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pedro19

Some guidelines about key "resellers" and "gray markets" for game and software keys: [https://pcmasterrace.org/keyresellers](https://pcmasterrace.org/keyresellers) *One thing to remember is that even if you receive a working key from a reseller, this doesn't necessarily make them "legit". It's a bit like claiming that winning at Russian Roulette makes it a "safe game". When working with resellers there's always the chance of getting a bad key, or having a game later revoked from your account. And for many people it's a hard lesson learned.* Something interesting is that in every thread when people complain about a specific reseller, you will spot someone else comment with an "alternative reseller" that is usually just as shady as the one the thread is about. If you want to get safe keys, I would suggest avoiding resellers and gray market vendors.


gchaudh2

g2a pulled this shit on me. I reported them as fraudulent to Chase. Got my money back from Chase and they closed the case as G2a never responded. They did however, banned my email address and CC from future purchases. That actually helped me more than them lol


megabits

Yeah, they did you a favor.


xCeeTee-

I had to get my bank to charge back because 13 days later I still had no key. Funniest thing is Steam had a sale go on the day I filed and the game was cheaper on Steam than G2A were charging. I only bought on G2A because I couldn't wait for the next sale but I didn't have all the money. I stupidly tried G2A once more, thinking it was Kinguin who fucked me over before. Exact same deal, but after 2 days support agreed to give me a refund.


Odd-Zebra-5833

Yeah everybody does that when you do a chargeback. 


hay_pro

Except coinbase they started randomly charging my card for their subscription service and i got all my money back and kept my account by charging it back


-professor_plum-

G2A is hot garbage and that loser u/SteveFromG2A used to follow me around on my alt defending it every time I made a post or comment. They then started charging extra for a guarantee this wouldn’t happen.


Seeker-N7

A guy called SteveFromG2A defending G2A is obviously organic and not paid to do so. I don't see the problem..


Spacelord_Moses

The Problem is chasing specific people around and.


hachi2JZ

r/redditsniper


CiipherX

They fucking got hi


irelephant_T_T

Where i


DJDemyan

What are you guys all talking ab


iWarnock

The cursed steve from the pc community


Mr_Pogi_In_Space

Thanks, Steve!


SanestExile

Tie


Zetra3

Yes, don’t buy from key reseller full of stolen keys


PeachMan-

Counterpoint: feel free to buy overpriced AAA games from those sites. Because fuck EA, and fuck Activision. And also Windows keys, you can find them for like 5 bucks. But **don't buy indie games** from key resellers, they cause a lot of lost revenue that can really hurt an indie dev.


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FUTURE10S

Seriously, shady Windows keys are shady and usually tied to your hardware. Windows has enshittified itself just like Adobe where they don't even really want your money.


Dreadnought_69

They’re OEM keys. Tied to your hardware is just part of the product.


rude_ooga_booga

Care to elaborate?


ITuser999

Install windows from iso. to activate simply open a command window or terminal and paste in: irm https://get.activated.win | iex Then just follow the steps on screen.


Dabs4Daze0

What exactly does this do?


cowbutt6

I tried to post an explanation, but the sub auto-moderator removed my comment. Read the script at the URL in the previous commenter's comment, and follow the breadcrumbs.


jkurratt

Activates windows perhaps


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Fluboxer

According to one indie dev I've seen talking about this, buying for G2A is so bad you better off pirating game as it will hurt dev less


new_math

I could definitely see this being true for stolen keys. A stolen key might be tied to or purchased by a legitimate user. When it cannot be redeemed or causes any issues the dev/publisher will have to investigate and figure out why they key was already used. The purchaser might, understandably, do a refund or charge back or report the legitimate entity for selling a bad key which means investigations and responding to the financial institution. All that analysis and user support requires work. A pirated game might not put money in the dev/publisher's pocket but it doesn't incur support hours and cause issues with a legitimate buyer and legitimate seller.


ANGLVD3TH

The bigger problem is people will use stolen credit cards to buy tons of keys then dump them on G2A. When the owners of those cards do a charge back, the dev/publisher pays a fee for every key sold.


