Murky world of PC game key reselling exposed by indie developer

[Eleccybubb]

Pay anyone enough money and you can get anything shown. Hell look at all the twitch streamers and youtubers that advertise them.

I know here in the US when I went to see the movie there was no advertisements for G2A so maybe they bought advertisement space at that theater you went to.

G2A sells stolen goods and people support them, Those same people in the same breath bitch and moan about EA.....

Fucken hypocrite's

I'm sorry but do you actually have any evidence of this of G2A or are you just going "WAAAAAAAH WAAAAAAAAH ILLEGAL STOLEN KEYS WAAAH"? Prove me right with some actual evidence that you have.

[soulzek]

He accused G2A users of

That's like complaining that craigslist has stolen bikes on it. It's not a problem with the site at all, it's just people and it can't be stopped.

[Eleccybubb]

Yep, there were adverts for g2a, made by Carbot animations, in Spain's cinemas as well.

I completely despise this website and every single key reselling one, they are shady black markets of stolen keys making money out of other people work.
G2A in particular makes me specially sick because of their "Random games bundle" shit that youtubers and streamers alike continue to use as a source for "giveaways", making it look like you are getting one hell of a deal, when all the titles there are games that have been under 1 €/$ pricetag on bundles or steam sales.

Debatable. I bought 10 keys and got 2 games that were priced on Steam non sale at a £5 so already got twice my moneys worth from 20% of the games. Also the Premium one for like £2 got me Dishonored so won't complain.

[Jtbrig7390]

I'm sorry but do you actually have any evidence of this of G2A or are you just going "WAAAAAAAH WAAAAAAAAH ILLEGAL STOLEN KEYS WAAAH"? Prove me right with some actual evidence that you have.

I guess reading the OP and googling is hard for some, Mite be just as hard as reading the last few pages where proof has been posted.

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I pay for a game, money goes to the dev. If it's a reseller, the developer has already been paid before.

Not if those keys was stolen. Devs don't get shit from G2A and many devs have came out and said as much.

G2A is worse then pirating and has caused some devs to shutdown due to there sells.

Want to keep buying from them fine but don't act like you don't know what they are doing.

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That's like complaining that craigslist has stolen bikes on it. It's not a problem with the site at all, it's just people and it can't be stopped.

Ummm that is a problem with the site even more so when you do nothing to stop it.

[Deleted]

You can do what these guys are doing with the game keys.

@DriDzZz Please contact the retailer regarding your banned key. [S]

— Ubisoft Support (@UbisoftSupport) January 25, 2015

Devolver Digital games purchased on @G2A_com are not legitimate, not guaranteed, and not supported. We are actively canceling those keys.

— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) May 14, 2014

[Asmekiel]

Not if those keys was stolen. Devs don't get shit from G2A and many devs have came out and said as much.

G2A is worse then pirating and has caused some devs to shutdown due to there sells.

Want to keep buying from them fine but don't act like you don't know what they are doing.

So because the one dev from your example was too lazy to deactivate the keys means every single key bought through G2A is stolen?
Even if it was, it's not G2A's fault that those resellers aren't paying the devs. Report the reseller and blame that person.
I'm not blaming Ebay when something stolen is offered on that site, so I'm not going to blame G2A either.

[Jtbrig7390]

So because the one dev from your example was too lazy to deactivate the keys means every single key bought through G2A is stolen?
Even if it was, it's not G2A's fault that those resellers aren't paying the devs. Report the reseller and blame that person.
I'm not blaming Ebay when something stolen is offered on that site, so I'm not going to blame G2A either.

G2A allows the sells of stolen keys, G2A does not background check there sellers. You can defend them all you want but you support illegal activity doing so. Devs do not get shit from G2A sells and G2A's sells has even causes some devs to fold up.

The difference between your G2A and Ebay comment is ebay protects there buyers and sells outright. Also you can't prove anything on ebay is stolen. There is many storys about G2A and sites alike. G2A is worse then pirating and company's having to do charge backs hurts them.

Play ignorant all you wish that's your choice. But if you support G2A you got no room to bitch about what company's like EA are doing.

