Thoughts?
I'm sure they have me covered legally and all sorts of other ways. It's just that I don't think I've ever "purchased" anything before without adding to cart and checking out etc.
This to me, is a deliberate ploy to catch out those not paying attention - or not knowing how devious they can be!
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Yep that's shady tactics for sure. If you have used paypal for payment, you can open a dispute.
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Thanks spigias. I did open a dispute with paypal as soon as I got G2A's reply. No reply from them yet - and not sure anything will come from it as, like kyroyal says - it's my fault for being careless.
From my paypal account page, I was able to disable the subscription for future payments.
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don't worry its like dropping your daily coffee, nothing to die for :-)
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No. It's totally not normal (and also illegal in some countries) to automatically subscribe the user to a service he didn't explicitly requested. It's clearly a way to get some extra bucks from the users, as most will just deactivate the service without asking for their money back since it's very low and thus perceived as "not worth it" to spend time trying to recover it.
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During the checkout process there is a page that says you get a free 7 day trial of G2A Plus. You have to manually turn that off (it's set "on" by default, I believe that's the terminology they use) on that page to avoid beginning a free trial. And, as you know, if you begin a free trial and don't cancel, you are charged.
So, I doubt it was something that happened by looking at the other page, but rather because you didn't turn off this offer during checkout.
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lol - well they fooled me. I'm used to adding things to a shopping cart - not taking them out after they put them in xD
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Yes. Basically there are at least 3 ways G2A tries to trick you in the checkout process.
1) In the shopping cart they have G2A shield added for each item. This adds a fee (for each item) that is supposed to be a guarantee of a working key + faster customer service + it has to be turned on if you want to take part in their reward points program. Not worth it, except maybe if you're buying a really expensive game. Have to manually uncheck this for each item to avoid fees.
2) Then after you choose to checkout, either right before or right after (can't remember) selecting payment type, you get the page I described before, announcing you have a free trial which is "conveniently" turned on for you. Have to turn that off.
3) Then, once you have selected your payment type and go to pay (this is at least true for Paypal, and I believe it's true if you use any payment processor except G2A's, which has been shown to be very shady, so I never use it) you discover that there are additional fees depending on what payment type you use. Last night, for example, I was buying 5 relatively cheap bundle games, with a total price of $3.26 in the shopping cart. Once I got to Paypal, the total had suddenly become $3.85, without clear notice why this was.
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Thanks, ceildric - hopefully you'll save a few others from being as careless as I was, and to read everything on the way out! (I'll stay clear from now on, I think)
One the plus side, the game I bought didn't end up in Oct HB bundle - was certain it would after buying it, lol.
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Have added this reply to original post - thanks again.
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The shield has 1 useful feature, which is 10% cashback on all your purchases. In addition, if you take the monthly subscription, it only costs $1 per month. So it's either $3 per game, or $1 for all the games this month. Idiotic, I know.
Also, it's not true it's supposed to "guarantee of a working key + faster customer service". Their representative I talked to, specifically said to me that G2A shield has nothing to do with protecting you from scams (even though I pointed out it even has "Shield" in the name! repeatedly). It's only supposed to give you cashback and shorter support cycles (3 days instead of 7). It gives nothing else whatsoever (according to an official G2A representative)
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The additional fees are your buying methode. Paypal is expensive around 0,50€ (it's almost always the most expensive), there is also Visa and other credit cards but I find them expensive too. Personally I am in Belgium and I use Bancontact it's half those expenses (less than 0,30€) but there are other methods online. You can see the price of them and select them when you check out. Personally I never do "Paypal 1 click" so I can check the amount first and think about it a few seconds.
I am ok with paying a few centimes for check out, I am more worked up on the 5articles cart limit.
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Have you checked out recently?
It's possible I missed something but in my most recent purchase I didn't see clearly listed fees for each, just a page to select one with no info on each one's respective fees. Now, I do sort of remember a time when it was a bit different, so that's why I ask if maybe they changed something. I know Kinguin has similar fees though is much more transparent about them.
