The Jackdog
Member
this is completely ignorant of what is actually going on here.
these are keys illegally obtained by the retailer. its the only thing bethesda can do.
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Can Bethesda just revoke my access like that?
- Thread starter Caayn
- Start date
this is completely ignorant of what is actually going on here.
these are keys illegally obtained by the retailer. its the only thing bethesda can do.
You could at least read the thread.
Messofanego
Banned
The company is called "Glory Profit International Limited", works from Hong Kong (bad english is obvious over all of the website's FAQ and terms and conditions), this same exact address (Room 1202,12/F., AT Tower, 180 Electric Road, North Point Kowloon) in Kowloon operates other websites like gameholds/cdkeypascher/IGX4U which mentions WoW gold farming, and payments are limited to bank transfer, cash, Paypal, or check.
No debit or credit card.
breh...
breh!!!
No debit or credit card.
breh...
breh!!!
Caught exercising his right as a consumer to seek out the best deal? That is ridiculous.
The onus should not be on the customer to be aware of reselling sites. There are vast swathes of members of Gaf that aren't aware of it being legally gray at the best of times, how would you expect everyone outside of the immediate core of games coverage to make an informed decission on that matter either? Its not like mainstream media particularly picks up on it.
I don't support key selling sites, but to act as if using them is tantamount to a crime is ludicrous.
LurkerPrime
Member
Buying from grey market key resellers makes you the key reseller's customer, not the dev/pub's customer. You're really taking a lot of control out of your own hands by looking to save a buck at sites like this, not to mention furthering their shady practices. It's a lot simpler to go through legitimate or trusted channels to get your product.
Key resellers: not even once.
Key resellers: not even once.
Lol if that didn't raise any flags I don't what will.
Obvious shady ass key reseller
Rising_Hei
Member
This will show you that saving some bucks it's not worth the risk 
When a place has it much cheaper than anywhere and has no official support from publishers... lol really, just run away of those :/
When a place has it much cheaper than anywhere and has no official support from publishers... lol really, just run away of those :/
I guess a more accurate analogy is if someone buys a car with a stolen credit card and then sells it to you. Do you have the right to keep it?
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
Did you know it was illegal to buy stolen goods?
Actually, there is some onus on the customer.
If a guy comes up to you and offers to sell you a brand new Samsung TV out of his van for $200, would you buy it?
It's the same deal here. You're going to a semi-sketchy site selling a product for vastly less than other sites are selling it for. There's enough red lights there that you had to have had some idea that something uncouth was going on.
Its not on the customer to research who they are buying items from and make themselves informed? If the person isn't willing or doesn't know to do this that is on them. Best bet: order the game directly from the source. You won't have this issue if you do that.
He got caught buying a game on the "Black/Gray market" if you wanna call it that.
I strongly disagree. Its the job of every consumer to inform himself about the product and the store before making a purchase decision.
Though i'd say the publisher could help making the job of informing oneself easier, by offering a list of legitimate sites.
That is ridiculous, it is not illegal to unknowingly buy stolen goods, and that is my point. For publishers to expect all of their consumers to know that key selling websites are dealing in stolen goods, and then punish them for it, is ridiculous.
The ammount of stupidity contained in this post is beautiful.
Stallion Dan
Member
If companies really cared they would copyright strike twitchers and youtubers who keep advertising these shady sites.
Instead they punish the poors saps who parted with money for their game.
Why cant companies let them off one time, with a warning about dodgy sites.
Instead they punish the poors saps who parted with money for their game.
Why cant companies let them off one time, with a warning about dodgy sites.
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
Yeah unknowingly buying stolen goods results in losing that property anyway. Just because you aren't criminally charged doesn't mean you get to keep it just because you bought it.
I feel like this is the first time you've ever heard of this
BUYER BEWARE
You don't get to keep stolen goods.
To think otherwise is being naive and ignorant.
Just because it's not physical item, like a car, doesn't mean you get to ignore laws.
A company is in no way obligated to keep offering their service to someone who didnt payed them for it.
You still don't get to keep the stolen goods in any situation. This how it works .
Agreed.
Stolen credit card = Chargeback by the bank/card holder
That means the company making the game cancels the key that was paid for with the stolen credit card. The game company has no way of telling if the person playing the game was the one that stole the credit card, someone who bought the key etc. As far as they are concerned they have no money, and someone is playing a game for free.
Firelord Chargrilled
Banned
Sorry OP
That sucks
That sucks
autoduelist
Member
There has to be more to this story. There is no chance PSN banned you for trying to enter two inactive codes. Especially if you scratched off the seal and used them for the first time. No chance.
It is, though. "I didn't know it was stolen" is as strong a legal defense as "I didn't know she was 15."
VibratingDonkey
Member
Bought with stolen credit/debit cards, stolen retail copies with keys stripped, stolen from publisher/developer by lying about being critic/media/youtuber, bought from cheaper region with middle man profit margin on top, bought in bulk during pay what you want/deep discount sale. Or it's just some person who bought a legit key they no longer want to keep for whatever reason.
First three would be black market, the following two grey, and the latter completely fine.
It's like a box of chocolates. I'd suspect the cheap RU/BR/whatever key approach is the most common.