Also you can't buy digital goods on ebay and I wish people would stop trying to compare the two because they are not the same.

When a company is telling you that you must buy there protection to be protected then you know something is up. That is why the G2A shield is there because they know there is keys that is not legit on there site.

G2A knowingly allows the sell of stolen goods on there site and handwaves any responsibility. You support them you support people stealing. Its that simple.

[Raiju]

I'll clarify something - G2A are mainstream because software laws are so far behind we're only just getting CONSUMER protection in the past few years. Marketplace standards are going to be behind that. G2A are also nowhere near big enough to get market watchdogs to put any real pressure on them despite their relative size in the gaming industry. Ebay doesn't even get much leaning on compared to amazon, and alibaba is relatively immune to the west.
@Judy Hopps ebay actively attempts to remove people selling stolen or fake goods. Amazon will IMMEDIATELY ban anyone who is even suggested of doing such a thing (If you send 2 messages to a seller including the words counterfeit, fake, etc. their account will get banned until they can bring up evidence that proves their products are authentic)

It's not even really comparable to ebay where outside of certain exceptions you can usually expect your product to be authentic. This is closer to buying burned discs from carboot/garage sales/markets that you pretty much know are illegitimate - or at least many of them are - but choose to ignore it because it's a good price.

[Eleccybubb]

I guess reading the OP and googling is hard for some, Mite be just as hard as reading the last few pages where proof has been posted.

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Not if those keys was stolen. Devs don't get shit from G2A and many devs have came out and said as much.

G2A is worse then pirating and has caused some devs to shutdown due to there sells.

Want to keep buying from them fine but don't act like you don't know what they are doing.

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Ummm that is a problem with the site even more so when you do nothing to stop it.

You made the claim that G2A was illegal. The burden of proof is on you to provide said evidence. All I have seen you done is bash it and crying about it yet not provided a solid link that shows it is illegal or borderline illegal.

[Jtbrig7390]

You made the claim that G2A was illegal. The burden of proof is on you to provide said evidence. All I have seen you done is bash it and crying about it yet not provided a solid link that shows it is illegal or borderline illegal.

No I never made the claim that G2A was illegal. I said they knowingly allows the sell of stolen goods on there site and profit from it.

People keep ignoring this fact and trying to compare to ebay and amazon. Both Ebay and Amazon actively will seek out those who try to do this. G2A does not because its there bread and butter.

[Eleccybubb]

No I never made the claim that G2A was illegal. I said they knowingly allows the sell of stolen goods on there site and profit from it.

People keep ignoring this fact and trying to compare to ebay and amazon. Both Ebay and Amazon actively will seek out those who try to do this. G2A does not because its there bread and butter.

Again show us a link of this. You claimed it was stolen. Provide some actual evidence. We should just believe your word of mouth? You make these claims like I said the burden of proof is on you to back it up with actual evidence.

[Jtbrig7390]

Really? Who, exactly?

Trying to find the name give me a moment. TB was talking about it yesterday and it has slipped my mind. Trying to find it but all the dam links are about my OP lol.

So chalk that comment up as useless until I can find a link.

Fact of the matter if G2A allows the sell of stolen goods and does nothing about it. Charge backs are not free for any company and it hurts them. if you support G2A you have no right to bitch about EA or any other company and you support theft.

[Eleccybubb]

Trying to find the name give me a moment. TB was talking about it yesterday and it has slipped my mind. Trying to find it but all the dam links are about my OP lol.

So chalk that comment up as useless until I can find a link.

Fact of the matter if G2A allows the sell of stolen goods and does nothing about it. Charge backs are not free for any company and it hurts them. if you support G2A you have no right to bitch about EA or any other company and you support theft.

Key word being "IF" there.

[Jtbrig7390]

Again show us a link of this. You claimed it was stolen. Provide some actual evidence. We should just believe your word of mouth? You make these claims like I said the burden of proof is on you to back it up with actual evidence.

Read the last few pages ffs.

http://tinybuild.com/g2a-sold-450k-w...-our-game-keys
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ty-key-sellers

Is reading and googling hard for you?

