Silk Road forums

Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: TheDreadedFree on May 16, 2013, 05:59 pm

Title: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: TheDreadedFree on May 16, 2013, 05:59 pm
I have been looking for a secure way to purchase coins for a couple weeks now and have yet to find a way that i'm comfortable with.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: lmddt01 on May 16, 2013, 06:37 pm
Here's what I did, as it's quite fast and decently secure.

I use bitinstant to buy bitcoins for an account I have on coinbase.com. You can buy bitcoins directly from Coinbase, but it takes forever (week+) if they're even selling at the time. With bitinstant, I just choose to send from case to my current Coinbase address (which I change after ever transaction). I use all my real personal info for this. The btc usually come in and are ready to be moved again within an hour of buying them from bitinstant, at which point I transfer them to my fresh SR btc address, and change both address after that transaction (which takes about another hour). In my opinion this is the best way to do it. You can add a buffer account or two between your real name coinbase and SR account, though it's really not needed, and each jump will take another hourish (how long coinbase lets a transaction sit before confirming it, in case you want/need to cancel it).
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: TheDreadedFree on May 16, 2013, 06:53 pm
I don't necessarily feel comfortable using my real info, I am even considering getting myself a prepay cell for bitinstant to remain completely anonymous.  The way I am looking into doing it as of now is either having it sent to my tormail account or straight to my SR account.  (probably to tormail then to SR)  Is there any reason at all to use real info or is there a way around that?  Call me a little paranoid but I just want to take every precaution to remain safe.
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: mary666 on May 16, 2013, 07:20 pm
If in the UK i get mine from localbitcoins.com  :)
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: Work3thic on May 16, 2013, 07:45 pm
I don't necessarily feel comfortable using my real info, I am even considering getting myself a prepay cell for bitinstant to remain completely anonymous.  The way I am looking into doing it as of now is either having it sent to my tormail account or straight to my SR account.  (probably to tormail then to SR)  Is there any reason at all to use real info or is there a way around that?  Call me a little paranoid but I just want to take every precaution to remain safe.

Bitcoins are completely legal, and they can't tell that you're sending them to Silkroad.  You'll probably be causing yourself more issues by using fake names.
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: PoundsOfGreen on May 16, 2013, 08:10 pm
there are a lot of topics covering this in the forums already. i have used bitinstant many times totally successfully. use fake info, name, phone, etc. then when you fill out the form or use the phone at the moneygram use the same fake info. have it sent to either your sr account or something like a bitstamp account, then sr. once you do it a couple times you'll feel more comfortable with it.
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: TheDreadedFree on May 17, 2013, 01:23 am
I don't necessarily feel comfortable using my real info, I am even considering getting myself a prepay cell for bitinstant to remain completely anonymous.  The way I am looking into doing it as of now is either having it sent to my tormail account or straight to my SR account.  (probably to tormail then to SR)  Is there any reason at all to use real info or is there a way around that?  Call me a little paranoid but I just want to take every precaution to remain safe.

Bitcoins are completely legal, and they can't tell that you're sending them to Silkroad.  You'll probably be causing yourself more issues by using fake names.

My only concern is if any packages were ever caught,  I would be on record buying coins.
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: DinoScripter on May 17, 2013, 01:42 am
http://ok2yri46aaptiu2d.onion/index.htm I buy coins from here
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: ZDVal on May 17, 2013, 03:13 am
Hi, I've used bit-instant twice to pay direct to my account in S R.; I pay for the bitcoins by cash withdrawn from my acc. via a local money cashier: that way no need to pay with my cc and be identified.

Both times, worked beautifully; had bitcoins in my SR account by an hour or two, make purchases straight away.

Shame this option isn't available in the UK :-(
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: 1uca5 on May 17, 2013, 03:34 am
I used bitinstant for my first bitcoin purchase as well (I had a lot of the same concerns as you)... so I'll walk you through what all went down. The internet stuff is pretty straightforward (fake email, fake name, etc.)... I just asked bitinstant to let me pay for my bitcoins at a local Wal Mart and asked that the coins be sent to my fake email. I went to Wal Mart, paid (they didn't ask for ID), I went home... this is where hiccups began. After you're done with bitinstant a site called Coinapult should send an email where you can access your bitcoins and forward them to your SR wallet (that didn't happen). I had to bitch to bitinstant until they got in contact with coinapult (who doesn't respond quickly), and finally that got resolved and my email came through. After that, I sent the coins to my SR wallet (thinking it would be instant, dumbly)... that took about three hours (of me spazzing out and pressing refresh every two seconds).... but the coins finally appeared and I made my first purchase from deluxedelivery. Theoretically, unless LEO wants to go back and look at Wal Mart's tapes and watch me pay for the bitcoins, I should be anonymous. While the process wasn't bump-free, I'm convinced everyone involved is reputable, not there to rip you off. Just give it a shot. I'm still waiting on my first order (actually, I'm still waiting for it to go from processing to in transit.... two days now)... but as long as that works out the entire process will have been a success! Good luck to you!
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: reeferaddict69 on May 17, 2013, 03:38 am
Bitinstant is good.  It has a fee though.
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: 1uca5 on May 17, 2013, 03:47 am
I forgot, besides the other speed-bumps I mentioned, the fees with bitinstant were obnoxious! It ended up being almost 10% of my purchase after bitinstant, money gram and zipzap (all companies you have to go through) have all taken out their fees.
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: StonedAge on May 17, 2013, 04:29 am
yeah i use bitinstant.. it's all good. and dont worry bitcoins are untraceable
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: StonedAge on May 17, 2013, 04:33 am
I forgot, besides the other speed-bumps I mentioned, the fees with bitinstant were obnoxious! It ended up being almost 10% of my purchase after bitinstant, money gram and zipzap (all companies you have to go through) have all taken out their fees.

