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There are always some debate about key reselling websites like G2A, Kinguin, etc but rather than making assumpations about the phenomenon, the boss of IndieGameStand has written an article on how it impacts its web store:
http://gamasutra.com/blogs/MichaelGnade/20160307/267385/How_Steam_key_Reselling_is_Killing_the_Little_Guys.php
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catpower1980: ...

"Steam key reselling is killing indie sites like ours and indie developers as a whole."
I read as a whole as asshole. :P
While it's true that key reselling is really bad, it is still really hard to crack down on all of these sites selling keys. It's kind of like The Pirate Bay, if you take down the servers somewhere, they will pop back up soon after somewhere else.

One step in the right direction would be for steam to have standardised prices for all regions, so that people can't go to say russia and buy keys for cheap and sell them at a higher price, but still lower than the standard prices in America for exemple.
Post edited March 08, 2016 by QuickyBard
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QuickyBard: While it's true that key reselling is really bad, it is still really hard to crack down on all of these sites selling keys. It's kind of like The Pirate Bay, if you take down the servers somewhere, they will pop back up soon after somewhere else.

One step in the right direction would be for steam to have standardised prices for all regions, so that people can't go to say russia and buy keys for cheap and sell them at a higher price, but still lower than the standard prices in America for exemple.
I think the main problem in this case is people buying keys with stolen credit cards and reselling them on Kinguin, G2A etc.
Post edited March 08, 2016 by blotunga
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QuickyBard: While it's true that key reselling is really bad, it is still really hard to crack down on all of these sites selling keys. It's kind of like The Pirate Bay, if you take down the servers somewhere, they will pop back up soon after somewhere else.

One step in the right direction would be for steam to have standardised prices for all regions, so that people can't go to say russia and buy keys for cheap and sell them at a higher price, but still lower than the standard prices in America for exemple.
While removing regional pricing would be one of the first steps still it wouldn't help to battle other related issues, such as buying games with stolen CC information and scamming people. That kind of stuff makes it me feel bit uneasy about grey market games in general, since how could you verify that the key you bought has been procured using legal methods and not be deactivated after short period of time? G2A and other such marketplaces make it possible for people using dubious or outright illegal methods to reap profit from dealings in grey market. So I'd guess those kind of marketplaces would need to be more tightly controlled, since that kind of activity hurts devs and primary distributors, which would translate less games for rest of us. (check also this one out, http://unknownworlds.com/blog/beware-shady-key-resellers-and-discount-steam-keys/)
Post edited March 08, 2016 by esaliisa
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esaliisa: That kind of stuff makes it me feel bit uneasy about grey market games in general, since how could you verify that the key you bought has been procured using legal methods and not be deactivated after short period of time?
If it's a GOG key, it hasn't. As simple as that.
Maybe it would help to not concentrate on selling Steam keys, but to offer DRM-free downloads instead.

But while it would stop the re-selling and the grey market, it would probably also hurt the sales, because the "no-Steam-keys-no-buy" would stop buying from IGS.
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esaliisa: That kind of stuff makes it me feel bit uneasy about grey market games in general, since how could you verify that the key you bought has been procured using legal methods and not be deactivated after short period of time?
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muntdefems: If it's a GOG key, it hasn't. As simple as that.
I think you did not understand the point about this article. Credit card fraud is just a big issue for gOg as it is for Steam or IndieGameStand.

1) Scamer steals credit card numbers
2) Scaner buys x amount of gift codes on gOg with fraudulent cards
3) Scamer sells said gift codes on G2A
4) Scamer gets load of real monies
5) Owners of credit card notices something is wrong
6) Owners of credit cards goes reports offence, starts charge back rocedures
7) gOg paies charge back amounts
8) gOg voids and nulls the gift keys fraudulently bought, removing the games from any account they have been activated on

The winner is the fraudster, who have laundered monies, the losers are gOg and the buyer of the key on G2A.
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muntdefems: If it's a GOG key, it hasn't. As simple as that.
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amok: I think you did not understand the point about this article. Credit card fraud is just a big issue for gOg as it is for Steam or IndieGameStand.
I think it's you that didn't understand my post.
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amok: 1) Scamer steals credit card numbers
2) Scaner buys x amount of gift codes on gOg with fraudulent cards
3) Scamer sells said gift codes on G2A
4) Scamer gets load of real monies
5) Owners of credit card notices something is wrong
6) Owners of credit cards goes reports offence, starts charge back rocedures
7) gOg paies charge back amounts
8) gOg voids and nulls the gift keys fraudulently bought, removing the games from any account they have been activated on

The winner is the fraudster, who have laundered monies, the losers are gOg and the buyer of the key on G2A.
So if you find (and buy) a GOG key on G2A or any other key re-selling site, you can be sure it had not been "procured using legal methods and will probably be deactivated after short period of time" (to quote esaliisa). Exactly my point.
Post edited March 08, 2016 by muntdefems
I think the problem is in chargeback, which is bane for many sellers. I think that chargeback should have 48 hours limit and you can't do chargeback after that time limit. If someone's card (or money on card) is stolen, it is easy to notice within 48 hours. Most of people who use chargebacks after 48 hours have passed are usually scammers.

