New Bitcoin-Accepting Site in UK - Chocolates!

[cpt_howdy]

In collaboration with a chocolatier friend of mine, we've just launched a Bitcoin-enabled version of his online shop - you can find it at: http://the-chocolate-tree.bit-trade.co.uk
The shop is Bitcoin-only, uses Bit-Pay as the payment system, and Opencart as the backbone of the site.
Trust me, the chocolate is amazing, and some novelty Bitcoin purchases from the community would be much appreciated!

[Matthew N. Wright]

In collaboration with a chocolatier friend of mine, we've just launched a Bitcoin-enabled version of his online shop - you can find it at: http://the-chocolate-tree.bit-trade.co.uk
The shop is Bitcoin-only, uses Bit-Pay as the payment system, and Opencart as the backbone of the site.
Trust me, the chocolate is amazing, and some novelty Bitcoin purchases from the community would be much appreciated!

What's a non-bitcoin enabled version of his site look like?

[Bitcoin Oz]

Now my wife loves bitcoin 

[cpt_howdy]

OK, maybe Bitcoin-enabled sounds a little stupid - anyway, this is the existing (Paypal) site:

http://www.the-chocolate-tree.co.uk/

In collaboration with a chocolatier friend of mine, we've just launched a Bitcoin-enabled version of his online shop - you can find it at: http://the-chocolate-tree.bit-trade.co.uk
The shop is Bitcoin-only, uses Bit-Pay as the payment system, and Opencart as the backbone of the site.
Trust me, the chocolate is amazing, and some novelty Bitcoin purchases from the community would be much appreciated!

What's a non-bitcoin enabled version of his site look like?

[Matthew N. Wright]

OK, maybe Bitcoin-enabled sounds a little stupid - anyway, this is the existing (Paypal) site:

http://www.the-chocolate-tree.co.uk/

In collaboration with a chocolatier friend of mine, we've just launched a Bitcoin-enabled version of his online shop - you can find it at: http://the-chocolate-tree.bit-trade.co.uk
The shop is Bitcoin-only, uses Bit-Pay as the payment system, and Opencart as the backbone of the site.
Trust me, the chocolate is amazing, and some novelty Bitcoin purchases from the community would be much appreciated!

What's a non-bitcoin enabled version of his site look like?

Thank you. The reason I asked obviously is because there are so many self-important unsuccessful "companies" (guys running a single page website from their home PC) who think that adding BItcoin to the site makes them notable. Just wanted to make it clear what was going on, that the company in question had a history and wasn't just you. ^_^


EDIT: This does beg to ask though-- why isn't the site adding bitcoin to itself directly? Anyone could be claiming to be representing them with a separate site and just stealing bitcoins.

[cpt_howdy]

Good question - it would be a fairly unsustainable scam to setup an unsanctioned site to steal coins though.
In the case of this site, one way you can tell it's genuine is to put through an order - you will receive an email from an "@the-chocolate-tree.co.uk" address once your order goes through. A counter-question though Matthew, how can you tell any small-trading site is genuine? The original Chocolate Tree site using paypal could be a scam too. My point is - why assume Bitcoin operations are scams until proven otherwise?

To answer the question - why doesn't the Chocolate Tree just add a Bitcoin option? Well, that was how this idea came about - I asked them if they would like to do that, and it was clear that this would be either too much work for them, or extra expense to pay their web-coder to implement the Bitcoin payment option. So I offered to setup an Opencart site instead - it doesn't take long, and crucially Bit-Pay makes it a viable and easy route to selling products using Bitcoin.

OK, maybe Bitcoin-enabled sounds a little stupid - anyway, this is the existing (Paypal) site:

http://www.the-chocolate-tree.co.uk/

In collaboration with a chocolatier friend of mine, we've just launched a Bitcoin-enabled version of his online shop - you can find it at: http://the-chocolate-tree.bit-trade.co.uk
The shop is Bitcoin-only, uses Bit-Pay as the payment system, and Opencart as the backbone of the site.
Trust me, the chocolate is amazing, and some novelty Bitcoin purchases from the community would be much appreciated!

What's a non-bitcoin enabled version of his site look like?

Thank you. The reason I asked obviously is because there are so many self-important unsuccessful "companies" (guys running a single page website from their home PC) who think that adding BItcoin to the site makes them notable. Just wanted to make it clear what was going on, that the company in question had a history and wasn't just you. ^_^


EDIT: This does beg to ask though-- why isn't the site adding bitcoin to itself directly? Anyone could be claiming to be representing them with a separate site and just stealing bitcoins.

[cpt_howdy]

But your wife won't love you until you buy her some of them chocolates

Now my wife loves bitcoin 

[cpt_howdy]

Thanks for taking the time to point this stuff out. As for your questions:

1. If you checkout the link 'delivery' in the footer, I've added a line which now shows the shipping costs (I use a script from coinmill.com to convert the shipping costs using the current GBP-BTC rate) (http://the-chocolate-tree.bit-trade.co.uk/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=8).

