Bitcoins TRAPPED in Express Coin Bitcoin Wallet

[lcook411]

Hi, I am a newbie to buying bit coins but a couple of weeks ago I had no trouble signing up for bit coin and I was shunted into express coin where I bought the bit coins. It showed confirmation of getting my check and the dollar amount and bit coin amount showed up on the express coin dashboard and in the wallet showed a big long address with numbers and letters. Problem is I tried several times to make my purchase and it said I had zero in my bit coin wallet! I have had slew of emails back and forth from Express coin and they couldn't be less helpful basically double talk. I can find no contact information for bit coin. I also downloaded the latest version of bit coin core (it took almost a week to "sync network") and it still says 0.00. I have tried every button and tab with no success and I am at my absolute wits end! Can someone PLEASE help me in a language I can understand?

[1714108477]

1714108477

[1714108477]

1714108477

[Newar]

[...]
a big long address with numbers and letters. [...]

Show us that one and we might get a clue.

[lcook411]

Hi Newar, I might be getting somewhere (Maybe!~) Just got an email from express coin containing the link to my wallet with Block chain (I didn't know I had it). Inoticed two difference bit coin addresses as follows:  express coin 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi   and   for block chain it is  f54a0bf0-6839-460a-9980-0f08cbd7d175. Does that shed any light??? 

[lcook411]

I c/p the express coin address into the block chain search box and the express coin transaction and funds appeared! However, I went to the site to make purchase and it pulled up my bit coin QT core wallet (the one that took a week to sync) which, of course, still has no funds in it!!!! Does not go to internet based location like block chain or express coin for funds!! So I need to know how to get funds from express coin to block chain to bit coin qt?

[Newar]

Hi Newar, I might be getting somewhere (Maybe!~) Just got an email from express coin containing the link to my wallet with Block chain (I didn't know I had it). Inoticed two difference bit coin addresses as follows:  express coin 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi   and   for block chain it is  f54a0bf0-6839-460a-9980-0f08cbd7d175. Does that shed any light???  

The first one is what is generally called a bitcoin address. A multi-signature one in this caae.

The second starting with f is a transaction ID. You don't have walleet at blockchain, I don't think. Unless you made one. blockchain.info is also a block explorer site, showing what is happening on *the* blockchain. If you wish, you can double check for example on btc.blockr.io Wrong info, sorry, see below.

If I understand you correctly the next step for you to do is a transaction from your Expresscoin account to your Bitcoin Core (Qt).

To do this select "Receive" in Bitcoin Core and it will give you a address starting with a 1. This address you copy and paste in to your sending page at Expresscoin (I don't know that site, so don't know it's setup and process exactly). Then authorise the transaction and it should show up in your Bitcoin Qt shortly afterwards, depending on how soon blocks are found.

If you are unsure you also can do a test transaction of e.g. 0.01 BTC so see how it works. You will have to pay the miners a small fee every time you do a tx, but in this case, take it as a "tuition fee" for your first bitcoin lesson
 

[lcook411]

Firstly, Express coin is saying I have a Block Chain wallet and that my money is there. They say they can't help me because of that.
Express Coin is where I originally "loaded my wallet" by sending them a check and the funds appeared there on their site. I did not know what wallet I had until express coin finally told me a couple of days ago which they said is Block Chain. When I got to block chain I had to register a login and password and then I could see the transaction with Express Coin but still I can't access my money from my Block Chain wallet (as Express Coin says I should be able to do) and there is no money in Blockchain. Secondly, there is no address starting with a "1" showing when I am in my bit coin core wallet when I hit the "Receive" button and there is nowhere on express coin to "send". Plus they say they do not have my funds. Something I did not mention before maybe this is the problem:  When I first downloaded bit coin core (or thought I did) everything went smoothly (I thought) and I found express coin through bit coin and sent my money etc. When the money showed up on Express coin (they got my check) I went to the online store to make my purchase with bit coins. Suddenly I had no Bitcoin core wallet application and therefore no money. No customer support at Bitcoin to help with that so express coin said they don't have my money it's in some wallet. I download bit coin core wallet again. It took almost a whole week to "sync network" with blocks etc. Finally when it was finished syncing it showed a zero balance. Still unable to make the purchase at the online store as there is a zero balance in my bircoin core wallet. Thirdly, concerning btw.blockr.io I did a search using my bit coin address (the one starting with 35m... listed at express coin) and it came up with an address starting with "1"called a "hash". Not sure if this is correct address or not. I starting to think this is hopeless.   FYI I sent another email to Express Coin as follows: 
There are no funds in my Block Chain wallet as you say. Where are my funds? I sent the check through your website when I "loaded my wallet" and it showed up on your site. When I followed the link you gave me yesterday to Block Chain wallet I had no wallet set up and had to register with their site and now they show zero balance. The online store goes straight to my bit coin core wallet anyway. I need to find out where this money is and how to send it to my bit coin core wallet which has zero in it. I can't believe this!!!