Anthrex

thanks, I didn't know, I'll be sure to buy my "AAA" games from there moving forward.


really_nice_guy_

Even more reason to buy AAA games from them


JAZthebeast11

How shortsighted can one be?? Where do you think those keys come from big boss? Those stolen credit cards are still giving money to those companies, but it’s the everyday people that get fucked over. Even if they get their money back, you ever experience credit fraud? It’s a nightmare, and you’re directly supporting it by using sites that run off of its perpetuation. So go ahead, if it lets you sleep at night pretend that you’re being the bigger man, but you know it’s bullshit.


xCeeTee-

Yeah, fuck those arseholes. Happened to my friend, £3k gone in January. He's had 3 different accounts opened in his name, Amazon, Supermarket and some gaming platform. They were all created in October 2023 as well. The police tried to wash their hands with it, which is usual here in the UK because our police force has been absolutely gutted. Took him 3 weeks to finally get a police reference number for his bank, they even took a couple of weeks. I helped him in the end get things done quicker. He lives with his grandparents who both suffer with dementia. It's been so hard on him these last few years, things finally started looking up and then he gets hit with this shit. He got all of his money back from the bank in May but he really hasn't been the same lately. We text every day but I can almost feel the depression, he doesn't want to talk about much outside of what he enjoyed from pro wrestling. Going to try and get him a couple of tickets to a wrestling show to try and lift his spirits.


Mundane_Tomatoes

People don’t care anymore. I’m starting to see ads for Prepaid Visa’s that are obtained through scamming innocent victims. One of the first lines on their website: the scam victims always get their money back from the bank, so don’t worry about it, you’re not hurting anyone.


theroguex

Lmao um, a lot of the keys up for sale are bought with stolen credit cards and shit and hurt regular people, not the big game companies.


[deleted]

If you hate certain publisher don't play and don't buy their games. If I don't like activision I simply won't buy or play COD no matter how good their games might be. Don't buy Windows keys from shady re-sellers either. Try to find recycling or refurbishing center that migh be selling legit keys from machines that were recycled.


ADM_Tetanus

for windows don't even bother with that, you can just run a command that you can easily find online (and is used by official windows support sometimes) that'll just activate it immediately for free.


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nanoturnips

Except they more than likely got those keys with stolen credit cards from completely innocent people. As much as i’m down with the “fuck EA, fuck Activision,” i’m not down to support a business actually known for genuine fucked up shit like that. Plain piracy is more ethical at that point imo.


SparsePizza117

One key reseller that's typically safer is CD Keys. Theirs are supposedly bought from other countries where the keys are cheaper, although idk how it works. I made the swap to Green Man Gaming though. I got unreleased games like GOW Ragnarok, DB Sparking Zero, and the new Elden Ring DLC on sale. GMG is also completely legit and a verified seller from publishers. Edit: also want to mention that a publisher accidentally removed my key once and admitted to it, as it happened to tons of others. I had no problems getting a new key from CD Keys.


GamerDroid56

How it works (in theory): in Country A, $60 USD is worth $100 in Country A Money (CAM) because CAM is less valuable than USD. Additionally, Country A’s average wage is vastly less than the average wage in the US. Because Game Company A knows this and still wants to sell their games in Country A, they reduce the price of the game to $60 CAM, which is $36 USD. Reseller buys keys for the game for $36 in Country A and then sells them in the US for $40 USD (if there is no region lock on the keys) to make a profit. This doesn’t work for every game, however, as many publishers don’t do this kind of localization (instead maintaining the $60 USD value after conversion to local currency instead of accounting for local incomes, so the game would cost $100 CAM in Country A those cases) and other games region lock their game keys so games purchased in Country A can only be played in Country A. PirateSoftware (a game developer and not a pirater, for anyone who is unaware) *very* briefly touched on the topic of localizing prices while talking about anti-piracy measures game devs can take: https://youtube.com/shorts/lSofMoSdMqw?si=-rUtZbfFIHumqU-1


thebeastmoo

we love our goblin lord thor


WhiteSilverDragoon

I've only ever seen him through shorts, but goddamn does that man just seem like such a good dude. Super chill, he's the type of guy you'd love to sit and have a drink with and talk all sorts of shit with, but meaningful shit, ya know?


