You have probably heard of G2A by now, the grey-market where anyone can sell second-hand keys for some money. The problem is, someone pointed out how they do no actual checks on keys and that resulted in them getting banned.
This was then pointed out on the linux_gaming reddit (source), but a g2a rep has tried to clarify it, rather badly, see below:
I'm glad I took a screengrab of it as they have since deleted their post, in an obvious attempt to cover it all up.
The story goes even further! The person who actually did these tests posted here where they explained it further. It seems they found the reddit post from G2A in the linux_gaming reddit, where I did the screencapture from, claiming that they were talking to the seller, but the seller claims G2A were not and now G2A have removed their post.
Then there's the 12 step process to turn off "G2A Shield" see here.
I will say it again, I highly suggest staying away from G2A. Shady, shady store.
Steam, itch.io, GOG and Humble do sales all the time. I really don't get the need to use G2A, considering how many times issues have arisen from their store. When will people wake up? Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
This was then pointed out on the linux_gaming reddit (source), but a g2a rep has tried to clarify it, rather badly, see below:
I'm glad I took a screengrab of it as they have since deleted their post, in an obvious attempt to cover it all up.
The story goes even further! The person who actually did these tests posted here where they explained it further. It seems they found the reddit post from G2A in the linux_gaming reddit, where I did the screencapture from, claiming that they were talking to the seller, but the seller claims G2A were not and now G2A have removed their post.
Then there's the 12 step process to turn off "G2A Shield" see here.
I will say it again, I highly suggest staying away from G2A. Shady, shady store.
Steam, itch.io, GOG and Humble do sales all the time. I really don't get the need to use G2A, considering how many times issues have arisen from their store. When will people wake up? Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Couldn't agree more. I tell people the same thing all the time
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I dont know what the heck is going on but THERE IS NO WAY TO CHECK FOR VALID STEAM KEYS!!!
G2a is not selling the keys but their sellers, the simple user , anyone can put a game there for sale , anyone can do this.
G2a is like ebay..... it lets their users to sell steam keys , illegal keys , stolen keys , beta keys from game developers, steam keys from bundles, anything you can imagine.
Users are getting reputation points if they provide Valid Keys but if they provide invalid keys they get negative reputation and probably an account ban but G2A is responsible to pay back their clients if they got invalid keys and so on.
G2A gets a percentage of the sale.
And that $%^$%^$ G2A Shield is the SCUMMIEST Thing Ever!!!
It charges you every month 1-2 Euro, buy or not buying games and it enables by default on your paypal account automatic payment to G2A for every month without you noticing it.
Last edited by wolfyrion on 2 Feb 2017 at 7:45 pm UTC
G2a is not selling the keys but their sellers, the simple user , anyone can put a game there for sale , anyone can do this.
G2a is like ebay..... it lets their users to sell steam keys , illegal keys , stolen keys , beta keys from game developers, steam keys from bundles, anything you can imagine.
Users are getting reputation points if they provide Valid Keys but if they provide invalid keys they get negative reputation and probably an account ban but G2A is responsible to pay back their clients if they got invalid keys and so on.
G2A gets a percentage of the sale.
And that $%^$%^$ G2A Shield is the SCUMMIEST Thing Ever!!!
It charges you every month 1-2 Euro, buy or not buying games and it enables by default on your paypal account automatic payment to G2A for every month without you noticing it.
Last edited by wolfyrion on 2 Feb 2017 at 7:45 pm UTC
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I dont know what the heck is going on but THERE IS NO WAY TO CHECK FOR VALID STEAM KEYS!!!If they have no way to verify, then they shouldn't be selling them. I don't see why this is hard to fathom.
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I never tried G2A. Some friends recommended me Instant Gaming. I bought 3 games. And, for now the service works.
I don't know how they get the keys. But buying steam keys from random sellers (not the developer or steam). It has always a risk.
I don't know how they get the keys. But buying steam keys from random sellers (not the developer or steam). It has always a risk.
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natewardawg 2 Feb 2017
Thanks Liam, I will never buy anything from this store. What a terrible system :(
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If they have no way to verify, then they shouldn't be selling them. I don't see why this is hard to fathom.Nonsense. Can Ebay verify that I own and not stole this chair that I am selling?
Its public marketplace.
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I'm with Colombo on this one. I just sold some old PC hardware on eBay and at no point did anyone verify my product was real or in the condition I claimed it was. They did however hold on to my cash for a waiting period to allow the buyer to receive the goods and verify it arrived as expected. This process seems no different on G2A.
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I'm talking about game keys, electronic content, not furniture. I don't think even ebay should allow Steam keys being resold.If they have no way to verify, then they shouldn't be selling them. I don't see why this is hard to fathom.Nonsense. Can Ebay verify that I own and not stole this chair that I am selling?
Its public marketplace.
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I'm talking about game keys, electronic content, not furniture. I don't think even ebay should allow Steam keys being resold.If they have no way to verify, then they shouldn't be selling them. I don't see why this is hard to fathom.Nonsense. Can Ebay verify that I own and not stole this chair that I am selling?
Its public marketplace.
Ebay is selling steam keys and other software product and I can name you another 10 "grey" markets that are selling steam keys.
STEAM is the cheapest way to get Games because of Steam Keys...
EVERY Digital License can be found in "grey" markets...