Either way, it is the only online store or marketplace I have ever used where there were payment processing fees like that. Any other decent business takes such fees out of their cut of the profit without passing them on (at least explicitly) to the consumer. Of course it's possible (maybe even probable) that G2A is also trying to incentivize using their own payment processing service which, if memory serves, was revealed to have had serious problems in the past (can't remember if it was a major security breach or they were selling personal data, or both).
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Yes I did, and now again. First I check out to pay and there are the option listed. When I click on paypal it it says "Je betaald met PayPal. Transactiekosten: 0.57 EUR" Which means something like cost of the transaction 0,57€ (excuse my Dutch). When I click on Bancontact it says "Je betaald met Bancontact. Transactiekosten: 0.31 EUR" cost of the transaction is 0,31€. And then there is a blue button to access the interface of payment of the method chosed, at least that's how it works on my side.
But anyway I always check before paying online how much I am paying that's an other way of finding out about additional fees. Paypal shows the amount before you pay so if there is a difference between how much is shown in your cart (and control very well your cart, shield fees are not just a G2A thing) and paypal that's a hidden fee.
It's not just G2A, grey market sites seem to be all working like that. Of course usual online commercial sites seem to take their responsabilities but if people buy on grey market I think there is a reason. An other of my advice is to first try to buy something cheap to see how a website you're experimenting works and always try to be aware of what you are accepting and mostly how much and for what you are paying.
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Most people are used to do it that way. And that's just why they do it the other way round - not everyone pays attention.
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you have to turn it off manually and you wont have extra charges
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G2A is a definition of shady ;) They blocked my account for no reason and there was like 3 euro on it. I e-mail them asking why etc and they asked for scan of my ID + passport or driver licence. So I just let go of that 3 euro ;)
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I empathize as I have been ripped off in a similar manner. Always retain your skepticism.
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Thanks icaio - yes, I did request a cancellation from paypal. Will see what happens.
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if i were you, i would write PayPal a line or two.
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I don't remember my exact steps, but my initial paypal query on the transaction came back instantly as verified or valid. After that I did submit a few lines as to why I think it should be reversed. I usually don't use paypal, but something internal warned me to use it this time :)
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Does PayPal have a way to permanently block some sites ?
Though if it did you'd need to have all the G2A addresses that they use ,i'm sure they have more than one.
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PayPal is available or not, meaning:
PayPal: i "trust" this site, so i "share" with this site owner my payment services
or
PayPal: i've got multiple reasons (and user complaints) to believe this site is not doing business the way i think is good. no more PayPal for this site owner. Ever.
it does happen often, luckily or not :D
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Same happened to me some long time ago.
The fucking tick wasn't a tick, was a some kind of slide button that look as something cosmetic, not a control or button.
And the trip to cancel the subscription, my god!
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Thanks - added as a warning to original post as warning to others :)
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The same exact thing happened to me. Of course they refused to refund me since I had "ordered" it.
That was the first and only time I used G2A.
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they took my 20 bucks 3 months ago due to failed payment and i'm still waiting them to refund it . Avoid them and all those third party key resellers except humble bundle
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Fanatical is also legit. As well as anything suggested in r/gamedeals or ITAD.
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im afraid i cannot agree my friend, groupees,indiegala,gamivo,greenmangaming,fanatical(bundle stars),g2a,cdkeys,gamesplanet they all the same , all are bunch of fraud, you can see it clearly if your payment ever encounters a little problem, they taking money and not giving back under the name of their so-called security system. Your proofs become useless after a while . So it's your call
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'$3.26 in the shopping cart. Once I got to Paypal, the total had suddenly become $3.85'
It's a commission for paying in other than g2a/credit card. It's clearly visible when u choosing the payment method
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In my case, I do remember the extra being added for the transaction or commision fee - I was ok with that at the time. It was 7 days later when my account was hit again that caught me by surprise.
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I go into every payment with the assumption that I will be ripped off, so I've avoided trouble so far.
Here's what you have to turn off, by the way. It's the green button for the subscription.