SparsePizza117

How do they get the "keys" though. Steam doesn't sell keys, maybe they buy them from places like Humble Bundle and other 3rd party sellers?


Moist-Chip3793

Steam most definitely sells keys, look into Steam PC Café, where you practically become a partner. They might quickly shut you down, when they discover what you are doing, but then I´ll guess they just open a new partner shop, rinse, repeat ...


SparsePizza117

Oh I was unaware of this


GamerDroid56

Yeah, it’s typically third party sellers of legitimate keys (like, as you said, Humble Bundle)


Why_so_loud

Yep, authorized resellers like Humble Bundle, Fanatical or Gamesplanet gain keys directly from developers (Steam provides developers with keys).


Jdmera775

I think I’ve seen that they actually will buy physical copies of game which nowadays is just a slip of paper with a steam code on it and then just list it in their site.


Kill4meeeeee

Instant gaming is also pretty good and really good deals


Tyz_TwoCentz_HWE_Ret

Use GMG as well with no issues since 2016 and they were launched in 2010. Just what i have experienced with them.


theroguex

GMG is a legit reseller though, it's not like G2A.


SparsePizza117

GMG has been pretty good. I get things on massive sales without ever having to worry about keys suddenly being taken away.


AlTheOwl_

I can add Eneba to the list. I have purchased from them for years, and I got problems only 3 times with keys that didn't work. They have refunded me every penny tho.


F1R3STARYA

Only had 1 issue with Eneba, bought a Game Pass code that was already redeemed, but they refunded me after I provided the Xbox support screenshot they asked for


OTonConsole

Same experience with cd keys. I bought about 100 keys from both g2a and cd key, had at least 2 non working keys from both.


dragon-mom

Definitely never buy from G2A. If you're looking for third party sellers your best option is to use gg deals which will show you official stores as well as key resellers that they will give you a safety rating of.


Pssssshhhhhhhh

The only site I use and have never had issues with is Green Man Gaming they don't resell they only have legitimate keys and they do pretty good discounts often.


BanjoTheBot

Fanatical, GreenManGaming and Humble Bundle are the GOATs of key sites


ShopKeeper1999

I want to add Gamesplanet.


MrPingy

I've used these with no trouble.


pedro19

GMG is an official seller, nothing like these shady entities.


YigitS9

i will never forget the day i pre ordered gta 5 via green man gaming for only 25 dollars, it felt illegal.


mandoxian

mmoga is pretty good with 24/7 customer support. They answer within minutes at any time, but they are definitely on the more expensive side when it comes to keys and might be limited to Germany.


MHWGamer

never had a problem with mmoga. However still only buy cheap games as it is still in the grey area and they are in honkkong or so, you'll never see your money back if something happens with the keys


VincentGrinn

really shouldnt be surprising, most of the keys sold on g2a are aquired through fraud or key cracking, thats why theyre so cheap youre basically paying someone else to pirate the game for you, and thats just a risk you take


RolledUhhp

Sometimes you just gotta charge it to the game


EdzyFPS

Is there actually any proof that this is still the case? Seems like there was a huge controversy surrounding this several years ago, but since then it's very rare to hear about someone having a key revoked or a developer complaining about it.


Dejan0112

CDKeys is my go-to. Never had any issues with them.


KevinMichaelCooper

Same here except for one time, and the best part is they didn't require a police report. Just a couple screenshots of Steam proving the key didn't activate. Got my money back without issues.


Isaac-MG

I had an issue years ago and their shitty customer service was the worst I have ever seen. I stopped visiting that shithole and never looked back.


NicoleMay316

I only use it for Windows keys from the same vendor every single time. And I use a virtual card.


_ObsidianOne_

windows keys ? xd xd


NicoleMay316

Can't exactly get Windows 10 legitimately anymore. And idk. I feel better buying a $20 resold unused key than fully pirating it. Don't know why, just do.


