Further to our previous review of ten Bitcoin exchanges’ FAQ andlanguage availability as part of a wider series, we now take a further look atthe customer support on offer, as well as the exchanges’ API capabilities.
Running aBitcoin exchange can be unpredictable, with any problems leading to a highvolume of queries through multiple channels which can be a challenge to dealwith.
Not so hot…
Despiteclaiming to answer queries within one hour during business hours or within 12hours otherwise, BTC-E is known for delayed responses aswell as the poor quality of its English language support.
“The BTC-e API allows users to get informationabout the user's current balance, API key privileges, number of transactions,the number of open orders, and server time. An account is required withservice, BTC-e accepts REST calls and returns JSON, and uses SSL forauthentication,” ProgrammableWeb.comnotes.
Its APIalso leaves something to be desired, however, not currently supporting Bitcoinwithdrawals, something which is offered by every major exchange. There is alsocurrently no market list and markets must be pre-loaded instead. According to aforum post, however, this is in the process ofbeing completed.
Quality of help: 2
Easy to contact: 3
Support methods: 2
Response time: 3
API: 3
ICBIT, while only offering email channelfor queries, fares somewhat better, although the service does not giveestimates of response times.
“The ICBIT API allows users to issue/canceltrade orders, as well as get real-time market information about Bitcoin and itsstatus among other currencies. The service uses JavaScript and sockets toconnect with the API server. Access Tokens, API keys, and SSL are used forauthentication,” states ProgrammableWeb.
The tool isgenerally well-received, but forum users often highlight instability as arecurring problem.
Quality of help: 3
Easy to contact: 3
Support methods: 2
Response time: 2
API: 2