its like a $4 fee when its all said and done..
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: 1uca5 on May 17, 2013, 04:50 am
Not true- moneygram charges 3.95 by themselves for the service. Bitinstant charges 3.99% ON TOP of that for making the exchange. So... say you're adding $50. 4% of $50 = $2 + $3.95 (moneygram) = $5.95.... that's over 10%. Six bucks might not sound like much, but for a transaction of.. .say.... $500... you're looking at 23.95. Not a HUGE amount of money, but it's not negligible either. As I recall zipzap may have had a fee in there as well... it ended up being way more than I wanted to pay.
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: TheDreadedFree on May 19, 2013, 04:49 pm
This just seams like a bit of a pain! especially when i'm going to have to do three diposites due to the 500$ limit,  Maybe having an unconnected friend buy the coins from coin base then wash them and send them to SR?  coinbase almost take nothing and there is no limit of how many you can buy...Any thoughts?
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: TheDreadedFree on May 19, 2013, 05:01 pm
http://ok2yri46aaptiu2d.onion/index.htm I buy coins from here

Having a hard time understanding how to use this service.  Do I send an email or what?
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: CannaConnection on May 19, 2013, 07:06 pm
You can use bitinstant pretty anonymously if you want to. You can always just deposit cash at a local money gram location. Use a fake name, get a fake address ready(apt building in the city you are depositing), Think up a fake phone number and have all it memorized or ready to give. Create tormail account specifically for that fake name so you can receive email confirmation in case any problems occur you can still recover money. Make sure you save every bit of info they give you for your receipt just in case. Walk into mom and pop money gram agent and hand them the cash an the money will be in your SR account within the hour. If you are worried about sending it straight to your account you can always mix it through a couple wallets. Just make sure you add enough extra money for extra fees if you want to wash your bitcoins through different wallets. PM me if you need more in detail info.
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: TheDreadedFree on May 19, 2013, 07:27 pm
So is the money gram location just the, wallmart 7-11 type location where you can put money on the account through bit instant?
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: Judge Smails on May 19, 2013, 09:17 pm
Just my 2 cents. Using bitinstant at walmart seems to be pretty easy. I use the cash payment to BTC address/ SR wallet. Grab the blue moneygram forms and have it filled out when you get up to the CS counter. If it's your first time they are going to input the information into their system. After that first time you just give the telephone number you first used and the info is brought up at the counter. Takes 2 minutes. I just happened to get a nosy clerk who asked me "zipzap inc. what's that? " She never heard of it. Told her it's a bill payment service. (nosy ass...) BTC was in my wallet 90 min. later. Use your real name or a fake. They don't ask for ID. Seems like the best method to me so far. But what the hell do I know... 8)
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: Jasmine13 on May 19, 2013, 09:28 pm
I use bitinstant and love it. IF you select to pay with cash at walmart it will transfer you to zip zap. Zip Zap sends you an email with info to "pay your bill" with a special #. Bring this to walmart. Fill out Money gram. Pay, bit coins show up in provided BC address within 2 hours in my experience. I tried using a fake name to pay. Did not work. Cash register lady said the name I put on Money Gram had to match the name on my debit card. I suppose this wouldnt be an issue if you paid using cash at walmart. I have not been charged by walmart to use moneygram. Maybe zipzap has a deal with them? Bit instant does charge and so does zipzap. ZipZap I think is a flat 3.95. Bit instant is a small percentage which can add up if you spending hundreds. But you gotta do what you gotta do! :)
I like using Bit Instant. Fast and very easy. IMO. :D
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: TheDreadedFree on May 20, 2013, 04:59 pm
Thanks for the assistance guys!  my only other question is its asking me to download a ticket and tor recommends against it.  i need to use some sort of proxy to download it without revealing my ip or what?
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: Jasmine13 on May 20, 2013, 10:14 pm
Im no safety pro but I use bitinstant in a regular browser, not TOR. If your at the zipzap payment slip then yes, it does ask you to DL a ticket or payment slip. You dont have to DL it tho bc it will be sent to your email also. I just pull up the email at walmart to get the info I need. I dont print it out or write it down or down load it! :) Hope that helps. It wasn't easy figuring it out at first but once you do its a breeze. Just keep working at it! :) Good luck!
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: bseder on May 20, 2013, 10:24 pm
I recently used bitinstant for the first time a few days ago, and it was ridiculously easy and fast - my coins were sent within 10 minutes, maybe a little less.  The slowest part of the process was waiting for them to show up in my SR account, which took around 3 hours.  I didn't have to pay any MoneyGram fees, just the ZipZap charge and the 4% hit from bitinstant.
Title: Re: Anybody familiar with bitinstant.com? Buying Bit coin's safely
Post by: TheDreadedFree on May 24, 2013, 04:55 pm
hahah way more simple than I was making it!  Also if doing more than the 500$ limit you can do more than one payment slip,  super easy i'm much more comfortable with the process now.