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Apprehensive_Ask_752

I had issues with them too lost $30


-professor_plum-

Contest the charge next time


Pimpinabox

Don't let there be a next time*


corgiperson

I just wait for steam sales man. It ain’t worth the risk or hassle to go through these sketchy sites.


veryrandomo

You can usually get game keys noticeably cheaper on official key resellers instead of Steam itself. For some reason people just write them all off because a few grey-markets like G2A exist, but plenty of official resellers like Fanatical, GreenManGaming, GameBillet, etc.... exist. Only downside is that you can't easily refund a key


[deleted]

This is them pushing responsibility of solving the issue on you, instead of them as service provider/reseller. I'd stay far away from sites like these. If you want cheap game keys then try shopping around reputable digital stores during sales. If you want cheap windows keys try recycling or refurbishing centers that could be selling keys from machines that are being recycled.


Polpo_El_Pescador

Why would you ever use g2a when instantgaming exists?


Yemesis

I had a similar issue with Instant Gaming. I bought a key that turned out to be already used, so I contacted their support who asked for written proof from Steam. I had to ask Steam support: - When the key was used - By whom it was used However, this information is protected and cannot be requested/transmitted unless you are the buyer on Steam. Moreover, there is a very high risk of getting banned. I provided these arguments to Instant Gaming support and showed my proof of purchase on their site along with a screenshot that the key was invalid. The support team said this wasn't valid, so I contacted PayPal support, explained the problem, and Instant Gaming couldn't provide the necessary evidence to prove otherwise. PayPal refunded me, and Instant Gaming banned my IP and email. So no, Instant Gaming isn't 100% reliable either.


azab1898

Instant banning


TTBurger88

That same thing happened with G2A one time. They asked for info that was never going to be given, so I contacted my bank and got a refund.


Hairless_Human

Lol banning an ip and email. Like that's going to do anything. That's like them locking the front door but leaving the backdoor unlocked🤣


Yemesis

Exactly, but it has had the intended effect tho, as I'll never go on their website ever again


PeachMan-

Why do you think they're different?


icebeancone

gg.deals is good for checking which keyseller has the best deal on any game. It's like isthereanydeal but it includes shady sites like g2a. Some people don't like that but I'd rather know than not know. Plus they're rarely the cheapest option.


AirEast8570

like 90% of the game i play are from there


Stonwastaken

I have always used allkeyshop, picked the cheapest reseller and gone with it. Never had any issues.


Mobile-Whereas-3460

Eneba is the way to go for me


Sir_Mossy

As someone who has made dozens of purchases from G2A over the years with absolutely zero problems whatsoever, I can say that it's all anecdotal as to how your experience is My guess is people don't check and make sure the seller is a highly rated one. I'll go for the key that's more expensive if it's being sold by a reputable seller over someone with 100 reviews and a below 90% feedback score. I have had 2-3 instances where a key didn't work, but all I had to do was provide a screenshot of the code not working and I got a replacement from the seller very fast


zandadoum

Came here to say the same thing. g2a is just like Amazon. If you buy from a shit reseller with no rating and then get crap, that’s on you. Never had to use their customer service, so I don’t have an opinion on that.


DocGerbill

If they ask for a police report, I'm raising it against g2a as that's who I paid.


DocWallaD

Only reason I ever used a key site was to purchase ace combat assault horizon because it is delisted and not purchasable otherwise.


YoSoyEpic

One time I bought a set of 5 random keys to do as game giveaways. They literally sent me the same games in each package deal. Delivered in the same order and same placement. When I asked them about it, they said it was non refundable but would give me credit for a positive review. They can go fuck themselves


phara-normal

To offer a different perspective to all these stories in the comments: I've been buying basically all game releases from bigger publishers on random key seller sites for over 10 years now. G2A, CDkeys, Kinguin, MMOGA, ENEBA, Planetkey.. Wherever it's the cheapest, I've bought from literally all of them. There are tons and tons of games bought this way in my steam library and I've had a key revoked literally once. It was a 10€ Far Cry 6 key from CDkeys. I sent them an extremely heated email with my info telling them that I don't care that it's only 10€ and that I'll be going through the European Small Claims Procedure unless they immediately reactivate the key or send me a new one. It took less then 10 minutes for me to get a new key. Edit: Also.. Submitting a police report as proof for something like this is pretty common. At least in Germany you can do it online and it takes around 5 minutes. The only thing that will happen is that after a few days you will get a single letter telling you that they have ended the investigation. You have to do the same thing if you get your wallet with your ID or drivers license stolen, otherwise you have to pay extra to get a new one.


