Tutorial: How to Buy with Steem on OpenBazaar
OpenBazaar today has released an updated version of the app that includes integration of Shapeshift's direct digital currency exchange, which @Shapeshiftio even released their announcement right here on Steemit. This means STEEM can be used! I tested the service out earlier just today and loved how quick it was, however I did find when using Steem there is an extra step that needs to be taken to work correctly, thus this tutorial.
I will now make a purchase from an OpenBazaar store using Steem directly from my wallet on Steemit. I first find an item to buy. Almost a month ago I made the post Artwork on the Decentralized Marketplace OpenBazaar. So let's support the arts and grab something awesome and affordable and I can now buy with Steem. From this point forward of this tutorial, we will assume you have installed OpenBazaar and the app is running right now.
1 - FIND AN ITEM TO PURCHASE
From the Artwork on OpenBazaar blog post, I really enjoyed the tiny elephant sculpture couple by Lune Art Shop. I personally use and recommend using DuoSear.ch website to browse OpenBazaar stores. So on the site I just do a search for "elephant sculpture"
In a bit of good news and bad news, good news for the seller "Lune art shop" that they seem to have sold some art, bad news for me it was the one I was looking to buy right now. But as you see in the screen shot above, there is still some cute little elephants available. Let's grab that "Lapis lazuli inspired elephant", really neat design with those blues, I'll take it.
When on DuoSear.ch, the buy on OpenBazaar button/link will automatically take you to that products page on OpenBazaar, so I click that.
2 - BUY ITEM
I hit the BUY NOW button.
The next few screens are self explanatory, you pay the seller directly or use a moderation service if they offer that. Enter a Bitcoin return address in case of anything needing to be refunded. You will provide the address you wish to have your item sent to. You are then shown a page to confirm all the details of the order before hitting the "Pay for Order" button. When you are now given the next screen that will set you up to finalize things by giving the seller their currency.
I now hit Pay with Altcoins
3 - PAYING FOR YOUR PURCHASE USING STEEM
I have no previous experience using Shifty by Shapeshift, or Shapeshift at all for that matter. This is set up so simple your mother could do it. Yes, I just brought your mom into this.
Select Steem from the drop down, fill out any information you wish to on return address boxes and hit Submit.
This is where you really need to pay attention. Keep the above window open and head over to your web browser and go to your Steemit wallet page.
Under Steem hit Transfer.
The address you are sending Steem to is shapeshiftio. In the Shifty/Shapeshift window you still have open, the "Send Steem to" shows shapeshift1482299577712, pay no mind to that. Just put only "shapeshiftio" in the to field and the "shapeshift" with the long string of numbers following it is for the Memo field.
Interestingly enough, I found a mention of this issue months ago right here on Steemit in a post by @ausbitbank here. From then the issue was resolved, however the way in which the issue comes up is still here, and really it is maybe just a few lines of text that could solve this little bit of confusion.
After you had double checked your To, Amount, and Memo are all right, hit Submit and..
Done. A purchase on the best decentralized marketplace using currency earned on the best decentralized blogging platform is complete, an artist out there who may have never even heard of Steem has just now been paid with Steem! Thanks for checking out this tutorial, I hope you use it today.
ALSO ON STEEMIT
* Vintage Ad - G.I. Joe from 1965
I don't know how people are expected to send the money to the correct address when it basically says SEND TO an incorrect address.
Shapeshift must be made aware of that or its gonna be messy, it should say send to shapeshiftio with memo shapeshift7745747
Good tutorial btw ( undervalued post imo) and the mom part was funny!!
Thanks for the positive words on the post and yeah, I kind of have to agree this little issue could easily be a bigger one depending on if people are able to catch how this works. I will say currently it is not very obvious and without knowing that extra step ahead of time, which I did not btw, it could potentially be costly. Shapeshift retweeted this post on their Twitter so hopefully they are aware of this or looking into it.
Disclaimer: I am just a bot trying to be helpful.
Openbazaar seems clunky to use. Also I've heard you have to keep it running for your page to be open.
OpenBazaar is the anti-clunky to me. I tend to use just a web browser and DuoSear.ch to look through products and only have to open the app to buy or sell though. IPFS is coming soon for all stores open all the time, having the ability to be decentralized comes with having to do things differently is all. TOR is also on the 2.0 update coming soon, I didn't even think the Shapeshift integration was coming this early. I suggest giving the app a try again or just see http://duosear.ch to see what is going on currently with OB activity.