This is pretty useless thread! Everybody who knows about Bitcoin knows that it's better than Western Union. But where Western Union shines is that it is EVERYWHERE. Everybody can use it and getting money is very secure for sender and receiver. Everything else about it sucks.

We would know because we sell and take: Western Union, Moneygram, credit cards, bank wires, Paypal and BTC. WU became a huge pain in the ass by blocking recipients, basically refusing good transfers and screwing up our business for no reason.

Yes, we try to talk people into BTC but it is a tall order. BTC is hard to handle. Where it shines is in it's essence, send it receive it in minutes or less. Before and after it sucks. To buy it it is hard. To sell it is also hard. The most painful thing is to register yourself at exchange in order to buy BTC, sell it and get fiat money. At that point applicant must endure probing into personal data, copy passport, driver's license, bank statement, proof of this and that and I am sure they will start asking for blood and piss sent by courier in vials for testing. You tell me where is anonymity there?

We have one account at former CAVirtex and tried to get account at Bitstamp. Gave up after week or two. Couldn't stand it any more. Anyway, we are in Burlington, Ontario, Canada and have that experience. I would like that someone explain how will person from Africa get all this done? I'll tell you how ... he can't, no freaking way. Instead, he walks into nearest Western Union that is at about every tree there (and everywhere else for that matter) and send us 100 dollars + 20-30 bucks for WU fees!