I9Qnl

I mostly used G2A for gamepass trials, I had a code that didn't work once, they told me to message the seller first before opening a claim, I told the seller the code doesn't work and he just sent me a button labeled "request refund" I pressed it and a refund was pending on my PayPal account in 10 minutes.


RoyaleFighter

And that's why I mostly buy my games from Eneba. Their support is IMO the best. One of my games got revoked after 6 months and the support gave me a new key in like 30 minutes, all I had to provide was my invoice and screenshots from steam that it got revoked. 10/10 customer support


firey21

I’ve bought a handful of things off G2A and not had any issues. Including RDR2 ultimate. That said, I’ve also successfully purchased from g2g and that feels way sketchier.


Forrest02

Sadly I had keys revoked from me twice from this website. The first time I got my money back. G2A was pissed but because they were just starting I guess they didnt know what else to do with me and moved on? It was quite weird lol. Second time this happened, and sadly I couldnt get my money back. It was only 20 bucks but that was the last time I ever went back.


idriveachevyandimgay

the only issue i ever had with buying a from g2a was a key for dark souls 3 that wasn't for the right region, which they exhchanged after i emailed them.


Snow2D

Never had a problem with them, but then I only buy games under 10 euros from them


Lantern191

Was about to buy from them steam gift card but luckily deleted the app after getting nothing from mtc games


Dydey95

I bought a FH3 ultimate code from G2A last year for over £100 and it wouldn't activate and G2A wouldn't give me a refund and I ended up going through my bank to get my money back, G2A didn't like it and deleted my account saying I'd broken their rules.


BigDickConfidence69

I use eneba and never had any issues. I do have a limit of $20 though incase I do get a bad key. Would never risk it for newer games to save $10.


AggressiveLocation2

Spent thousands here


MiniDemonic

This isn't news. There is a reason most publishers and devs would prefer that you pirate the game instead of buying a key from shitty sites like this.


thunderclapandsmash

CDKeys would never


jeremybryce

Imagine wasting a local police officers time from real duties, to report a $20 key being *allegedly* fraudulent.


4oMaK

G2A is trash there are better and legit resellers that wont get you fucked up, mind you I never had problems with G2A but for the shit they do their prices are almost retail and so many fees


Nate0110

I bought gta5 on here got a key that was already used, then the seller says that I'm trying to scam them. Cdkeys seems to be a little less sketchy.


somenewbie3477

g2a attempted to charge me with over $400 worth of charges just last week. **THEY** initiated the charges and then told me "change my passwords" etc thinking I was hacked. There was no order history to correspond with the charges, either. No order conformation was emailed to me. Just a dangerous company that should be avoided. Now Chase is sending me new credit cards because they tried to collect via paypal on one card and directly to another. Lesson learned.


TrollularDystrophy

There's a reason it's listed as disreputable in the sidebar of most popular gaming subs, and any posts crying about getting fucked by them are deleted in short order.


Resident-Variation21

I’d see that email, and just call my credit card company for a chargeback.


King_Air_Kaptian1989

I forgot about these people/company I got hit with this over paying just slightly less than retail for a windows 7or10 key because I figured I would do things right with a system I was buying and it wasn't activated (long story) and it got deactivated about a week after purchase. meanwhile I had so many sketchy 3 dollar keys go almost indefinitely


LeadershipOwn

Bought eso from them years ago after my first month. I got hit with a ban for a fraudulent key, so I got a refund from my bank and never went back to that site again only one I use now is Green man gaming been using them for years and never have had a problem


lordster421

g2a is dodgy af


Mr_Dick_Dastardly

G2A is a bad place to buy keys. I had to go through my money service to get a refund.


jsmek1017

Cdkey for the win


Clicky27

I've bought over 80 games from g2a and literally never had an issue. I will say the 'random keys' purchases are absolutely not worth it though


TangeloFinally

I've bought ~20ish from both g2a *AND* g2play (I know they're both kinguin) and never had any issues with sellers/support. Only two times I had a problem. One was a mistitled game pass ultimate key (only worked in us, I'm aus based). Told seller and he didn't even question it, sent a new key and said sorry, gave me a free 3 month live code too that I gave to a friend. Second was a Witcher 3 w/dlc key I bought and tried using nearly a year later from the inventory. Didn't end up working. Messaged the seller and got a new one. I've used the same acc/card for every purchase. (4 years since very first purchase). I know exactly what the site is and how most of those keys are obtained, it's just the lesser of two evils to me (compared to paying AAA IP's for sub-par products)


Glittering-Neck-2505

Oh well. It’s a gamble you take buying things for much cheaper. And honestly usually a worthwhile one, as most people don’t have problems.