Head.spawn
Junior Member
If someone steals my car, sells it to you and you purchase stolen goods, you can best believe I'm getting my car back. You can try to sue the person you bought my car from... Good luck. It would be none of my concern, and you'd be ass out on the money you blew on stolen goods.
Seek out the best deal you can, but some websites are clearly shady. It's on you, the customer doesn't have the right to play dumb.
They are in the legal right to do so, but it is rather shitty to go after the end customer. Is Bethesda just cutting their losses and not attempting to recover the lost sales outside of forcing the end customer to buy a new key?
That stolen car analogy isn't exactly one-to-one. If the car dealer gets the stolen car back and then proceeds to destroy it so that no one can use it again because they have an infinite supply of cars, then that would fit this model.
That stolen car analogy isn't exactly one-to-one. If the car dealer gets the stolen car back and then proceeds to destroy it so that no one can use it again because they have an infinite supply of cars, then that would fit this model.
Gunslinger
Member
That's your problem. Buy CD key from known sources like steam or amazon.
The grey market being: Games as a Service.
Nope
GifGafIsTheBestGaf
Member
is maximus cards a legit reseller? /PSN CODES
is there a thread in gaf with a list or something?
is there a thread in gaf with a list or something?
The tone in the email was nice and informative, they let the account stay up for a couple of days so you can fix it without even interrupting the service and if you can't fix it in time you will still just be able to reactivate it later. Some are not that kind when you buy a stolen code. Good job Bethesda!
Of course they have to deactivate the basically stolen accounts. You have not payed them for it, nor have the people you got the code from.
It's definitely up to the buyer to research the goods and the store before purchase, and use caution and secure payment methods in case things go bad.
Of course they have to deactivate the basically stolen accounts. You have not payed them for it, nor have the people you got the code from.
It's definitely up to the buyer to research the goods and the store before purchase, and use caution and secure payment methods in case things go bad.
Baka Sempai
Member
Something doesn't quite add up....
If you were not getting a "special/discounted" price why not buy directly from the official site?
If you were not getting a "special/discounted" price why not buy directly from the official site?
The site shows "paypal" as the only option, why not get a refund through them ?
RichardKSJ
Member
Some of those games are way too cheap to be legit for how new they are. Some not even being released yet and already below $30.
How are they making profit off of that, if not for them using stolen Credit Cards and pocketing everything.
How are they making profit off of that, if not for them using stolen Credit Cards and pocketing everything.
Why didn't you just buy it from Steam?
A legit seller of PSN codes is the Playstation Store and Amazon/Gamestop.
How can you get new games up to 40% off before they even release on nuuvem and GMG? Just looking at the price isn't a 100% sure sign.
TheSpoiler
Member
That About Me section made my sides fly into orbit:
Polygon did a story (http://www.polygon.com/2015/2/9/8006693/the-truth-behind-those-mysteriously-cheap-gray-market-game-codes) on where these keys come from.
Stolen keys also hurts the "little guy" like indie devs and smaller studios like Devolver Digital who have also revoked keys and spoken out against the financial burden these stolen keys cause.
Stolen keys also hurts the "little guy" like indie devs and smaller studios like Devolver Digital who have also revoked keys and spoken out against the financial burden these stolen keys cause.
hemo memo
Gold Member
It's a long story really. Inactive not that the code is used but means it's not registered at retail (What the Sony customer support person told me after I gave him the code and the voucher number) so I think the codes sold to me were stolen or Sony deactivate old US vouchers.
Caayn
Member
I avoid purchasing directly on Steam whenever I can, they are more expensive than other (physical)shop here.
I bought from them because they where the cheapest I could find without getting into ridiculous cheap territory. And I bought a few small other games from them, which I never had any problems with. I was well aware of how their site looked funny and off.
I can't get a refund through paypal because I didn't pay with paypal. It supports a payment option called "ideal", a payment method unique to my country. And as far as I'm aware ideal doesn't support refunds like that.
Edit: I recieved a response from the seller. But reading it doesn't exactly fill me with hope. Goodbye $40
Derpcrawler
Member
I guess this is not an ideal method of online payments then.
This is the EXACT digital equivalent of buying stolen goods.
Because, if someone missed the memo, obtaining digital goods through stolen credit cards is theft, and also a slew of even worse things.
There's obviously going to be consequences to buying stolen goods - whatever knowingly or not, and even if they're just losing the good.
In the Polygon article, Kinguin\G2A point the finger at EA\Ubi\Steam\Blizzard\Whoever, digital purchases chargebacks, for whatever reason, can be delayed to sixty days plus investigation, which makes antifraud problematic.
The ultimate issue rests with Hong Kong's legal system, and the anonymity of sellers, which aren't suffering the full brunt of the law.
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
Lol reading the Wikipedia entry on it and half of it is about how it is easy to get defrauded on it and there is no chargeback protection
Come on man.
No one is saying it's illegal. OP isn't being arrested.
Doesn't mean he gets to keep stolen property, however.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Not only is it literally the same as buying stolen goods, its also just an incredibly unwise choice as a consumer.
I certainly would not be giving any payment details to people whose business revolves around using stolen payment details to obtain goods fraudulently