognition linked to the stock database and customer database. and customers can then freely buy what they want when they want simply by funding the QR code on screen.


i find it funny how people put bitcoin into exchanges freely. but think a TV station is not to be trusted. in my eyes escrow services should only be used for strangers/unknown recipients you have not trust with. not legitimate businesses. as the 1% escrow fee most places charge and the 1% bitpay cashout fee, will make merchants think that bitcoin is still 2% and delayed, much like visa.. causing them to not want to use bitcoin.

it needs to be straight forward to impliment, self managing, cheap, cost saving..and fast