crimsonheadGCN
Banned
More at the link: http://unknownworlds.com/blog/beware-shady-key-resellers-and-discount-steam-keys/
It is terrible that they lost so much money due to key resellers.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Unknown Worlds (Natural Selection 2) lost $30K due to key resellers, bans chargebacks
- Thread starter crimsonheadGCN
- Start date
More at the link: http://unknownworlds.com/blog/beware-shady-key-resellers-and-discount-steam-keys/
It is terrible that they lost so much money due to key resellers.
SolsticeZero
Banned
Wow, that really sucks for them.
HiddenWings
Member
And this is why those types of sites are now banned here. Sucks for everyone involved, though.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
This is why you don't buy the game via key resellers.
Yeah it sucks for them, but then they should buy from a reputable site in the first place.
SneakyStephan
Banned
The game was like 20 euros on steam at launch, why the fuck even go for a reseller ?
@ shagg, no this is why you don't buy a key from some shady guy on a forum offering keys for 10 bucks...
I bought bf3 for 15 euros from a reseller at launch (russian key) and never had any problems other than EA trying their hardest (and failing) to break the game's language files with each patch
I still overpaid for that pos game.
@ shagg, no this is why you don't buy a key from some shady guy on a forum offering keys for 10 bucks...
I bought bf3 for 15 euros from a reseller at launch (russian key) and never had any problems other than EA trying their hardest (and failing) to break the game's language files with each patch
I still overpaid for that pos game.
Wish 4chan would set up a boycott group and spam create new uplay accounts to buy-> chargeback games.
Maybe they didn't know better. I am not judging anyone in that regard.
Wok
Member
I have seen the game for sale for 5.50 dollars in a thread on GAF.
I don't know either. I hope it comes from another region.
Ok. Cool.
Visualante2
Member
It's a shame that this happens because a lot of decent people sell keys in the Buy Sell Trade thread, but there's literally no way to tell the good from the bad until it's too late.
You would think Visa would be smarter than this...
From now on I guess Humble Bundle needs to start employing some fraud protection methods. Don't know if this was a single person doing it hundreds of times.
You would think Visa would be smarter than this...
SteveWinwood
Member
Of course there is.
Only sell through steam. Valve will get hit with the chargeback fee and not them.
Or gmg or some other retailer. Of course they get aggressive on chargebacks and this is why.
Mithos
Member
Don't send keys out to people paying with CC until the charge-back period is over, how long is that 2 weeks (if anyone exist at all)?
Edit:
Never mind apparently charge-back is possible for 120days.. ouch.
Trogdor1123
Member
You would think that they would have some type of paper trail to trace this one back to the evil doer!
Dimitri2401
Member
Zumblakladla
Banned
OMG who normal would allow to one single person to order 1000+ keys?! So stupid from them, business model - zero.
DashReindeer
Lead Community Manager, Outpost Games
Yeah, you'd think you could track the payments for the keys from the end users.
Chargebacks really are a bitch, and this was really the only recourse that any of the involved parties had here. The person who bought those keys in the first place is to blame, and I do hope they get caught because they deserve punishment.
GenericUserName
Banned
I'm pretty certain a lot of companies have problems with grifters. It's just that the smaller ones are hit the hardest.
The obviously simplest fix would be to only allow sales on "draw from account" transactions (debit card, prepaid card, online pay client linked to actual bank account etc.). It would completely obliterate online CC operations, however. Not that I care, though.
Delusibeta
Banned
Yes.
exactly. janky credit card company if you ask me.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
The scammer(s) sold keys and then issued a chargeback to refund their money. The secondary buyers will have to do separate chargebacks.
What does this have to do with keysellers?
NS2 was in shit shape for a while. Seems feasible that people just wanted their money back.
Can unknown worlds prove that it was keysellers initiating the chargebacks?
Keyseller sites exist only to exploit exchange rates. No different than EuroGAF begging other regions to gift them shit at a better exchange rate.
NS2 was in shit shape for a while. Seems feasible that people just wanted their money back.
Can unknown worlds prove that it was keysellers initiating the chargebacks?
Keyseller sites exist only to exploit exchange rates. No different than EuroGAF begging other regions to gift them shit at a better exchange rate.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
The keysellers are the ones that did the chargebacks that affected Unkown Worlds. Chargebacks to the keysellers wouldn't affect UW directly.
If the keysellers had huge numbers of people doing chargebacks on them then they should have contacted Valve before doing this. But that seems unlikely.
Maybe some of those people don't realize how some of these resellers or discount key sites aquire keys.
As for saving $5, a lot of people will buy elsewhere if it saves them a fiver.
phosphor112
Banned
Why do people suck so much?
I read the article, but I can't figure out how UW deduced this.
Keysellers would make just as much profit legally selling Russian keys. The exchange rate makes "stealing" keys a terrible decision. You can print money as-is if you have access to Russian keys and are selling them in other territories.
Seems like scapegoating to me.
If I just whiffed and glazed over how UW knows, without doubt, that all the chargebacks came specifically from keysellers that's another story.
What a sad, sad person.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
The keysellers probably used dummy accounts, and already took the funds and covered their tracks. I don't see how they have anything to lose.
On the other hand, any Steam user with any amount of games would hesitate before doing a chargeback. 1,341 chargebacks for one game with a slightly rough launch is unbelievably unlikely. Even War-Z purchasers would go through the proper channels to get a legit refund. The keys were pulled after the chargebacks.
Neuromancer
Member
Yep. You have no idea where they came from. It's very shady.
It just makes no sense to me. Why risk felony credit card fraud when you can buy bulk Russian keys and automatically double your money. I can't see someone keen enough to try to make money selling keys and not go Russian route. If a person has the sense to make a little money selling keys, they surely can see that just flipping exchange rates is a better proposition.
The affected people weren't doing a charge back through Valve. Just UW. They knew it would wipe their entire Steam account.
I remember a lot of turmoil during the preorder, beta, launch phase. I think it's totally plausible that these people just got their refund. Easily more plausible than someone risking fraud charges to sell NS2 keys on the internet.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
They're using stolen CCs. They're already committing fraud. When people say, "shady key resellers" they really mean just that.