Is it safe to buy games from website like g2a ?

[Fall Guy]

How do they sell games so cheap and Is there a chance that someday these games may disappear from my Steam library?

[Brian9824]

If its filtered its 100% not a safe site. Keys are often grey market, bought using stolen funds, and they can and do disapear from people's lists.

They might also work perfectly fine.

[JPMcMillen]

The games are usually that cheap for one of two reasons.
1. The seller got the key as part of a bundle so they didn't pay full price for it.
2. The key was purchased with a stolen credit/debit card.
In case #2, if the transaction with the key is disputed you will probably lose the game.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Gray markets is a risk as you're dealing with individual resellers, not the site itself. Think of it as eBay, you never know if you get scam. But these gray markets charge you protection fees if you want support if you got scam, if you don't pay, you lose game, and money.

Games that are being sold cheaply is due to people buying from bundle sites, or other 3rd party retailers that deals with devs, and publishers that get them on sale at a lower price. Example of to spyro the trilogy game for Steam for $3 thanks to humble bundle that makes deals with devs and publishers, people build these builds then resell them on gray market sites at a higher price like $10 and up, making back all their money, and more. Devs/Publishers don't like when that happens as it hurts their overall sales as gray markets do not pay the devs / publishers, nor do they work with the devs / Publishers.

On gray markets you may encounter scammers either they trick you into buying a fake key and try to make you wait until they get the money to run off, and repeat it, or do a charge back on you using stolen credit cards which yes most gray markets are aware of this problem, and no they won't do anything against them, and only way to get support from gray markets, is you have to pay protection fee to the gray market site, if you want ant support if something goes wrong what you but from them, that is the risk you take with gray markets individual resellers.

[Fall Guy]

Well in that case, I brought xcom for 2 dollars. As a test, I will keep it for few months, and see if it disappears or something else. Usually, I install a game, play it for a month and never install it again. Its doesn't matter much if a 2 dollar game, disappears after its play value.

[Fall Guy]

Originally posted by brian9824:

If its filtered its 100% not a safe site. Keys are often grey market, bought using stolen funds, and they can and do disapear from people's lists.

They might also work perfectly fine.

Filtered ? the site is pronounced "jee two a"

[Z]

I never buy outside steam but i do claim some free key. Work fine.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

There's no need to do any kinds of tests, as already said you're takinga risk depending on the person you're buying from on the gray market, either you get an ***hole that want to rip you off, or you get someone that's truely want to get something back from their key, or even make profit off it that isn't an ***hole. That's just how the gray market is for the longest time.

People tend to search for legit 3rd party sellers that do make deals with Devs / Publishers, and sleep easily knowing they wouldn't get scam, and you would get support no matter what, as well no fees to pay either, unlike the Gray markets. Feel free to check out isthereanydeal.com as it does a search on all games, and compare prices for them where you can get the said games.

[Zekiran]

Originally posted by inventer777:

Originally posted by brian9824:

If its filtered its 100% not a safe site. Keys are often grey market, bought using stolen funds, and they can and do disapear from people's lists.

They might also work perfectly fine.

Filtered ? the site is pronounced "jee two a"

And it is filtered BECAUSE IT IS A SCAM SITE.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by inventer777:

Originally posted by brian9824:

If its filtered its 100% not a safe site. Keys are often grey market, bought using stolen funds, and they can and do disapear from people's lists.

They might also work perfectly fine.

Filtered ? the site is pronounced "jee two a"

You can do little research why they're not exactly liked by Devs/Publishers, or by any storefronts.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/4fntxu/gray_market_key_resellers_and_what_they_mean_for/

[fux]

I bought hundreds of keys on third party sites (not the one you mentioned) and only had a problem once which got solved, so I can't say I have a bad experience. It's still a risk tho so you have to decide for yourself

[Fall Guy]

Originally posted by fux:

I bought hundreds of keys on third party sites (not the one you mentioned) and only had a problem once which got solved, so I can't say I have a bad experience. It's still a risk tho so you have to decide for yourself

Can you list these websites with authorised sellers ? Steam sales only happen few times a year, competition is healthy. Buying only from steam is like promoting monopoly.

[Fall Guy]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

Originally posted by inventer777:

Filtered ? the site is pronounced "jee two a"

And it is filtered BECAUSE IT IS A SCAM SITE.

By filtered you mean, search filters like price, ecosystem, year etc. However, these filter are there on many online stores like Amazon.

[feytharn]

Originally posted by inventer777:

Originally posted by fux:

I bought hundreds of keys on third party sites (not the one you mentioned) and only had a problem once which got solved, so I can't say I have a bad experience. It's still a risk tho so you have to decide for yourself

Can you list these websites with authorised sellers ? Steam sales only happen few times a year, competition is healthy. Buying only from steam is like promoting monopoly.

As far as I know, there is no definitive list.
https://isthereanydeal.com/
Is usually said to only list authorized sellers. Personally I have bought from Humble, Greenmangaming, IndieGala and Fanatical, all of which have been listed by more than one publisher as a means to buy their game.

[feytharn]

Originally posted by inventer777:

Originally posted by Zekiran:

And it is filtered BECAUSE IT IS A SCAM SITE.

By filtered you mean, search filters like price, ecosystem, year etc. However, these filter are there on many online stores like Amazon.

No, filtered as in 'you see hearts instead of the sites name because the websites filter censor the site'. You can't write (and later read) the site you mentioned on the Steam forum, while names like Amazon, HumbleBundle, Greenmangaming and others can be seen and even linked too.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by inventer777:

Originally posted by fux:

I bought hundreds of keys on third party sites (not the one you mentioned) and only had a problem once which got solved, so I can't say I have a bad experience. It's still a risk tho so you have to decide for yourself

Can you list these websites with authorised sellers ? Steam sales only happen few times a year, competition is healthy. Buying only from steam is like promoting monopoly.

Steam sales are a constant and games in fact can and do go cheaper on weekend/random/whatever sales than on the few events. Don't focus on those.