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That's what I missed PoulpeP. I remember clicking the "find out more" text - not being impressed and closing the new window. I had no idea I needed to slide the trial button off, before checking out. I should of course had read the small print... Just wasn't expecting to have a product auto added to my order, so didn't cross my mind at the time ;)
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All good. I mean, you and every other reasonable human being on the planet would think that the button slider would have to be clicked to apply the trial, so it's an easy mistake to make. Good thing you noticed now and not some time down the line.
Hope you've cancelled the subscription okay?
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I did cancel the subscription, thanks Poulpe. Luckily I'd used paypal, and it was listed under subscriptions, and easy to deactivate. I probably won't see today's sub of €2,35 refunded however.
Added your pic to initial post as warning for others. Thanks :)
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you must be a real piece of shit that its turned on by default. never buy anything from them.
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It says it right there, the only line of text you have to read. I saw it the first and only time I bought a game there, they gave me a full month but you can't cancel the automatic subscription, you just have to wait to the very last day to cancel the whole subscription, they probably did that in hopes that people forget they have to cancel it XD.
Btw saying G2A is "cancer"... oh boy... 2018
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Also a warning. When some people bought their old G2A bundle, they were got their shield on, even if they were sure they put it off. So, really, really careful with them.
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Support shitty sites and you get what you deserve... :3
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Ohh g2a ...
Every gamers favorite grey market place...
Good to see things havent changed much. :D
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Of course. Except I wasn't signing up for anything - I bought a game until 7 days later was billed for the monthly plus service. I was clearly careless, but the point of this thread is to warn others to check everything, including what looks like an advert which most of us tune out. I did untick the buyer protection and anything else spotted, but missed the plus service - just didn't occur to me to look anywhere else but the cart. Was just underhanded in my opinion, and I was a fool for not paying attention.
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Im very sceptical of G2A but this is BS of course. If you dont know what you are "sigining'' for it should not be valid! I do use g2a from time to time though depending on the deal. I got watch dogs for 1 euro so that was worth the risk for me :)
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i have the shield for 2 eur/month.. this saves me 3 eur on every game (though i didnt buy it before anyway), but getting 10% cashbacks
Been buying many things and gona keep buying. Long time ago I bought a key - then it was revoked by steam (thx HB lol) and got my money ez back.
For the G2A plus agree - dont forget to untick it.
so yeah.G2a was legit for me always..even during cs skin times
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you'd think they are making enough money already, w/o tarnishing their reputation with all these cash grab schemes.
as of a year or two ago, they also had some thing where they made it unable to cancel this trial until some, 24-48 hours before it expired. was laughable. i said if i am busy on this day, and it charges me, you will just be paying the fee for a chargeback. why do this?
(I asked them to cancel it immediately, since I had left it on by mistake. As I guess is usually the case with these G2A features. Don't use that big 'best offer' button either. It lies.)
ed: as for the keys themselves, yeah, this is not much different than buying stuff from resellers on ebay or amazon. maybe some fractional % more problems due to regional things.
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I hate all those "you don't have to opt in" but "you do have to opt out" kind of deals. IMO it's a fraudulent way to conduct business and should be prohibited by law.
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Was worth opening a case at Paypal. G2A were given ample time to respond - which they did not do, so eventually PayPal refunded the full amount. It was only for €2,35 - not a big deal but it was the principle of it that made me follow through. I guess G2A hope that most that were caught will just disable any future transactions, or maybe not even notice.
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I'm sure most people know what they are in for when buying from G2A, but as a warning to those as gullible as me...
A week ago I bought my 1st game on G2A. After the transaction, I logged in to get the key and was notified that I have 7 days free access to G2A Plus. I clicked the link to see what it was all about, saw no value, so immediately closed the page.
Today my account was debited €2,35. On investigation, and contacting G2A, I apparently activated the monthly sub by looking...
Their response:
"Unfortunately, as the service was never disabled before the free trial had expired, we had to charge you in
accordance with the terms of the service that you've accepted. This sadly also means that the refund is not possible."
EDIT 1:
Notes for new users to G2A (Thanks ceildric)
EDIT 2:
Thanks wolfganguy
EDIT 3:
Thanks PoulpeP
EDIT 4:
Opened a case at Paypal - they gave G2A plenty of time to respond. They didn't, so paypal ruled in my favour, and I got a full refund.
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