Frequently Asked Questions about Localbitcoins.com

In the forums of Localbitcoins.com many people post the same questions over and over because they are not intelligent enough to search for previous topics about the same issue. This leads to the forum being cluttered and unusable for normal purposes. I am compiling a list of the most common topics that don’t need to be repeated.

These are the most frequently asked questions about LocalBitcoins.com

  1. How long does it take support to respond?
    Typically 3-5 BUSINESS days. There are based in Finland so they are at UTC+2 (they are not open Saturday, Sunday or holidays)
  2. Can someone from support answer my questions in the forum?
    No, the support staff rarely responds in the forums. (Brad doesn’t count, he is just the forum Mod and has no real power or connections but we love him anyway). Forums are for traders to interact. While we may be able to help with general questions we can’t answer anything about specific accounts or reasons.
  3. Why is my account on forced holiday?
    There are many many reasons this can happen. No one in the forums knows and you will have to contact support directly.
  4. I can’t wait for support to respond. How do I make them answer me now?
    You go to the forums and whine about it to strangers that have no power over LocalBitcoins. Just kidding.
    Unless you have the money to hire a team of crack commandos and send them to Localbitcoins headquarters in Finland than there is nothing you can do. Yes it sucks but blowing up the forums with multiple posts about the same topic, demanding action, making threats and generally being obnoxious will just cause many other traders to block you.
  5. Can I buy        amount of BTC on this site?
    Yes, you can buy any amount on this site but different sellers have different terms, prices and amounts. Click “Buy Bitcoin” at the top of any page on Localbitcoins and choose the option that is best for you.
  6. Bitcoins have disappeared from my wallet, what should I do?
    Check your transaction history. If you see that your bitcoins have been transferred to an unknown wallet address, someone may have gained access to your account. This is most often because your account was hacked by a password/phishing scams and you did not have 2FA enabled.If the coins were not transferred then it is just a glitch in the website. Log out and then log back in. If this does not correct the issue contact support directly.
  7. I lost my 2FA (2 factor authorization codes), do i have to wait two weeks to get into my account?
    Yes. This is a security measure to make sure your account is not hacked. Support will not change this policy and give someone access earlier than 2 weeks.
  8. My bitcoins were stolen, how do I get them back?
    You cannot retrieve bitcoins once they have been stolen. LocalBitcoins is not responsible for that and will not refund your bitcoins. No one can help you retrieve your coins or catch the thief. Read this article about scams and hackers on LocalBitcoins.com
  9. I sent bitcoins to the wrong address, how do I get them back?
    Once bitcoins have been sent the the transaction cannot be canceled or reversed. If you know the owner of the wallet you can try sending them a message and ask for them to send the BTC back to you.
  10. How long does it take to send bitcoins from one wallet to another?
    Bitcoin transactions done inside Localbitcoins (during a trade) are instant. Sending bitcoins from one website/app to another website/app) typically takes 30-90 minutes. If the blockchain (the global bitcoin network) is congested it can take 2-4 hours.
  11. How do I know if my bitcoins are sent?
    You can track the progress of the bitcoins on Blockchain.info by entering the wallet address you sent BTC to and doing a search
  12. I sent bitcoins to my Localbitcoins wallet and they are showing confirmations in the blockchain but they aren’t in my LocalBitcoins wallet?
    See question #4. Often LocalBitcoins transactions are slower than the blockchain itself.
  13. I paid for my bitcoins but the seller hasn’t released. What should I do?
    You should send the seller a message and wait 24 hours. In the future you should look at the sellers average release time. You can find this in there profile. You should also check the terms of the trade to see if release is delayed based on payment method. If the seller has not released in 24 hours you can file a dispute. For instructions go to instructions https://localbitcoins.com/faq#start_dispute
  14. Someone is ignoring me and the little green button says they are online. What do I do?
    Ignore the little green circle. If anyone leaves their browser open, it will stay green. If they are on their cell phone and it changes towers (renewing the connection) it will stay green. There are lots of reasons for it to stay green and basically that means nothing.
  15. Someone left me negative feedback how do I find out who it is and what should I do?
    Unfortunately there is nothing you can do. Feedback is anonymous and can only be changed by the person who left the feedback. Localbitcoins policy is not to remove it even if it is false. LBC will not help you with negative feedback or tell you who left it. Their feedback system is known to have major flaws and loopholes that they have not addressed. Contacting support will not help.
  16. Is it safe to trade on Localbitcoins?
    It is not truly safe to trade bitcoins anywhere online. There are steps you can take to make online bitcoin trading safer. Read more about that at Scams on LocalBitcoins and how to avoid them
  17. Can PayPal transactions be reversed?
    Yes, very easily. At which time Paypal will freeze your account and may possibly put you on probation (a 60 day hold on future transactions).
  18. Can bank deposits be reversed?
    Yes. This is one of the cash deposit scams. Regardless of what your banks says it happens all the time. Search the forum for evidence of this.
  19. Is it safe to take PayPal/Credit Cards/Checks if I get a copy of their photo ID?
    No. Photo IDs are often faked and easily bought on the internet. There are services like Ardeva that will verify a person is real but the client must be signed up in advance. Services like Ardeva will not release information without a court order which will not help you during a dispute.
  20. What is a Man in the Middle Scam?
    That is one of the more common scams. You can read about Man In the Middle scams here.

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