[cma3]

apparently they, jeff -- in this case, are on here.

you may try seeking out support directly with EC.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=361595.msg7262682#msg7262682

[lcook411]

Here's todays response from EC:

Hi Lauren,

You need to find out how you created your wallet address that you provided us.  You need to access the wallet from the same source from where it was created.

Linking your wallet simply shows the balance of your wallet, it serves no other purpose than that.

Block chain is a website that shows all the bitcoin transactions that have occured in this world, its a big vault, it is to show you that your coins are sitting in the address that you gave us when placing your order.

Hope this clears up some confusion,

-Justin

HOW THE HELL DO I "FIND OUT HOW I CREATED MY WALLET ADDRESS"

HOW DO I FIND JEFF?

[cma3]

as mentioned before the usual steps are like so:

(forget about expresscoin for a second)

- create a wallet

- buy or receive (gift, faucet, etc) bitcoin

- send those bitcoins to your wallet


so my question to you is did you create a wallet? did you go to blockchain.info/wallet (for instance) and create one?


my second question is, on expresscoin do you show a balance?

[shorena]

Hi Newar, I might be getting somewhere (Maybe!~) Just got an email from express coin containing the link to my wallet with Block chain (I didn't know I had it). Inoticed two difference bit coin addresses as follows:  express coin 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi   and   for block chain it is  f54a0bf0-6839-460a-9980-0f08cbd7d175. Does that shed any light???  

This: f54a0bf0-6839-460a-9980-0f08cbd7d175
is your login for your blockchain.info wallet [1], it is also known as "Wallet Identifier". I hope you have a good password.

This: 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi is a multi sig address. It currentl has a single unspend output of 0.43610425 BTC. These ~0.4 BTC have been send there on 25th of september. Not sure if that is actually yours.

I c/p the express coin address into the block chain search box and the express coin transaction and funds appeared! However, I went to the site to make purchase and it pulled up my bit coin QT core wallet (the one that took a week to sync) which, of course, still has no funds in it!!!! Does not go to internet based location like block chain or express coin for funds!! So I need to know how to get funds from express coin to block chain to bit coin qt?

Thats not how bitcoin works. If you want your coin in another wallet you have to send them there. First step is to figure out where your coins actually are and how you can access them. Usually this will be done like Newar described, but you said you got a Mail from Expresscoin with login data for blockchain.info?

Firstly, Express coin is saying I have a Block Chain wallet and that my money is there.

I hope they said blockchain.info wallet, because "blockchain" is where all bitcoins are. You normally have access to some sort of account on a website or a local client (like bitcoin core) that allows you to "move" these coins, but they are not actually "on" your computer, like a picture or a document. You can think of them like data in a cloud, but only certain people are allowed to change them.

They say they can't help me because of that.

That is a good sign, at least in terms of their service.

Express Coin is where I originally "loaded my wallet" by sending them a check and the funds appeared there on their site.

Are these funds still shown there?

I did not know what wallet I had until express coin finally told me a couple of days ago which they said is Block Chain.

Again "Block Chain" is not a wallet. It is the cloud I wrote about earlier. If they confuse the blockchain with blockchain.info it is not a good sign.

When I got to block chain I had to register a login and password and then I could see the transaction with Express Coin but still I can't access my money from my Block Chain wallet (as Express Coin says I should be able to do) and there is no money in Blockchain.

Did you withdraw your bitcoin from Expresscoin?

Secondly, there is no address starting with a "1" showing when I am in my bit coin core wallet when I hit the "Receive" button

Well clicking the button is not enough. To give someone your "receiving address" you can either check the list under "File" -> "Receiving addresses..." or you click on "Receive" and "Request payment" it will show a window like this:

and there is nowhere on express coin to "send". Plus they say they do not have my funds.

Wait. You said earlier you send them a check and it showed on their site. When and how did this change?

Something I did not mention before maybe this is the problem:  When I first downloaded bit coin core (or thought I did) everything went smoothly (I thought) and I found express coin through bit coin and sent my money etc.

You what? You found expresscoin through bitcoin? I dont understand what you are saying here.

When the money showed up on Express coin (they got my check) I went to the online store to make my purchase with bit coins. Suddenly I had no Bitcoin core wallet application and therefore no money.

But if you can withdraw from Expresscoin, how can you make a purchase with the coins? Its like saying, yeah someone send me money to my bankaccount and then I went into a shop, but my wallet was empty. You have to withdraw first.

And "suddently"? What do you want to say with that. Did you have a balance on bitcoin core before that?

