G2A will soon require sellers to reveal their name and address

[Polycount]

Despite previous claims that the company was out of the key selling business, G2A, the popular but highly controversial game key reselling marketplace, is back with a vengeance, and it's shaking things up for key sellers.

Starting July 1st, the company plans to require all sellers to reveal their full names and addresses to buyers, a decision that the company hopes will make their platform more straightforward and accessible to potential customers. In a comment to PCGamesN, G2A explained their reasoning behind this choice: “by providing more information to buyers and making the process of buying and selling more clear-cut, we are making G2A a better place for our customers." Up until now, sellers have been able to operate with total anonymity, preventing buyers from holding them accountable when sold a fraudulently-obtained game key.

As long as there is some sort of verification system in place to ensure users don't end up buying keys from hordes of John Smiths, this move seems like a first step in the right direction. Whether or not it will be enough to satisfy the platform's many critics remains to be seen, after all despite G2A's claims that "other changes" are on the way, they have a less than spotless track record.

This move is a clear attempt for G2A to improve their damaged reputation. After developer Gearbox pulled out of a potentially lucrative Bulletstorm: Collector's Edition partnership with them back in April, and Slime Rancher developer Monomi Park more refused to work with them entirely, the company seems to be in damage control mode.

If you're wondering where a seller's information will be displayed, G2A informed Polygon that it would be included on any bills buyers receive, "among other places." It's unclear at this time whether or not buyers will be able to a seller's information prior to making a purchase. G2A seems to be committed to improving their customers' experiences moving forward, but only time will tell if that commitment is genuine.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/69932-g2a-soon-require-sellers-reveal-their-name-address.html

 

[Uncle Al]

It's a good idea, but they will have to develop a sure-fire method to prevent fraudulent names and information. Perhaps if they are the "go between" and will only mail payments to that name & address provided, that would be a fairly strong incentive. Even bolder still, REQUIRE physical addresses and refuse to mail to a PO box .... although that might be a bit over the top for some .....

 

[DSirius]

Nice try for G2A to manipulate readers to think that they want to make their platform more straightforward and accessible to potential customers when in fact they only pretend in words but not in facts.

G2A is involved in a dark pattern schemes to mislead customers first by giving them some good price apparently, only that after you decide to subscribe to them, they can stole your money with hidden so called second subscriptions.

Check here:
https://www.polygon.com/2017/4/20/15277588/g2a-shield-fraud-protection-controversy

So, in april 2017, G2A were caught misleading customers with G2A shield subscription and making so arcanely difficult to cancell G2A Shield.
After that Marius Mirek from G2A said that “We’re gonna change it,”.
They changed it, now is easy to cancell G2A shield only that to discover that they invented another new and more insidious dark pattern scheme. When I bought some items on my account, if you buy by mistake the same items thinking that your order was not processed, G2A make another second hidden subscription, and instead to cancel your order they charge you monthly on your second hidden subscription for the same items, and this is where they are so malignant, they charge you with different prices so that to be more difficult to discover their dark pattern.

And what Maciej Kuc from G2A stated is in fact not true: “We are working on improvements regarding G2A Shield and the deactivation process has since been made significantly more user friendly... G2A always prioritizes the user experience of our customers. Please follow our website to check for new features, as they will come soon.”

I made more than 3 complains that I was charged for the same items 2 and 3 times and didn't receive a clear answer. Only after I insisted G2A answer was: "We've carefully checked the case once again. The problem has not been recognized. Both subscriptions were activated by the user and it is possible to have multiple subscriptions active on one account. I regret to inform that under such circumstances it is not possible to offer a refund."
So G2A said that problem was not recognized even G2A admit that on my account there are 2 subscriptions, a second hidden one which about I didn't know.

So be aware that the so called new feature of G2A is in fact a new more devious dark pattern in which they make possible a second hidden subscription on your same account and they automatically charge you but with different prices for the same items which you are entitled on your first subscription - so to be more difficult to discover this.

For comparison check an honest site like Humble Bundle which I recommend instead of G2A.
If by mistake you order 2 times the same item on Humble Bundle they warn you that you already bought them and check to be sure that you really want to order again.

G2A is misleading and cheating customers, because instead of canceling the order which you place second time by mistake for example, they don't warn you about it or cancel it, they take your money and make a second hidden subscription for you.
I discovered that I have a second hidden subscription only more than a month after I complained 3 times to them and asked them a clear answer.

I made this discloser because:
1. These mischievous dark patterns of G2A must be revealed.
2. So G2A cannot mislead new costumers from now on.
3. To stop them to continue with this kind of dark patterns.
4. If they truly want to improve and prioritize the user experience of customers, G2A has to eliminate this dark patterns and become an honest site (an honest and better alternative is Humble Bundle).
5. An advice for G2A: Be aware G2A, the world is too small to make business with people only once or twice. So if you really want to make honest business refund all the money which you took from customers who filled countless complains from the so called second hidden subscriptions.
6. My advice for all potential customers: be very careful if you decide to buy, subscribe or use G2A.

 

[ShadowDeath]

Too little too late. These guys should be boycotted out of business. Typically I don't say that about businesses because it's very anti-competitive but these people don't deserve to have a business at all. Total Biscuit does an amazing rant about these guys.

 

[ypsylon]

About bloody time. G2A is not much different than Dark Web however they stick only to software...