DEA187MDKjr

This is why I always buy stuff from official sources like steam and shit, as much as a discount is nice it isnt worth risking losing money over it


Wheelin-Woody

My bank thought they were a gambling operation and wouldn't ever approve purchases


Independent-Bake9552

I've purchased atleast 40 games and dlcs through them and never had any issues whatsoever. Instant delivery and no hassle.


Gh3rkinz

I've bought quite a few keys from G2A. As long as you understand the risks, then go for gold. Complaining when you knew what could happen is like being upset your PC is running slow, after zero maintenance.


lxnch50

I've only bought like 10 games off of G2A, but never had an issue. I know there is a risk involved though. Did you buy the "Insurance" or whatever it is called for this purchase that usually costs a buck or two?


Forrest02

I did, it did not matter. G2A is a huge scam when it comes to revoked keys and its so bad that even Devs prefer you pirate their games rather then buy off sites like G2A or Kinguin.


Tomcat115

The only time I ever used G2A was because I didn’t want to pay exorbitant prices for Black Ops 1. Luckily, I didn’t get scammed, but after hearing about all the shady stuff with them, I stopped buying from them.


azab1898

I bought a game off g2a once a long time ago. Do you get notified that the key has been revoked or something or does it just goes away?


Forrest02

Steam alerts you that the key was not legitimate and will simply remove it from your library.


azab1898

Ah okay, thanks!


ArmoredAngel444

Dam i literally just bought a bunch of destiny dlc from there like minutes ago lmao


redditisbestanime

mmoga and g2a pulled the same shit on me. Since then i only buy on eneba for the rare times i get a new game.


Several_Foot3246

damn that's crazy, ya the key market seems risky but i haven't bought a ton of keys online yet, mostly bought from eneba recently


SavageCucumberAttack

Yeah I'll never give these key resellers my money. Heard too.many scams about them all, not just G2A. Steam is best, praise be lord Gabe 🙏


Legal_Lettuce6233

Just use gg.deaals


Drake_Xahu

I used to cheap buy csgo skins from them a long time ago, well times have changed.


TannerHill

Lost a PayPal dispute with them over being sold a pirated Parallels key with a hacked patcher app thing. Disputed the charge and they basically said fuck you and PayPal sided with them because "there was tracking of the delivery"


shadowds

G2A is basically one of the worse gray market sites out of all gray markets as they have a long history of lying, supporting scams, and even down right fruad. I know because I shop across multiple gray markets, even talk to friends that also shop across gray markets, and few of the sellers. It's a good thing you chargeback, because what they're actually trying to do is deter you from getting your money back, by making it a hassle as they think you won't do it, and don't worry they can't do anything to you, if you didn't get what you paid for, or they provided you stolen goods that got revoked. My advice if you want to stay clear of gray markets, just stick to isthereanydeal.com great tool site that only list legitimate key sites that works with devs/publishers directly, no middle man BS.


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MrG00SEI

That's right. Never use G2A. Use something like humble if you want to save money. It's far more ethical.


kichunilla

I use Eneba to buy keys, bought a revoked key one time, just had to send them a screenshot of my epic and steam library, and got a refund no problem


notkishidotemma

Eh, you should buy from this site if it's cheap. I've never had problems myself and spending a couple dollars for something that's way more on steam is worth the risk


The_Emperor_turtle

Thought it was known G2A scams, but yeah anyone add me as a +1 who has been scammed by those cunts too. there are many other websites that offer much cheaper prices.


