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I wanted to get some bitcoin to buy some things off a website where bitcoin was the only thing accepted. I recall being asked by a keen young thing if his (com

I wanted to get some bitcoin to buy some things off a website where bitcoin was the only thing accepted. I recall being asked by a keen young thing if his (completely legal) online business should take bitcoin only. I suggested that since he wanted people to give him their money, he needed to make it easier for people to give him their money; not harder. The website of which you speak, I can only imagine, didn't really want your business.

Scoundreller 8y ago
As an infrequent seller of things over the Internet, there are a lot of countries I would only ship to if I received an irreversible payment. At least on EBay, the seller has some protections. On a random website you won’t. Some countries have reliable postal systems that take forever and others have a high rate of fraudsters or thieving postal workers. Sometimes some regions of the country are fine and others aren’t, but how can I know that?
- EliRivers 8y ago
  I think if you've got a genuine concern that the people you're dealing with are going to defraud you, you shouldn't get involved or your should accept the extra hassles and costs of an irreversible payment; be it cash, money transfer, or some other such. The world had irreversible payment for fear of fraud before bitcoin, and it will have it after. If you're buying a comic book from a store the next city over and they only take bitcoin, they don't want your custom and accepting the extra cost and hassle of indulging their political leanings isn't worth it.
  - Scoundreller 8y ago
    Generally, I don’t get involved. But if you’re in a developing country, even if your postal system is reliable, it’s hard to get sellers over any perception that you live in a mud hut and must be defrauding them. Bank wires can be recalled, and take a while. My bank even charges $25 or so to receive one. Maybe Western Union would be an option. Bank drafts and cash can be counterfeit, let alone hard to get in my local currency (Canadian dollars). As a seller, I would directly accept a handful of country’s payments directly, and leave the rest in crypto-only via a payment processor that pays me in $. That maximizes my revenue and minimizes my hassle.
    - EliRivers 8y ago
      My bank even charges $25 or so to receive one Putting aside everything else, I will say that your bank, like many banks in the US, is frequently found to be taking the piss. For a first world, developed nation, the retail banking sector in the US is in serious need of a bloody nose.
      - Scoundreller 8y ago
        I’m in Canada. At least US bank accounts tend to have no monthly fees unless you want to do uncommon things like receive a transfer. Unless you’re doing a SEPA transfer, the UK bank I looked at still charges for receiving and sending wires. And you always get dinged if there’s a currency exchange.

Scoundreller 8y ago

As an infrequent seller of things over the Internet, there are a lot of countries I would only ship to if I received an irreversible payment. At least on EBay, the seller has some protections. On a random website you won’t. Some countries have reliable postal systems that take forever and others have a high rate of fraudsters or thieving postal workers. Sometimes some regions of the country are fine and others aren’t, but how can I know that?

EliRivers 8y ago
I think if you've got a genuine concern that the people you're dealing with are going to defraud you, you shouldn't get involved or your should accept the extra hassles and costs of an irreversible payment; be it cash, money transfer, or some other such. The world had irreversible payment for fear of fraud before bitcoin, and it will have it after. If you're buying a comic book from a store the next city over and they only take bitcoin, they don't want your custom and accepting the extra cost and hassle of indulging their political leanings isn't worth it.
- Scoundreller 8y ago
  Generally, I don’t get involved. But if you’re in a developing country, even if your postal system is reliable, it’s hard to get sellers over any perception that you live in a mud hut and must be defrauding them. Bank wires can be recalled, and take a while. My bank even charges $25 or so to receive one. Maybe Western Union would be an option. Bank drafts and cash can be counterfeit, let alone hard to get in my local currency (Canadian dollars). As a seller, I would directly accept a handful of country’s payments directly, and leave the rest in crypto-only via a payment processor that pays me in $. That maximizes my revenue and minimizes my hassle.
  - EliRivers 8y ago
    My bank even charges $25 or so to receive one Putting aside everything else, I will say that your bank, like many banks in the US, is frequently found to be taking the piss. For a first world, developed nation, the retail banking sector in the US is in serious need of a bloody nose.
    - Scoundreller 8y ago
      I’m in Canada. At least US bank accounts tend to have no monthly fees unless you want to do uncommon things like receive a transfer. Unless you’re doing a SEPA transfer, the UK bank I looked at still charges for receiving and sending wires. And you always get dinged if there’s a currency exchange.