Steam users cannot redeem gem keys

[FRIENDLY MAN]

Just bought a gem key for a friend since there's no way to gift gems in-game, and my gift box is either disabled for no reason, and packs I've already bought cannot be gifted.

Even though non-steam users can redeem gems using the in-game store, Steam users cannot. This isn't information available on any key purchase pages, but it's hidden in the fine print of a gem article on the account website.

NCSoft are scam artists.

EDIT: Official Guild Wars 2 endorsed gem key sellers don't even point out that Steam users can't use these codes even though they're happy to sell them to you.

You can see this for yourself by going here and clicking the store hyperlinks: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/get-20-off-guild-wars-2-gem-cards-in-europe/

[Saber]

Steam takes a cut from any sale on the service . Your code side steps it probably so thats the reason it does not work probably . There was no $ in it for the steam platform .
You should still be able to add funds to steam friends and let him pick up stuff himself .

[T0asty]

You bought a gem key from a third party site, which means you can only use it on non steam.
Don't buy them from a third party site. Simple.
You can gift your friend anything from the store, just buy gems yourself, send item through mail.

[FRIENDLY MAN]

Originally posted by T0asty:

You bought a gem key from a third party site, which means you can only use it on non steam.
Don't buy them from a third party site. Simple.
You can gift your friend anything from the store, just buy gems yourself, send item through mail.

Untrue, gifting is randomly disabled, and the thing I wanted to buy for them was a Steam pack which can only be purchased once and not gifted.

[Turin]

Yeah that is pretty common. 3rd party gift card do not work on Steam since hey are not subjeted to the steam fees. It is pretty standard. You have to buy gems in-game.

[FRIENDLY MAN]

Originally posted by Turin:

Yeah that is pretty common. 3rd party gift card do not work on Steam since hey are not subjeted to the steam fees. It is pretty standard. You have to buy gems in-game.

That's not clearly stated anywhere. The only place that mentions it is the fine print of an article buried on their website. Most games on Steam will allow you to redeem codes through a website.

If they really don't like Steam taking a cut: 1. Why are they here. 2. Why can't I buy gem codes from them directly. If their gifting system wasn't convoluted and dysfunctional, I wouldn't have to go through the effort of finding a way to give my friend gems directly.

[Wanderer]

Is your account brand new? Did you contact support? It's possible you cannot buy and gift on brand new accounts.

[Turin]

Originally posted by SUPERIOR MAN OF WONGUS WORDS:

Originally posted by Turin:

Yeah that is pretty common. 3rd party gift card do not work on Steam since hey are not subjeted to the steam fees. It is pretty standard. You have to buy gems in-game.

That's not clearly stated anywhere. The only place that mentions it is the fine print of an article buried on their website. Most games on Steam will allow you to redeem codes through a website.

If they really don't like Steam taking a cut: 1. Why are they here. 2. Why can't I buy gem codes from them directly. If their gifting system wasn't convoluted and dysfunctional, I wouldn't have to go through the effort of finding a way to give my friend gems directly.

Steam cannot get a cut from a 3rd party website. Steam is the one that does not allow it. That would violate the terms with the platform. This happens with lots of games.

[Angoril]

Originally posted by Turin:

Steam cannot get a cut from a 3rd party website. Steam is the one that does not allow it. That would violate the terms with the platform. This happens with lots of games.

I very much doubt that. Steam gets no cut for games bought through Humble Bundle, Fanatical and a bunch of other key resellers as well yet there is no problem with that. Why would in-game currency cards be an issue?

[Turin]

Originally posted by Angoril:

Originally posted by Turin:

Steam cannot get a cut from a 3rd party website. Steam is the one that does not allow it. That would violate the terms with the platform. This happens with lots of games.

I very much doubt that. Steam gets no cut for games bought through Humble Bundle, Fanatical and a bunch of other key resellers as well yet there is no problem with that. Why would in-game currency cards be an issue?

Any microtrasactions done through a Steam account are subject to the fees. Humble bundle sells Steam game keys and that is explicitly allowed by steam at no cost for all developers. Additionally the keys are generated by the dev through steam infrastructure and they are not made by the developer directly or the 3rd party website.

