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@ Troy
2023-08-19 01:05:59I'm learning as I go, so take the text below for what it is: my notes on the process. These steps could become outdated quickly, and I may have some wrong assumptions at places. Either way, I have had success, and would like to share my experience for anyone new to the process. If I have made any errors, please reply with corrections so that others may avoid potential pitfalls.
!!! If you have "KYC Bitcoin", keep it in separate wallets from your "Anonymous Bitcoin". Any Anonymous Bitcoin in a wallet with KYC Bitcoin becomes 100% KYC Bitcoin.
!!! It took me several days to get all the right pieces set up before I could even start an exchange with someone.
!!! Using a VPN is highly recommended. If you're not already using one, take the time to find one that suits you and get it running.
!!! If you don't normally buy Amazon Gift Cards, start doing so now, and just send them to yourself, or friends that will give you cash in return, etc. For my first trade, Amazon locked me out of my account for about 22 hours, while I was in the middle of an exchange. All because I had never purchased an Amazon Gift Card before. It was quite nerve wracking. My second trade was for $300, and although my Amazon account wasn't shut down, that order had a status of "Sending" for about 22 hours, due to the large amount. In each of these cases I had multiple phone calls with their customer support, all of whom gave me false expectations. Had I already been sending gift cards to the anonymous email address that I created in the steps below, and maybe other anonymous email addresses that I could make, then I might not have been stalled so much.
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Install Tor Browser for your OS. The RoboSats.com website issues a warning if you are not using Tor Browser. If you don't know what Tor is, I won't explain it all here, but trust me, it's cool and helps keep you anonymous. If you use Firefox, the interface will look very familiar to you.
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Create a KYC-free e-mail address. I used tutanota.com in Firefox, as it would not allow me to create an account using Tor Browser. After the account was created, using Tor Browser to login, check emails, etc. has been working perfectly. Tutanota requires a 48 hour (or less) waiting period to prevent bots from using their system. You'll be able to login, and even draft an email, but you won't be able to send. After you've been approved, you should be able to login and send an email to your new address. It should show up in your Inbox almost instantly if it's working.
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Have, or create, at least one Lightning wallet that is compatible with RoboSats.com and has no KYC Bitcoin in it. The RoboSats website has a compatibility chart available to find the best wallet for you. During an exchange on RoboSats, you will need to put up an escrow payment, or bond, in Satoshis. This amount is usually 3% of the total amount being exchanged. If the exchange is successful, the bond payment is canceled, leaving that amount in your wallet untouched, and with no record of it having been used as escrow. If you don't hold up your end of the trade, the bond amount will be transfered from your wallet. I created a wallet, using my new email address, with the Alby extension in the Tor Browser. This anonymous wallet was empty, so I used a separate wallet for the bond payment of my first trade. This wallet had KYC Bitcoin, but since it is being used for a bond payment, and no transaction will be recorded if everything goes okay, I don't mind taking the minuscule risk. After the first trade, I don't need to use the "KYC wallet", and I will use only my anonymous Lightning wallet for transactions related to performing a trade.
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Create a new Robot Token by going to RoboSats using the Tor Browser. Copy the Token (Robot ID) to a text file as a temporary backup. It is recommended to create a new robot-token for every session of exchanges you make.
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Select "Offers" to browse what others are presenting. "Create" is for when you want to create an offer of your own. You may need to create your own offer if none of the existing offers match your criteria.
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Select "Buy" at the top of the page.
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Select your currency (USD).
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Select your payment methods by typing "amazon" and selecting (Amazon Gift Card). Repeat this process and select (Amazon USA Gift Card).
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Determine Priorities - If you prefer to trade quickly, and don't care as much about premiums, look for users with a green dot on the upper-right of their robot icon. If you're not in a hurry, sort users by premium and select the best deal, even if they are inactive. They may become active once they are notified that their offer has activity from you.
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The Definition of Price = the price with the premium added, but not the bond
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A. Find A Compatible Offer - Select the row of the desired offer and enter the amount you would like to buy. i.e. $100 If you do not find a compatible offer, you will have to create your own offer.
B. **Create An Offer** - First, take a look at "Sell" offers for your same currency and payment method(s) that you will be using. Take note of the premium those buyers are willing to pay. If your premium is drastically less than theirs, your offer may get ignored. Select "Create" at the bottom of the screen. There is a slider at the top of the screen, select it to see all the options. Select "Buy". Enter the minimum and maximum amount that you wish to spend. Type "amazon" to select the methods that you would like to use (Amazon Gift Card, Amazon USA Gift Card). For "Premium Over Market", enter an amount that is competitive with premiums you saw at the start of this step and do not use the % sign! You can adjust the duration, timer, and bond amount, but I leave those at their default settings. Select the "Create Order" button, and follow the instructions for making a bond payment. -
Pay the Bond - Copy the invoice that is presented. From your wallet that contains bond funds, select "Send", and paste the invoice as the recipient. This money will never leave your account if the exchange completes without issue. No transaction will be recorded. If there is a complication with the exchange, it is possible that this transaction will complete.
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Create and Submit Your Invoice for Their Bitcoin Payment To You - Select "Lightning", if not selected by default.* Select the Copy Icon to copy the correct amount of Satoshis. This amount already has the premium deducted. From your anonymous Lightning Wallet, select "Receive", and paste the Satoshi amount. If you enter a description, it's probably best to keep it cryptic. Copy the invoice and paste it into RoboSats; then select "Submit".
* If you plan on "mixing" your Bitcoin after purchase, it may be better to select "On Chain" and pay the necessary fees swap and mining fees. In the example this comes from, Sparrow wallet is used and has whirlpool ability in its interface.
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Connect With Seller and Send Funds - Greet the seller in the chat window. The seller has now provided RoboSats with the Bitcoin to transfer to you. Your move is to buy an Amazon eGift Card for the amount of the trade. Log in to your Amazon account and start the process of buying an eGift card. For delivery there is the option of email or txt message. Ask the seller what their preference is, and get their address, or phone number, to enter into Amazon's form. Complete the purchase process on Amazon, and check the status of your order. Once you see the status of "Sent", go back to RoboSats in your Tor Browser.
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Confirm Your Payment - Select the "Confirm ___ USD Sent" button and notify the seller to check their e-mail/txt messages.
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Seller Confirmation - Once the seller select their "Confirm" button, the trade will immediately end with a confirmation screen.
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Verify - If you check the anonymous wallet, the new amount should be presented.
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