No customer support at Bitcoin

Bitcoin is not a company.

to help with that so express coin said they don't have my money it's in some wallet.

Ask them to which address they send your coins. Since you bought them and they apparently do not store them for you, they had to send them to a bitcoin address. They look like the one in the picture above. For someone starting with Bitcoin they would start with a 1. It would be very strange if you indeed had an address that started with a 3, because thats ... uhm lets just say "advanced bitcoin stuff" for now, to keep things simple.

I download bit coin core wallet again.

What did you do with the old data? Did you make a backup of the wallet.dat file?

It took almost a whole week to "sync network" with blocks etc. Finally when it was finished syncing it showed a zero balance.

If its a newly generated wallet thats normal.

Still unable to make the purchase at the online store as there is a zero balance in my bircoin core wallet. Thirdly, concerning btw.blockr.io I did a search using my bit coin address (the one starting with 35m... listed at express coin) and it came up with an address starting with "1"called a "hash". Not sure if this is correct address or not. I starting to think this is hopeless.  FYI I sent another email to Express Coin as follows:  
There are no funds in my Block Chain wallet as you say. Where are my funds? I sent the check through your website when I "loaded my wallet" and it showed up on your site. When I followed the link you gave me yesterday to Block Chain wallet I had no wallet set up and had to register with their site and now they show zero balance. The online store goes straight to my bit coin core wallet anyway. I need to find out where this money is and how to send it to my bit coin core wallet which has zero in it. I can't believe this!!!

Here's todays response from EC:

Hi Lauren,

You need to find out how you created your wallet address that you provided us.  You need to access the wallet from the same source from where it was created.

Linking your wallet simply shows the balance of your wallet, it serves no other purpose than that.

Block chain is a website that shows all the bitcoin transactions that have occured in this world, its a big vault, it is to show you that your coins are sitting in the address that you gave us when placing your order.

Hope this clears up some confusion,

-Justin

HOW THE HELL DO I "FIND OUT HOW I CREATED MY WALLET ADDRESS"

HOW DO I FIND JEFF?

There seems to be a step missing in your story or its not chronologically.

You gave them an address of a bitcoin wallet in order to make the purchase.

# which one? they should know if you dont remember
# where was it from? If you dont remember that, noone else will.
## was it from the first installment of bitcoin-core?


[1] https://blockchain.info/wallet/login

[lcook411]

Thank you for your wonderful help! I am trying to find out from Express Coin which address they sent my coins. I think there must be a wallet.dat that wasn't backed up or whatever and I have lost all my money.

This: 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi is a multi sig address. It currentl has a single unspend output of 0.43610425 BTC. These ~0.4 BTC have been send there on 25th of september. Not sure if that is actually yours.  YES THAT IS MINE

I have one last question. I uploaded a picture of the check I was sending to them (EC) as well as my DL and became an "Advanced Member". Cannot find the uploaded pics now at EC in my account. Should I ask them what happened to this? I want to delete it as it has my bank account number listed on the check and DL info. So scared of identity theft. Boy this is all giving me an ulcer. Wish I had done some research before jumping in.

[shorena]

Oh well, we'll see. I have one last question. I uploaded a picture of the check I was sending to them (EC) as well as my DL and became an "Advanced Member". Cannot find the uploaded pics now at EC in my account. Should I ask them what happened to this?

Usually exchanges are required to do this by AML/KYC laws. Ask them, but I suspect you will get an answer similar to: sorry, gotta keep that in case the government knocks.
You can avoid this in the future if you trade directly with someone else, e.g. by meeting in person. Prices are usually a bit higher (~ +5%) when meeting in person, but if privacy is a concern it might be worth it.

I want to delete it as it has my bank account number listed on the check and DL info. So scared of identity theft. Boy this is all giving me an ulcer. Wish I had done some research before jumping in.

a few links

- https://bitcoin.org/en/getting-started
dont skip part 1 and take your time on part 2, there is suitable wallet for all skill levels.
- https://bitcoin.org/en/how-it-works

- https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
advanced, but still recommended, read it again after 3 and 6 month and you will understand more every time.

[lcook411]

Here's EC latest response: 

This is the wallet address you provided: 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi

It looks like you found someone to assist you, great.

Goodluck,

-Justin

[lcook411]

Oh well, we'll see. I have one last question. I uploaded a picture of the check I was sending to them (EC) as well as my DL and became an "Advanced Member". Cannot find the uploaded pics now at EC in my account. Should I ask them what happened to this?

Usually exchanges are required to do this by AML/KYC laws. Ask them, but I suspect you will get an answer similar to: sorry, gotta keep that in case the government knocks.

IS IT SAFE???

You can avoid this in the future if you trade directly with someone else, e.g. by meeting in person. Prices are usually a bit higher (~ +5%) when meeting in person, but if privacy is a concern it might be worth it.