2. I'll have to look into this - will probably involve some Opencart coding or at least an option I haven't come across yet.

3. I'll get back to you on that - but for 0.6 BTC, I'm guessing not much

1. I can't find the P&P price on the Bitcoin site. It's easy to find on the PayPal site.

2. I don't have a horizontal scroll bar on the Bitcoin site (Firefox 12 on Fedora). I do have a horizontal scroll bar on the PayPal site.

3. Is there any absinthe in the Absinthe Masks? If so, how much?

[Matthew N. Wright]

Good question - it would be a fairly unsustainable scam to setup an unsanctioned site to steal coins though.

You'd be surprised how many unsustainable scams in the Bitcoin community there are, especially ones that start out looking perfectly above board.

In the case of this site, one way you can tell it's genuine is to put through an order - you will receive an email from an "@the-chocolate-tree.co.uk" address once your order goes through.

Anyone can act as a middle man. The claim is that the company in question is directly accepting Bitcoin (which is news). If it's just you accepting bitcoins and buying chocolate for people, that's not news-- hence my inquiry.

Why assume Bitcoin operations are scams until proven otherwise?

Not a scam per se, just not honest. My only question lies in the claim "New Bitcoin-Accepting Site in UK - Chocolates!". It's vague and misleading. Either you're accepting bitcoins and ordering yourself and as such are not connected to them at all and just using their graphics (misrepresentation, not scam per se, but privacy issues and potential for scamming are there), or you're helping them by setting up a different portal in which case they should have no problem confirming this.

To answer the question - why doesn't the Chocolate Tree just add a Bitcoin option? Well, that was how this idea came about - I asked them if they would like to do that, and it was clear that this would be either too much work for them, or extra expense to pay their web-coder to implement the Bitcoin payment option. So I offered to setup an Opencart site instead - it doesn't take long, and crucially Bit-Pay makes it a viable and easy route to selling products using Bitcoin.

Again, not trying to start our relationship off on a bad note here new guy, but that isn't proof of anything. I could say that Disney said the same thing to me and just have a bitcoin gateway site to their online Disney store. Confirmation from them will shut me up.

[cpt_howdy]

Just to nip this in the bud - this is what best describes my part in this, as a provider of a portal for selling products from small businesses using Bitcoin.

Not a scam per se, just not honest. My only question lies in the claim "New Bitcoin-Accepting Site in UK - Chocolates!". It's vague and misleading. Either you're accepting bitcoins and ordering yourself and as such are not connected to them at all and just using their graphics (misrepresentation, not scam per se, but privacy issues and potential for scamming are there), or you're helping them by setting up a different portal in which case they should have no problem confirming this.

Most small traders don't even know anything about Bitcoins or how to exchange and spend/receive them, are very busy with their businesses as it is, so to give them an incentive to use a Bitcoin payment option, it has to be minimal effort, minimal/zero cost.
I intend to get as many of the local small businesses where I live to start accepting Bitcoins through the portal, since it takes only a small amount of my time, and a small amount of money (webhosting). At the moment, it's just the Chocolate Tree, because it's owned by a friend of mine - however, I aim to get some more on board soon. I've literally just got going with this project a week ago, and I'm doing this mostly to promote Bitcoin as a viable currency and payment system. Hopefully enough products will sell through bit-trade (http://www.bit-trade.co.uk/) to cover the webhosting costs, but I'm not going to make much profit from this. Hopefully things will get to the point where Bitcoin is so widely accepted, a portal site like bit-trade won't be necessary.

Finally, if you really want confirmation that this particular site is 'legit', then just contact The Chocolate Tree directly through their email address and ask the owner.

[Matthew N. Wright]

Just to nip this in the bud - this is what best describes my part in this, as a provider of a portal for selling products from small businesses using Bitcoin.

Not a scam per se, just not honest. My only question lies in the claim "New Bitcoin-Accepting Site in UK - Chocolates!". It's vague and misleading. Either you're accepting bitcoins and ordering yourself and as such are not connected to them at all and just using their graphics (misrepresentation, not scam per se, but privacy issues and potential for scamming are there), or you're helping them by setting up a different portal in which case they should have no problem confirming this.