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Key word being "IF" there.

Ok let me remove the if to.... They DO allow the sell of stolen keys.

Much better?

You are only protected if you buy there protection, that alone should give you some red flags.

Love all the people who try to defend G2A just because they save a few bucks.

[Eleccybubb]

Read the last few pages ffs.

http://tinybuild.com/g2a-sold-450k-w...-our-game-keys
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ty-key-sellers

Is reading and googling hard for you?

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Ok let me remove the if to.... They DO allow the sell of stolen keys.

Much better?

You are only protected if you buy there protection, that alone should give you some red flags.

Love all the people who try to defend G2A just because they save a few bucks.

Just bought a game from there right now. Call the police on me

[Jtbrig7390]

Just bought a game from there right now. Call the police on me

Congratz you are worse then someone who pirates games.

Love the smart ass remark when you ask for proof and given it then ignore it.

[Wilian]

I thought it was known that G2A is a piece of shit semi-illegal website long ago.

But it isn't.

[Jtbrig7390]

It's not so much that I want to "defend" G2A, rather that I'm fairly sure THEY don't actually steal anything, nor are they directly complicit in the illegal methods by which keys end up on their site.

That doesn't make them an angel, of course, but I'm fairly certain that the real issue lies in concepts like "keys" to begin with. As long as we're letting "ownership" of a product be bought and sold in the form of some random string of characters, the ability of the internet to facilitate the transfer of a vast number of those strings will be an issue. If G2A isn't doing it, it'll just be happening elsewhere. (I mean, it already does, for that matter)

Let me be 100% clear just incase I haven't.

G2A themselves do not buy and sell stolen keys, as a matter of fact G2A doesn't sell anything themselves as far as I know. (Maybe the $1 box of random keys).

But they allow anyone to get on there site and sell anything (keys) they wish. They do no background checks or anything. I can right now go make a account and have it running in 2mins.

People keep comparing them to Amazon and Ebay while ignoring that both of those actively seek out people trying to sell stolen goods and will ban them on the spot. I even do believe there has beem moments where both Amazon and Ebay has seeked legal action to people who tried to sell stolen goods on there site.

Cruse owns MMOC and if MMOC allowed people to post child porn on here do you not think that puts MMOC at fault? The same applys to G2A, they allow the sell of stolen goods because they do NOTHING to stop it. Why would they try to stop it anyway, they make money hand over fist and have yet to be sued.

Time will catch up to them just like it has for all other sites.

[Eleccybubb]

Let me be 100% clear just incase I haven't.

G2A themselves do not buy and sell stolen keys, as a matter of fact G2A doesn't sell anything themselves as far as I know. (Maybe the $1 box of random keys).

But they allow anyone to get on there site and sell anything (keys) they wish. They do no background checks or anything. I can right now go make a account and have it running in 2mins.

People keep comparing them to Amazon and Ebay while ignoring that both of those actively seek out people trying to sell stolen goods and will ban them on the spot. I even do believe there has beem moments where both Amazon and Ebay has seeked legal action to people who tried to sell stolen goods on there site.

Then go on their site to buy stuff then problem solved.

[Jtbrig7390]

Then go on their site to buy stuff then problem solved.

No the problem isn't solved because G2A is still around and devs are having to do charge backs to get there content back.

You do realize what a charge back does to a company right? Do you even know what a charge back is?

Because all ur comments so far show you don't have a fucken clue. Then again if you can't read the last couple pages of the thread how do I expect you to know anything about the topic at hand.

Edit: For giggles more news about g2a fucking people over.
http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2016/0...sorship-money/

In April of last year we signed a deal with G2A that included a minimum payment and incentives based upon organizational streaming hours. Month after month went by with no payments. When we were able to get a response from the company (which was difficult) pathetic excuses were given. We eventually sent them notice of breach and stopped giving them free marketing exposure. After calculating the amount it would cost to pursue legal remedies we decided it wasn’t worth it. After thirteen years in this business, I’ve seen my share of shady sponsors and in my opinion G2A ranks right up there with the worst.