Antivirus Keys, Microsoft Windows, M$ Word , Other software just name it...everything is on the internet.
At the end is up to you how much you want to risk it or how moral you can be and support the people who created the software or the games.
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TheRiddick 2 Feb 2017
The thing is G2A is like a sellers market, much in the way EBAY is. They don't physically put allot of these keys up themselves from what I gather, rather sellers just advertise with them a set number of keys.
Honestly I haven't had any issues with them like you guys, but I don't really buy much off them, only the odd occasional RISKY purchase if I can get a cheap deal on something. Such as titles on the verge of abandon-ware situation.
(Its ironic that DX:MD is at that stage now, publisher blaming customers for poor sales instead of game quality!)
It should also be noted that many PROMINENT YT streamers are still advertising G2A as the bees-nees, so that doesn't help, but what can you do?
Last edited by TheRiddick on 2 Feb 2017 at 10:23 pm UTC
Honestly I haven't had any issues with them like you guys, but I don't really buy much off them, only the odd occasional RISKY purchase if I can get a cheap deal on something. Such as titles on the verge of abandon-ware situation.
(Its ironic that DX:MD is at that stage now, publisher blaming customers for poor sales instead of game quality!)
It should also be noted that many PROMINENT YT streamers are still advertising G2A as the bees-nees, so that doesn't help, but what can you do?
Last edited by TheRiddick on 2 Feb 2017 at 10:23 pm UTC
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Comandante Ñoñardo 2 Feb 2017
I use G2A for to buy Steam Wallet codes for my steam Linux account ...
Because, You know, If you don't spend at least 5 U$D per year, Steam limit your account and you can not even add friends.
Because, You know, If you don't spend at least 5 U$D per year, Steam limit your account and you can not even add friends.
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I use G2A for to buy Steam Wallet codes for my steam Linux account ...No, they don't. That's the limit on a Steam account at the start.
Because, You know, If you don't spend at least 5 U$D per year, Steam limit your account and you can not even add friends.
2 Likes, Who?
Mountain Man 2 Feb 2017
I use G2A for to buy Steam Wallet codes for my steam Linux account ...That's bull.
Because, You know, If you don't spend at least 5 U$D per year, Steam limit your account and you can not even add friends.
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I still don't think these kind of sites are an inherently bad idea but the way G2A has handled this has convinced me this is a Shady outfit and it would be better if it didn't exist.
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TheRiddick 2 Feb 2017
G2A just doesn't have much regulation, the most they have is that Shield nonsense, which only protects the buyer and not the publisher/developer.
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Comandante Ñoñardo 3 Feb 2017
I use G2A for to buy Steam Wallet codes for my steam Linux account ...No, they don't. That's the limit on a Steam account at the start.
Because, You know, If you don't spend at least 5 U$D per year, Steam limit your account and you can not even add friends.
Even if you are right, there is another problem: You can not use the same credit card or paypal account on two or more steam accounts... I asked that to the steam support. :(
So..Steam wallet codes are the way to go when you manage more than two Steam accounts like me...
Thanks to G2A and their payments processors (PayU), any argentinian gamer without an international credit card can buy steam wallet codes or steam, Uplay or Origin keys and pay them with argentinian pe$os cash on a Mercadopago agent.. :)
That is something that Steam, Humble, Greenman, GOG, etc will NEVER NEVER NEVER do because, unlike G2A, they don't understand how the real economy works outside their bubble...
I respect G2A (and I buy steam wallet codes there two or three times per year) because they accept my cheapest currency... ^_^
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You can not use the same credit card or paypal account on two or more steam accounts... I asked that to the steam support.That's not true. I have two steam accounts and I use the same debit card for both.
Last edited by sr_ls_boy on 3 Feb 2017 at 2:33 am UTC
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RussianNeuroMancer 3 Feb 2017
That is something that Steam, Humble, Greenman, GOG, etc will NEVER NEVER NEVER do because, unlike G2A, they don't understand how the real economy works outside their bubble...Actually you can pay on Steam and GOG with Yandex.Wallet or QIWI Wallet (Russian electronic cash wallets) and you can pay with Bitcoin on Humble Store. So they do support local payment methods besides usual VISA/MasterCard/PayPal, but probably not for all countries.
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That part is actually explained by the answer in Reddit. When you buy a key they hold on the payment to the seller for some time. If you complain that the key is not valid during this time, they can return you the money and the seller doesn't get paid.I dont know what the heck is going on but THERE IS NO WAY TO CHECK FOR VALID STEAM KEYS!!!If they have no way to verify, then they shouldn't be selling them. I don't see why this is hard to fathom.
It's not obvious what happens if you complain after that period. Also how do they deal with cheating bytes? That is, I buy the key, get the game and then say it's fake.
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I use G2A for to buy Steam Wallet codes for my steam Linux account ...
Because, You know, If you don't spend at least 5 U$D per year, Steam limit your account and you can not even add friends.
False - the 5 {local currency} is a ONE TIME thing to stop spammers
Even if you are right, there is another problem: You can not use the same credit card or paypal account on two or more steam accounts... I asked that to the steam support. :(
False - I am using the same paypal on both my own and my sons account.
But even if that were somehow the case you can create an endless supply of paypal accounts with the same credit card, so stop making excuses and spreading misinformation
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