So, I'm new here, and learning as I go. I tried to search for other posts like this to steal their advice, but I couldn't find anything. Not saying it's not there, just saying I couldn't find anything.

My first giveaway win and I'm excited to get started and eager not to piss anyone off by dragging my heels. So, I get the gift sent to me and with it safely in my inventory, I hit RECEIVED and dash off to work.

Day or two later, I finally get the chance to sit down and take stock of this new game that I've got, but when I try to add it to my library, it hits me with a "This item cannot be added to your library because it is restricted from your country." error. No mention of what country it's applicable to. No note anywhere in the inventory, no clue that it's not valid.

So, I don't even know what region it's for. PLUS! I think I'll get penalised by Steamgifts for not activating a prize?

Any advice, guys?

8 years ago

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I checked your inventory. The gift copy is not region locked. I guess the game must be locked specifically for your country. (?) I am sure it can be sorted with SG support and the GA creator (?)

8 years ago
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Only hit "received" after a win is in your library! You can click "received" again, to avoid problems.

Contact the GA creator and try to determine if the game is only blocked in your country (e.g. Wolfenstein - New Order ROW can not be activated in Germany) or if the gift is restricted to the GA creators region. Try to reach a settlement (deleting the GA, ....). Again only click "received" after you added the game to your library!

8 years ago
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Oddly enough i don't think that the game is blocked in OP's region, i got a friend who has the same game lives in the same region and the game added to his library. Still it was added via steam key, but i don't think that should make any difference in this case.

8 years ago
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  1. unmark the game as received
  2. tell the creator, that the item cant be activated in your country and send the item back to the creator!

as it seems, you cant activate it in your country but its a raw-version -> ask for a reroll :(

8 years ago
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probably a 4-pack spawned copy since they don't get region tagged.

leave the ga feedback unmarked, and contact the creator.
it's up to you if you want to give the game back to him and allow a reroll, delete the ga, or mark as not received.

btw, don't mark as received without activating the game. do both at the same time to avoid problems here.

8 years ago
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I saw someone had the same situation like you before, probably that the creator lived in region-locked country, then actived that game, that game somehow was special, gave him +1 gift in inventory, the gift doesn't say its locked, but it was tied with region at first place. Have no idea why Steam keep it that way.
Follow some advices above, you'll be safe.

8 years ago
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Based on your Steam profile, you're from the UK, which doesn't have as strict region restrictions as other European countries.
It depends on where the game was bought, and if the region the user bought the game from is restricted.
I know here in SA I can't buy Steam games using my wallet as GAs on SG because it's restricted to that region only, unless I create a region-restricted GA.
Seems more likely, then, that the issue is with the GA creator. Better to ask them directly.

8 years ago
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What game is it ? If there is no warning message on the gift, most likely it is an extra gift spawned when activating a key of the game, or opening a 4-pack. These gifts are always locked to the region where the original copy was activated, so probably the giveaway creator wasn't aware of this and thought it was region free.
There is also a small chance that for some reason the game isn't available in your country and cannot be activated even if region free (you should be able to check that on SteamDB).
Contact the giveaway creator to explain the issue and return the gift to them. Then either they are able to get you a region free copy of the game, or they cannot and in that case the best thing to do would be that you give them your permission to delete the giveaway.

8 years ago
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  1. Do not mark a game "received" until it is in your library.
  2. Toggle off the "received" status of your current win because you cannot redeem it.
  3. Contact the creator to work out some way for him to send you the gift you were promised.
  4. If the giveaway creator refuses to provide you the game promised, simply mark it as "not received."
  5. If the giveaway creator asks you for permission to delete the giveaway, you may post your acceptance in the giveaway's comments section.
8 years ago*
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 8 years ago.

8 years ago
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+1, you can reject and let the gifter have a not received. Not saying you should, just that you have the option,

8 years ago
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That's a little harsh if the creator did buy the gift in good faith. I also fell prey to this, I bought a copy of Medieval Engineers about 6 months ago from a trading bot, it has no restrictions listed but won't let me activate either.

8 years ago
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Yeah, I've had to delete a couple giveaways too after they ended because I mixed up the keys (didn't know you can get the giveaway game changed back then).

But the way Khalaq said it made it look like there was no other option but to accept it, which there is.

8 years ago
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While that is an option, I have yet to see someone refuse permission to delete when asked nicely by the giveaway creator.

8 years ago
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I have been refused once ;_;

8 years ago
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(

pat pat pat

8 years ago
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Cheers guys.

I've unticked RECEIVED and have sent a message to the guy. He's not been online in a day or two, so it's not resolved yet, but thank you all for the advice.
The important take away from it is that I've learned not to hit received until I actually, actually receive the game!

8 years ago
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Thank you for taking the time to ask on the forums :D. Many new peeps end up breaking the rules without knowing it which annoys a lot of regulars here :/.

Best of luck to ya and have a great week!

8 years ago
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Some time ago i traded a Rise of Nations copy aparently ROW, but i was unable to activate it too

8 years ago
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Some games that you get from 4-pack opening or 2-packs opening will get you gifts that are region restricted (if the person opening the gift is in a region-restricted zone) but does not show on the gift itself. You might have gottten one of those

8 years ago
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i have Frozen Synapse gift that doesn't have any region restriction marks, but cannot be activated. i assume it's from a "second-free copy" of one of the regions like Ru-CIS.

8 years ago
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Sometimes when you acitvate a gift and get another gift for activation (2 pack like that game about pigs) it becomes region locked to the region where 1st gift was activated, without mentioning it at the gift. Send the gift back and tell the gifter its region locked.

8 years ago
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