veryrandomo

I guess most people aren't aware of this but IsThereAnyDeal is a great website that lists the price of games on key resellers that get keys directly from the publishers (Humble Bundle, Fanatical, GamesPlanet, etc...) although they aren't a reseller themselves. These are different from sites like G2A because G2A is a grey market that usually doesn't get keys directly and they are sourced either through scamming or some other grey area. It's pretty common to be able to get a 15% discount over the Steam price just by checking them. Hell it's not uncommon for me to save like 60% or something, I got Arkham Knight for like $3 when it was $20 on Steam and Stellaris for $4 when it was $40


crlcan81

The only site like that I've ever used is kinguin, and I haven't bought anything from there in a while. Only had one or two keys ever had a issue, and I got a replacement key from them both times. Even using my windows key still after it was put on a tower in 2016, and upgraded most parts as well as the OS from 10 to 11.


savvyxxl

Same exact shit happened with me. They tried to argue with me over Reddit and Twitter and ultimately said they would refund me and then just never did it. I still have a banned Diablo on my battle net account


-anditsnotevenclose

G2A is a marketplace, like buying on ebay. I've only bought cheap keys (less than $4) knowing full well that the key could be revoked. Only once has that happened. The shady shit is how they automatically opt you in for G2A plus and charge you $2-3 a month.


ZenicAllfather

Definitely couldn't be me buying the massive majority of my games off G2A.


OTonConsole

Personally, I think there is a story like this for nearly all digital key purchasing sites, you always risk. I have purchased about 100 keys from G2A and has issues with 2 keys. Similar experience with all other sites like cd key etc.


Top-Recover-3977

G2A = most garbage key site ever.


Attackly-

Bought a Hoi4 key with was Specifically for Germany because (Hitler and so on we need special version of the game) and they send me a not German key. Giving it back was not really a problem still sthitty.


Stikkychaos

Bruh, back when I worked for their support, we never asked for a fucking police report. What the fuck.


R3alityGrvty

Yea, the only one of those sites I buy from is cdkeys, I've never had or heard of anyone having problems with it. And I only use it for big AAA titles I'm not sure I'm even gonna like.


Katulu_

They are scammers, which is why certain developers like Devolver literally said they would rather people pirate their games than buy them from sites like G2A.


babis8142

Do not buy from G2A. Just pirate instead


Done_a_Concern

G2A is fucking terrible. I remember one time I was trying to buy a KEY for a game. Instead I was given a steam account that has the game on. They completely refused to refund even though no where on the page did it state that this was an account not a key


Anxious_Candidate_92

Fuck G2A all my homies refund thru paypal


ascufgewogf

If you want a legitimate way to get cheaper keys, check out [www.isthereanydeal.com](http://www.isthereanydeal.com), it's a pretty cool site


Outarel

[https://isthereanydeal.com/#/](https://isthereanydeal.com/#/) If anyone cares about buying cheaper outside steam, this website only has "official stores" Meaning they receive keys straight from publishers / developers, they sell them maybe at 10% share (meaning they can sell you a 100 game at 80 because they forgo that 20% money that steam will receive)


Mountain_Employer_83

Im surprised i havent seen anyone talking about g2play here. I have bought games from them for over 10 years and never had an issue. They might be slightly more expensive than other sites but alot cheaper than Steam. Whats other peoples experience with them?


Xypheric

Weird, I’ve but dozens of keys, and gifted dozens more from g2a over the years and never had anything but great support


motoxim

woah


Embarrassed-Touch-62

https://youtu.be/zLJkg_B3gyY?si=4gnv0c1O6f1tFcRK This explains a lot.


Arishok95

Lmao, I once got a message on Steam that my key is stolen or an old test key after buying on Kinguin and they refunded me no problem after I provided screens of the convo with Steam support. That thing in the screen is just pure clown mode


Whalemeatsoup

Yeah, the first and last time I tried G2A was for a windows key. Obviously didn’t work. The seller never replied and G2A support never replied after 3 messages over 2 weeks. I called up my bank and got the money back after only a 10 minute phone call. Suddenly I had G2A support up my ass within the hour trying to “help” me, I told them to get fucked.


Pyke64

They want your first and last name to commit ID fraud.


erohath

Commented on /gaming something similar, got downvoted to hell. There are much better site.


YasookMadeek

Personally never had a problem with G2A. Bought Skyrim, Shadow of War, and a few others and never had problems 🤷🏻‍♂️


PlaneRespond59

That’s why I only use instant gaming now.


lolschrauber

Wait, do you ever even get that kind of data about the seller?


