Steam Key Buying, Is it OK? (From third-party websites)

[Lobman27]

Just curious, is it ok to do so, when I say this, I mean paying for a key and then activating it as if you bought the retail version. I have heard stories of accounts getting banned, and I know that here are alot of posts on this, but they generally refer to traded keys rather than outright payed for keys.

Thanks

[Spawn of Totoro]

There have been keys revoked from those 3rd party sites due to them being obtained fraudulently.

That has to do with unauthorized resellers who purchase their keys from unknown sources. Buying from them is an at-your-own-risk venture. Steam, nor the publisher, will assist in the matter.

The account have never been banned, only the game removed.

If you purchase a key from an authorized reseller, such as Green Man Gaming, Amazon, GameStop, ect. there will be fewer issues as they buy directly from the publisher/developer.

[Lobman27]

Ok, Thank you!, I really appreciate the help. Might steer clear for now, it's worth spending a little bit extra for the security of buying through a place like steam.

[Magillanica Lou Mayvin]

Ok I know this is beside the point but, reading this thread with a Morgan Freeman voice just makes it that much more epic

[Lobman27]

He is an epic voice actor / narrator

[The doctor is in]

In addition to the above one complaint is that some key sellers are asking for people to give up their contact information, including cell phone numbers, and even sending copies of their drivers license and passports before turning over keys to customers, which is really bad idea since your sending very private and sensitive to who knows who, in who knows where, whose going to do who knows what with it, and who knows who will also be given access to it and who know how they going to protect such private and sensitive information. so it opens up people to identity theft or worse. i just don't see how it is good idea buying keys from unauthorized parties in parts of the world that are known for grey/black market and trading identiy information. and for what saving as little as $10 cause authorized resellers such as greenmangaming.com often have games for as much as 50% off before being released.

also the keys your getting could also be given to other people so when you try to activate them you will get an error cause its already activated by someone else. also the keys could be purchased using invalid credit card or later later invalidated. the keys could come from some other region of world where keys are inexpensive, but then don't activate or even later get removed from ones game library once the publishers cracks down and invalidates such keys.

its just a laundry list of problem that is not worth it in my opinion. i think if steam blocks the site cause of all the reported complaints from members, that is just not a place i would like to do business with.