[Gh0st.exe]

I am a bit confused, how are NCSoft / ArenaNet "scammers" if you buy something on a 3rd party site without reading on what you are buying? Usually its the responsibility of the seller to inform you about potential restrictions, so if anything, the site you bought it from would be the scammer.

[FRIENDLY MAN]

Originally posted by Gh0st.exe:

I am a bit confused, how are NCSoft / ArenaNet "scammers" if you buy something on a 3rd party site without reading on what you are buying? Usually its the responsibility of the seller to inform you about potential restrictions, so if anything, the site you bought it from would be the scammer.

In this instance the keys are generated by ArenaNet. They've already made their money prior to the purchase. The game just releases on Steam, and they make no effort to allow Steam users to redeem gems the exact way people with non-Steam accounts can.

They're happy to allow an influx of Steam users to potentially attempt to buy their gem keys
whilst failing to clarify outside of hidden, tiny fine print buried on their website that Steam users alone cannot use this method of charging gems.

The item I wanted to gift wasn't something I could gift because in what seems like typical ArenaNet fashion, my fresh account is unable to send gifts without clarification as to why. The explicit thing I wanted to gift cannot be gifted, and disappears from the store if you buy it for yourself. Using Steam Credit cross region only allows you to send lump sums of money in your local currency, and does not account for taxes and conversion rates, meaning if you want to give someone an exact amount of something, you're forced to overpay by an unclear amount.

[ChiasaChan]

Originally posted by SUPERIOR MAN OF WONGUS WORDS:

[...]If they really don't like Steam taking a cut: 1. Why are they here. 2. Why can't I buy gem codes from them directly. [...]

You make no sense.
1. Why would ArenaNet "not liking" Steam to take a cut be the reason for what happened? If anything, ArenaNet should WELCOME you using any codes you bought anywhere, not stop you from it - because all the codes come from them. The reason for it to not work obviously is that STEAM does not like it if you buy gems without them getting a cut, so they made ArenaNet not accept them.
2. You can buy gem codes from ArenaNet, at least in countries with decent customer protection rules. Just checked my local amazon site and they are available and in stock right now. Also they were recently on sale in europe. See https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/get-20-off-guild-wars-2-gem-cards-in-europe/

[FRIENDLY MAN]

Originally posted by ChiasaChan Allkeyshop:

Originally posted by SUPERIOR MAN OF WONGUS WORDS:

[...]If they really don't like Steam taking a cut: 1. Why are they here. 2. Why can't I buy gem codes from them directly. [...]

You make no sense.
1. Why would ArenaNet "not liking" Steam to take a cut be the reason for what happened? If anything, ArenaNet should WELCOME you using any codes you bought anywhere, not stop you from it - because all the codes come from them. The reason for it to not work obviously is that STEAM does not like it if you buy gems without them getting a cut, so they made ArenaNet not accept them.
2. You can buy gem codes from ArenaNet, at least in countries with decent customer protection rules. Just checked my local amazon site and they are available and in stock right now. Also they were recently on sale in europe. See https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/get-20-off-guild-wars-2-gem-cards-in-europe/

If you scrolled up a little, you'd see that statement was in response to a guy saying "3rd party gift card do not work on Steam since hey are not subjeted to the steam fees. It is pretty standard."

Also thanks for bringing those official endorsed key sellers to my attention, because not one of those hyperlinks listed in ArenaNet's own article, point out how these keys cannot be used if you are a Steam user. Further highlighting their lack of clarity on this issue, and willingness to still take your money for a product they know you arbitrarily can't use as a Steam user, by their own design.

[ChiasaChan]

Why does it matter what it was in response to? The reason for a Steam game account not accepting the gem codes is not because ArenaNet does not want them to, but because Steam does not want them to. It is not because they "made no effort to" because no effort would have been needed. The game is 100% the same. It is the opposite: They had to make an effort to make the codes NOT work for Steam accounts because that was obviously either a requirement or an agreement with Steam that was necessary to make the Steam release possible. You don't really think they would have CHOSEN to disable the codes if they had not been required to do that?

So if you want to hate on anyone for the gem codes not working it is Steam and not Arenanet.

[FRIENDLY MAN]

They have made no effort because they've disabled redemptions for Steam users and not provided an alternative. If other games can figure out gift-able currency packs on Steam, that makes ArenaNet the exception.