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The story of grey market G2A worsens, I really do recommend to stay away

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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:
image
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.
Tags: Editorial
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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35 comments
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MayeulC Feb 3, 2017
I recently had a discussion on Steam regarding the grey key reselling market, and noticed that the URL g2a.com was censored (without any feedback for the sender).
I take it as another proof that this marketplace is very, very shady.

Also, it seems this screenshot (and more so, the reply) is taken out of its context. Where is the story they are referring to?
ivant Feb 3, 2017
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[quote=Guppy]
Quoting: Comandante ÑoñardoBut 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
You can also buy the games as gifts and send them to your other account. That's what I do for my kids' account.
razing32 Feb 3, 2017
From what I heard , people steal credit cards/accoutns and buy keys then sell them to G2A. By the time the person cancels the stolen card/account the key is already sold of - BE WARNED this is hearsay not proven fact.

But as the CS GO lotto conundrum , people will apologize for cheap crap since it's cheap.
You should see the comments sections on YT videos exposing G2A shadyness. All they care about is price.

Some devs even came out and said better to pirate their game then buy on gray market.
This is the ticket of the Steam support about the use of the same credit card on two or more steam account...
I hope you understand the spanish.

sr_ls_boy Feb 3, 2017
QuoteThis is the ticket of the Steam support about the use of the same credit card on two or more steam account...

I have two accounts one for linux and one for windows. I use the same card on both accounts.
badber Feb 4, 2017
Quoting: RussianNeuroMancer
Quoting: Comandante ÑoñardoThat 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.

Steam supports Bitcoin directly nowadays. Sadly I don't think Humble store does anymore unless they've flip flopped on it once again.
killyou Feb 5, 2017
OMG stop this G2A nonsense. This is a public marketplace for keys, it's not their fault some of keys might be acquired illegally. And no, they shouldn't protect moron developers, they should protect themselves. If they sell someone keys with a stolen credit card it's not G2A fault. Software industry is locked in as it is. All the games are rentals really instead of a product that you own, you can't rent them, you can't sell them, you can't do shit and yet you want to get rid of the last bastion of freedom, being able to trade the keys outside of the official store, man to man. Soon everything will be streamed on demand so I guess all of the people whining about G2A will be happy as everything will be "legal" and you will not own anything except the right to pay a monthly bill. Block the ebay too and all classifieds as they might offer stolen items as well.
tuubi Feb 5, 2017
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Quoting: killyouIf they sell someone keys with a stolen credit card it's not G2A fault.
Is it not the bar owner's fault if they turn a blind eye to drug dealers on their premises as long as they get a cut? This isn't software piracy. Credit card theft is unarguably a crime, and the reason G2A won't implement effective screening is the fact that they would lose whatever profit they make on these illegal sales. They're not the heroes you're looking for.

Please do boycott G2A. They're not worth your support. If you feel an irrational need to punish game developers, please find a way that doesn't reward criminals.
killyou Feb 6, 2017
Quoting: tuubi
Quoting: killyouIf they sell someone keys with a stolen credit card it's not G2A fault.
Is it not the bar owner's fault if they turn a blind eye to drug dealers on their premises as long as they get a cut? This isn't software piracy. Credit card theft is unarguably a crime, and the reason G2A won't implement effective screening is the fact that they would lose whatever profit they make on these illegal sales. They're not the heroes you're looking for.

Please do boycott G2A. They're not worth your support. If you feel an irrational need to punish game developers, please find a way that doesn't reward criminals.

I'm not using G2A anyway but to me they are getting the backlash they don't deserve. How on earth would they be able to tell if the keys have been acquired by the seller legally? If someone would want to sell FCKGQ Windows XP it's obvious that's a scam, but if all the keys are valid and generated by developers then they cannot really tell whether the payment for the keys was legal or not. Let's say I'm selling an item on eBay. How would they be able to verify that it wasn't stolen or paid with a stolen credit card? They can't. It's like unleashing your anger on a stationary store clerk because they sold you a crappy product where in fact they are only the middle man and not involved in production process. The whole thing is just stupid. Developers can't just deal with the problem themselves so they are trying to pass the blame. They want to be smart and sell some of the keys directly without giving Steam their share so they have to be able to protect themselves. If they can't do that then they should rely entirely on big stores to do this for them to minimize the risk giving the store it's well deserved cut.
tuubi Feb 6, 2017
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Quoting: killyouI'm not using G2A anyway but to me they are getting the backlash they don't deserve.
In this case they are getting backlash for not implementing proper screening and then lying about it. The clerk is a straw man. G2A is not an innocent bystander or anything like a volunteer providing a public service. They're a big business with hundreds of employees globally and a budget of millions.
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