Most small traders don't even know anything about Bitcoins or how to exchange and spend/receive them, are very busy with their businesses as it is, so to give them an incentive to use a Bitcoin payment option, it has to be minimal effort, minimal/zero cost.
I intend to get as many of the local small businesses where I live to start accepting Bitcoins through the portal, since it takes only a small amount of my time, and a small amount of money (webhosting). At the moment, it's just the Chocolate Tree, because it's owned by a friend of mine - however, I aim to get some more on board soon. I've literally just got going with this project a week ago, and I'm doing this mostly to promote Bitcoin as a viable currency and payment system. Hopefully enough products will sell through bit-trade (http://www.bit-trade.co.uk/) to cover the webhosting costs, but I'm not going to make much profit from this. Hopefully things will get to the point where Bitcoin is so widely accepted, a portal site like bit-trade won't be necessary.

Finally, if you really want confirmation that this particular site is 'legit', then just contact The Chocolate Tree directly through their email address and ask the owner.

Thank you for making that clear. Keep up the good work and good luck!

[unclescrooge]

Now i want some

[thirdlight]

Delivery page (1.13) doesn't agree with cart (1.16) about shipping. Chocolate looks good, though.

[Bitcoin Oz]

But your wife won't love you until you buy her some of them chocolates

Now my wife loves bitcoin 

We just ran out of hot chocolate so I ordered some from  your site 

[film2240]

I've checked out this site and I love the choices of chocolate.As a guy who likes fine food (and fine chocolate),I'm happy with the range on offer.nice designs especially the one where the mask itself is made out of chocolate while containing more chocolates inside.Talk about clever design.

[cpt_howdy]

Thanks for the order - hot chocolate should be on its long journey from Scotland to Australia this week!

But your wife won't love you until you buy her some of them chocolates

Now my wife loves bitcoin 

We just ran out of hot chocolate so I ordered some from  your site 

[cpt_howdy]

Thanks - will pass your comments along. Where are you based? International shipping is available, but is just not currently automated - so shipping costs have to be calculated on an order by order basis. Feel free to place an order wherever you are though!

I've checked out this site and I love the choices of chocolate.As a guy who likes fine food (and fine chocolate),I'm happy with the range on offer.nice designs especially the one where the mask itself is made out of chocolate while containing more chocolates inside.Talk about clever design.

[scribe]

Fancy chocolates and UK based? Great stuff - I'm expecting the BTC/GBP rate to start jumping Will have to give the ordering system a test soon, I think...

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Good question - it would be a fairly unsustainable scam to setup an unsanctioned site to steal coins though.
In the case of this site, one way you can tell it's genuine is to put through an order - you will receive an email from an "@the-chocolate-tree.co.uk" address once your order goes through. A counter-question though Matthew, how can you tell any small-trading site is genuine? The original Chocolate Tree site using paypal could be a scam too. My point is - why assume Bitcoin operations are scams until proven otherwise?

To answer the question - why doesn't the Chocolate Tree just add a Bitcoin option? Well, that was how this idea came about - I asked them if they would like to do that, and it was clear that this would be either too much work for them, or extra expense to pay their web-coder to implement the Bitcoin payment option. So I offered to setup an Opencart site instead - it doesn't take long, and crucially Bit-Pay makes it a viable and easy route to selling products using Bitcoin.

OK, maybe Bitcoin-enabled sounds a little stupid - anyway, this is the existing (Paypal) site:

http://www.the-chocolate-tree.co.uk/

In collaboration with a chocolatier friend of mine, we've just launched a Bitcoin-enabled version of his online shop - you can find it at: http://the-chocolate-tree.bit-trade.co.uk
The shop is Bitcoin-only, uses Bit-Pay as the payment system, and Opencart as the backbone of the site.
Trust me, the chocolate is amazing, and some novelty Bitcoin purchases from the community would be much appreciated!

What's a non-bitcoin enabled version of his site look like?

Thank you. The reason I asked obviously is because there are so many self-important unsuccessful "companies" (guys running a single page website from their home PC) who think that adding BItcoin to the site makes them notable. Just wanted to make it clear what was going on, that the company in question had a history and wasn't just you. ^_^


EDIT: This does beg to ask though-- why isn't the site adding bitcoin to itself directly? Anyone could be claiming to be representing them with a separate site and just stealing bitcoins.

To answer the question - why doesn't the Chocolate Tree just add a Bitcoin option? Well, that was how this idea came about - I asked them if they would like to do that, and it was clear that this would be either too much work for them, or extra expense to pay their web-coder to implement the Bitcoin payment option.

Perhaps you can have your friend tweet that he's now accepting Bitcoin as a payment option: https://twitter.com/T_ChocolateTree

Meanwhile, I wish I had some chocolates to enjoy while reading https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=80114.0 and http://www.scribd.com/doc/92797476/FBI-Bitcoin-Report-April-2012 by http://www.scribd.com/tradebitcoin/info, then afterwards head on over to Etsy to see what's new, starting with http://www.etsy.com/shop/anothertree.

~Bruno~

[cpt_howdy]

Done 

Perhaps you can have your friend tweet that he's now accepting Bitcoin as a payment option: https://twitter.com/T_ChocolateTree