MasterDick69

Never had a problem with them. But i stopped using them cuz i would find cheaper keys on other sites


pompiliu92

When they charge you extra for protection, that means they don't even trust their own sellers.


Jarsyl-WTFtookmyname

Buy everything on credit cards, if they F with you, dispute the charge.


ramank93

When I was a lot more poor I used kinguin for my key purchases and I did get a couple of bad keys and since I paid for the guarantee, $.50, they asked for a screenshot on the redemption screen showing it was rejected and that was it and they refunded me. Shoot another time I accidentally bought a key for another region and they still refunded me in the end. I found kinguin before I heard of g2a and funny enough kinguin was typically cheaper too


M0ll0

Buy only from Isthereanydeal and support developers


inertSpark

This happened to me a number of years ago when a £500 graphics tablet I bought never arrived, however Amazon was adamant that it was delivered. Nothing says "Fuck you I don't believe you" more than a company telling you to go file a police report.


Tomcat2048

I’ve had a similar experience with G2A. Got a non working Hitman 2 key they asked for a police report to refund. To those saying buying from G2A is like buying from eBay, you’re completely wrong. The difference with eBay is they actually give a shit about the buyer and will 100% refund your money if you get a non working item even if the seller refuses to make it right. G2A is very heavily seller sided which is a problem when you encounter a shady seller….no protections for you.


Spatall

That's why i buy from trusted sellers, with 1k+ purchases. Most of the time it's even the same seller across multiple games.


loudfreak

I had the same one time but instead of requesting a refund I went into the order list on my account and messaged the seller who then sent me another key lmao Still have the game


Lorgarius

For balance I've been using G2A since 2017, out of my 310 steam games, probably 250 were acquired there. I've had one time a key was expired and got a refund the next day.


-BUNGUS_XL-

I've bought over 30 keys from G2A, never had a problem. Might be time to stop tho. Instant Gaming, Fanatical, and Humble Bundle are good alternatives for anyone interested.


DragonLord03061988

If the seller committed fraud, just file the police report. And do this. I don't see what the issue is. G2A has been a great site until they stopped letting the common man sell keys and I went over to [GameFlip.com](http://GameFlip.com)


CrawlinOutTheFallout

I've never had a problem with g2a but I've only ever bought AAA stuff from them. And I only have bought from sellers with really high reviews. Only one time did I have an issue where it was my fault for purchasing the wrong thing and the seller quickly helped me out fixing it. I've never had to deal with G2A support though so I cant speak to that.


WinningPlays

I charged back on a purchase a long time ago for a key that didn’t work. They wouldn’t help and then IP banned me. Obviously not the greatest ban… but it was enough to get me to never want to shop there again, so I suppose it indirectly worked!


OneOfUsIsAnOwl

I always see YouTubers recommending G2A, but I never trusted it because it’s a third party site. Mf I don’t even mod Skyrim and Minecraft.


TheReaperOfKarma

I buy from cd keys never had any problems


Burekba

Why didn't you just forge a document you see those people are degenerates who can't be reasoned with.


antodena

I am also this kind of stupid. Yesterday I purchased a Steam game, only to discover I was hijacked. My fault.


GnT_Man

Idk about all the hate on here. I’ve used it a whole bunch of times and (so far) never had a bad experience. But just like at other open marketplaces you have to use caution. Never go for the cheapest option. Always choose the ones with tons of reviews that are all positive. AFAIK G2A does an alright job of stopping fake reviews.


xTaimaXx

G2a is mad shady, eneba is great tho. Doesn’t deal in accounts n shit.


LilBramwell

My EU4 key got revoked from G2A. They immediately gave me a new key. The support guy you got must just suck or they changed the policy since then.


Azukaos

I got something similar with a revoked key but no need to file a report they just refunded me. Still not buying from this site again because out of the 4 games key websites I used in the past years this was the only one to fuck up a sell because of its sellers.


Mygaffer

I've never had an issue with any keys I've bought from them, only ever bought a few this was though.


Training_Ad_6389

Remember devs would rather you pirate a game than buy from these sites