NO FUTURE I GOT BURNED BECAUSE THIS IS ALL TO COMPLICATED

I want to delete it as it has my bank account number listed on the check and DL info. So scared of identity theft. Boy this is all giving me an ulcer. Wish I had done some research before jumping in.

I WILL CHECK OUT THESE LINKS THANKS

a few links

- https://bitcoin.org/en/getting-started
dont skip part 1 and take your time on part 2, there is suitable wallet for all skill levels.
- https://bitcoin.org/en/how-it-works

- https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
advanced, but still recommended, read it again after 3 and 6 month and you will understand more every time.

[SgtSpike]

This is the wallet address you provided: 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi

Everything hinges on this.  WHERE did you get that address (the 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi)?

A bitcoin address is sort of like a bank account number.  You bought bitcoins and told them to send it to a particular bank account number.  They sent the bitcoins, and now you are asking them where your bitcoins are.  Well, they don't have them, because they sent them to the bank account number you gave to them.  They are now in that bank account number.  You need to remember where or how you created that bank account so you can log in and use the coins.

[shorena]

Usually exchanges are required to do this by AML/KYC laws. Ask them, but I suspect you will get an answer similar to: sorry, gotta keep that in case the government knocks.

IS IT SAFE???

Depends. Do you trust your government? Its nothing they can change. They can either follow the rules of the country they work in or risk to get shut down. I think an exchange that is following the rules is more trustworthy as they have less reasons to scam you.

You can avoid this in the future if you trade directly with someone else, e.g. by meeting in person. Prices are usually a bit higher (~ +5%) when meeting in person, but if privacy is a concern it might be worth it.

NO FUTURE I GOT BURNED BECAUSE THIS IS ALL TO COMPLICATED

Dont give up. This might be an expensive lesson but you might as well be able to recover your coins, or (re)gain control over them.

This is the wallet address you provided: 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi

Everything hinges on this.  WHERE did you get that address (the 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi)?

A bitcoin address is sort of like a bank account number.  You bought bitcoins and told them to send it to a particular bank account number.  They sent the bitcoins, and now you are asking them where your bitcoins are.  Well, they don't have them, because they sent them to the bank account number you gave to them.  They are now in that bank account number.  You need to remember where or how you created that bank account so you can log in and use the coins.

This address is indeed strange/interesting. It is not likely that its made with bitcoin core, which might bring us back to the bc.i account.

A little background: Addresses that start with a 3 are usually multi sig addresses. Most addresses have a private key that allows you to sign a transaction. The private key is related to an address and is all you need if you want to spend bitcoin. Usually we dont have to handle those ourself, we have wallets for that. Either locally or as a service online.
Multi sig addresses can be signed not only by one private key but by several private keys, like a joint account. There are different types, but the most common would be 2 of 3, which means there are 3 possible private keys and to issue a transaction 2 signatures are required. But 1 of 7 is equally possible as 3 of 7 or 4 of 4.
Thus its not something you just just create.
AFAIK blockchain.info does not support multi sig addresses currently. Was it maybe from some other service or from the shop you mentioned?

[lcook411]

Thanks Sgt. Spike and Shorena. Think I went down a rabbit hole. As far as I can remember everything was handled by EC. Now they say they don't know where the coins are. I have pushed every button tried every address since Sept 25 and my eyes are crossed. Don't think this was meant to happen. Lesson learned!    Last idea:  I have a screen shot of my EC bit coin wallet. How do I do I upload it here?

[SgtSpike]

Thanks Sgt. Spike and Shorena. Think I went down a rabbit hole. As far as I can remember everything was handled by EC. Now they say they don't know where the coins are. I have pushed every button tried every address since Sept 25 and my eyes are crossed. Don't think this was meant to happen. Lesson learned!    Does this help to see this???......

/Users/lauren/Desktop/Screen Shot 2014-10-17 at 7.09.44 PM.png

Go here:  http://imgur.com/

Click on "upload images", then "browse your computer".  Find the image, click "Open", then "Start Upload".  And finally, copy and paste the resulting web address (in your browser's address bar) here.  Then we'll be able to see the image you are trying to post.

[lcook411]

<a href="http://imgur.com/de1a6sd"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/de1a6sd.png?1" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

[Newar]

One thing I don't see answered: Have you ever created an account at blockchain.info and if yes, can you still access it? And if you can access it, is the 35mYvUjMqiAYeobVhLc85PtHCmZKGeZ9Bi address somewhere in there?

If not, by chance did you look at this link and picked any from those? https://www.expresscoin.com/wallets  If yes, which one?

Some of those support multi-signature transactions. My guess is maybe you created a wallet at BitGo too?