If you have come across G2A, you have every right to question whether the website is a legitimate place to buy game activation codes etc. In this article I’ll discuss whether G2A is a safe and legal marketplace for games.
G2A appears too good to be true. You can get activation codes for the latest AAA game titles for dirt cheap. But is it safe and legal? Before spending money on codes, you should know more about how this site works.
What is G2A?
G2A is an online grey marketplace that connects buyers and sellers for game keys. The website itself does not directly sell the game codes. You are purchasing them from third-party sellers.
The concept behind the site is simple. Individuals purchase activation keys for games (or find them with other means) and then list them for sale on the marketplace. As the codes have not yet been activated, they can be used by anyone to activate the digital copy of the game.
The marketplace includes a large selection of game titles. On the homepage, the site claims to have over 70,000 product listings. All the latest releases are typically available.
You can purchase a game key for a popular game and then activate it on the necessary gaming platform. Codes are available for most major systems, including Xbox and PlayStation. PC codes are also available with activation through Uplay and other digital PC game resellers.
Is G2A Safe?
The website itself appears safe with no risk of viruses or privacy issues. There are no reports of any malicious pop-up ads infecting people’s computers with malware.
The website is owned and operated by a real company. G2A.co is the website for the corporation that runs the site. It is a Hong Kong-based company started by a group of gamers. Contact information and addresses are readily available on the website, which is something that illegitimate companies rarely do.
Transactions are handled through secure payment platforms, including PayPal.
Is G2A Legit and Legal?
The G2A marketplace is considered a grey marketplace, which means that the buying and selling of goods is handled outside of the approved distribution methods.
Game companies and platforms do not want people using these methods to buy and sell activation keys. However, there is currently very little that they can do to stop it.
Selling activation codes that have not been used is completely legal. These codes are not bound to a specific account until they have been activated.
The game codes also appear to be completely legitimate for the most part. There are several details to consider before purchasing a game key through this site.
You cannot get a refund from the gaming platform that you use to activate the code, should you choose not to use it. As you did not purchase the code from the platform, they will not issue refunds or help you with codes that do not work, which is another risk of buying codes on G2A.
While G2A uses steps to reduce the risk of fraud, there are still sellers who attempt to sell fake codes. If you want protection against codes that do not work, you need to pay an extra fee for G2A Shield.
G2A Shield guarantees that you can receive a valid activation key or a refund if the code that you purchase is not authentic. Without this protection, you are taking a risk.
Sites Like G2A
There are many alternatives to G2A, including:
- Kinguin
- GamesDeal
- Green Man Gaming
- CDkeys
Several of these sites are also grey marketplaces that operate in the same legal grey area as G2A.
Out of these options, Green Man Gaming (GMG) is one of the few sites that does not resell keys from individual sellers. They maintain contracts with various publishers and distributors to obtain legitimate keys.
Besides these independent sites, you can always purchase activation keys directly from the source. When you buy games through Steam, Uplay, Xbox, or PSN, you do not need to worry about whether the activation code is legitimate.
Conclusion: Should You Buy Codes on G2A?
G2A appears to offer a legitimate source for cheap game codes. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that these codes will continue to work in the future.
If the code does not work, you cannot take your complaint to Uplay, Steam, or Sony. You need to rely on the support team at G2A to reimburse you for your loss, which is not always easy.
There have been many reports of buyers experiencing trouble trying to get their money back after purchasing codes that do not work.
While you can find great deals on G2A, it may not be worth the hassle. There are many legitimate places to buy game keys, including the platforms that sell the original codes.
If you keep track of the latest sales for Steam, Sony, Microsoft, and Uplay, you can often score major discounts at various times throughout the year, which is the safer way to obtain activation keys.
Can’t see when this article was written, but g2a does in fact offer a money back guarantee, as long as you first try to contact the seller through the site. You no longer have to get the paid subscription for protection, that is now just for further discounted prices. Cheers