On example of IndieGameStand, it is very easy to buy 1000 game keys, sell it, then file a chargeback pretending to be a victim, voila - you lose nothing and get profit from those people who bought those game "keys". I am truly surprised that chargeback mechanics still exist as they are.
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QuickyBard: While it's true that key reselling is really bad, it is still really hard to crack down on all of these sites selling keys. It's kind of like The Pirate Bay, if you take down the servers somewhere, they will pop back up soon after somewhere else.

One step in the right direction would be for steam to have standardised prices for all regions, so that people can't go to say russia and buy keys for cheap and sell them at a higher price, but still lower than the standard prices in America for exemple.
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blotunga: I think the main problem in this case is people buying keys with stolen credit cards and reselling them on Kinguin, G2A etc.
True that, but as esaliisa said, removing regional prices would at least be a good first step in cracking down on these sites in some way.
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amok: I think you did not understand the point about this article. Credit card fraud is just a big issue for gOg as it is for Steam or IndieGameStand.
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muntdefems: I think it's you that didn't understand my post.
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amok: 1) Scamer steals credit card numbers
2) Scaner buys x amount of gift codes on gOg with fraudulent cards
3) Scamer sells said gift codes on G2A
4) Scamer gets load of real monies
5) Owners of credit card notices something is wrong
6) Owners of credit cards goes reports offence, starts charge back rocedures
7) gOg paies charge back amounts
8) gOg voids and nulls the gift keys fraudulently bought, removing the games from any account they have been activated on

The winner is the fraudster, who have laundered monies, the losers are gOg and the buyer of the key on G2A.
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muntdefems: So if you find (and buy) a GOG key on G2A or any other key re-selling site, you can be sure it had not been "procured using legal methods and will probably be deactivated after short period of time" (to quote esaliisa). Exactly my point.
Sorry, I misunderstood your point then.

However, what you say here is not correct . There are several other ways to get gOg keys for resale which is not procured illegally. They are all against the TOS, but a TOS is not a legally binding contract and breaking it is not considered fraud.

For example, I can buy 100 gOg keys at a -80% sale, wait a month or two and sell them on G2A at a -70% price. This is neither fraud nor illegal. Or I can buy keys in Russia and sell them in EU.
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muntdefems: So if you find (and buy) a GOG key on G2A or any other key re-selling site, you can be sure it had not been "procured using legal methods and will probably be deactivated after short period of time" (to quote esaliisa). Exactly my point.
Didn't the physical edition of Witcher 3 come with a key? Not to mention it's sold several places as a key.
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Sarisio: I think the problem is in chargeback, which is bane for many sellers. I think that chargeback should have 48 hours limit and you can't do chargeback after that time limit. If someone's card (or money on card) is stolen, it is easy to notice within 48 hours. Most of people who use chargebacks after 48 hours have passed are usually scammers.
It takes about a month before I even get my credit card bill (yes, I still get it on paper) and I don't have any chance to check my balance online. A 48 hours chargeback limit would be a little unfair to people like me.
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amok: Or I can buy keys in Russia and sell them in EU.
No, you can't. Gift codes are flat priced and everybody has to pay the US price now (they implemented it a few weeks ago).
Post edited March 08, 2016 by PaterAlf
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Sarisio: I think the problem is in chargeback, which is bane for many sellers. I think that chargeback should have 48 hours limit and you can't do chargeback after that time limit. If someone's card (or money on card) is stolen, it is easy to notice within 48 hours. Most of people who use chargebacks after 48 hours have passed are usually scammers.
From honest "seller" point of view, it's quite unfair as the way payments are automatised nowadays (like Paypal), you can't check the "real life" details of the customer (like home adress for delivery of goods) and those kind of things which should raise an alarm before accpeting a transaction. Best example are Twitch donations which are sometimes a quick way for scammers to check if the card is valid (of course, the streamer has to pay the chargebacks).

On the 48-hour thing, I would say a big NO because most people don't use their credit card daily (particularly if you're in a country where debit cards are commonly used). Like PaterAlf pointed out, I receive a monthly paper bill and if I want to check the balance and transaction history, I have to connect to my online banking service (which I also doubt people do daily). Personnally since my card got hacked many years ago, I use a pre-paid card (even for my business card) with just the necessary amount on it so at worst, I don't lose much.