Is G2A.com worth it?
The short answer: yes. If you need to save money but you want a new video game for an affordable price, G2A.com and similar websites are perfect for this situation. It’s just important to know there is a slight risk in buying anything off of the internet.
G2A.com is an affordable digital marketplace that specializes in the resale of redemption keys for video games. While G2A.com is a real company, it’s still an online marketplace, which means it’s a platform used by third-party sellers to resell their redemption keys from Steam, the PlayStation Store, and more. So, you need to put your trust into who you’re buying from off of G2A.com—that’s the biggest concern here.
G2A Company Information
| Official Website | https://www.g2a.com/ |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Owner(s) | Bartosz Skwarczek; Dawid Rożek |
| Location | Causeway Bay, Hong Kong |
| Contact | support@g2a.com |
| Social Media | Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube |
What is G2A.com?
G2A.com is a sizable digital marketplace that lets people resell their digital video game keys from Steam, the PlayStation Store, Origin, and similar video game stores. They also allow users to resell iTunes gift cards, Netflix gift cards, Google PlayStore gift cards, and other gift cards at a reasonably lower price.
But, as mentioned before, G2A.com is merely the middleman of the transactions. Almost anyone can make an account and resell their codes and keys to other users online. G2A.com will charge sellers a small fee to sell on their site, but the rest is in the hands of the seller and the buyer. It’s similar to eBay.com, where a large number of people resell their items across the world.
Is G2A.com legal and safe or is it a scam?
G2A.com is legal in all countries, but this doesn’t mean you are safe from someone who may sell you a bad game key. The G2A website claims that the keys sold are 100% legit, but if you do a little research, you can find instances where people bought a key that didn’t work.
Recently, G2A allowed a reseller to sell Wube Software products and an investigation found that this seller had sold 198 [confirmed] game keys that were illegitimate or stolen. This little mistake cost G2A.com $39,600, which they had to pay back to Wube Software.
If you do a quick search on Reddit.com, you will find more personal stories of people who have had bad experiences with G2A, but some people have claimed they have never had an issue with the website. So, you’re pretty much taking a chance with luck when using G2A.com.
Overall, G2A.com seems to be a secure website and free of viruses. Be sure to have your antivirus one when browsing the web at any time though.
Is G2A.com reliable and trustworthy?
If you check out different consumer review websites, you’ll see that many people’s reviews of G2A.com are not that positive. On TrustPilot.com, G2A.com has a rating of 3.5, but on Sitejabber.com, it has a rating of 2.4, based on 84 reviews. While people have had good experiences with the website, most of the reviews are negative.
So, how does G2A.com handle a case of an illegitimate game key?
According to G2A.com and their support site, “If a digital item you purchased on G2A.COM is not as described, doesn’t work, or has been removed from your account, you will receive a refund.” G2A.com advertises a Money-Back Guarantee program, but it has hidden rules that may cost you in the end.
It’s good for buyers to know they offer a refund for illegitimate keys or bad games, but there are reports of the refund process taking weeks to complete. It could take even longer to get your money back if you bought a faulty product. Also, anyone who has bought an illegitimate key from the website must file a police report to receive a refund. We’ll get into this more later in the article.
It’s also important to note that G2A.com’s Money-Back Guarantee doesn’t work if you bought the key by accident or didn’t see that the key you bought has region restrictions. Always read thoroughly before you purchase!
Pros & Cons of G2A.com
Pros
- Offers an affordable alternative to other game-key websites
- Available around the world
- Many different payment options
- Also resells iTunes & Netflix gift cards and more
Cons
- Not many positive reviews of the company
- Resellers may be untrustworthy
- Refund takes a long time
- G2A.com has a bad reputation online
Is G2A.com a good & ethical company?
While G2A.com’s website looks legit and positive when you read through it, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
G2A.com has a lot of hidden policies or rules that are within the pages of the Terms & Conditions that you must agree to when you create an account.
For instance, to receive a refund no matter how small the amount is, you must file a police report about the stolen game. This hasn’t always been the case, but within the last few years, G2A.com has changed its refund policy. You must report the theft to your local police department before you file a claim with G2A.com.
While G2A.com offers a refund policy, it seems sketchy that they aren’t upfront about how it works for its customers.
If you browse the web for G2A.com reviews, you’ll see customer support employees who comment on all of the reviews, acting as if they are concerned. This seems great at first, but are they helping if they say they are going to help you out but won’t even be honest in the first place?
How does G2A.com make money?
This is pretty much how G2A.com works: A seller creates an account, lists the game keys they want to sell, and G2A.com generally takes 10.8% + €0.35 of what they sell. G2A.com takes part of the profit, and the seller keeps the rest. These fees differ based on what type of item you may be selling. The complete list of G2A.com’s selling costs can be found here.
Are there any hidden fees?
G2A.com seems to be pretty upfront with its fees. The only fees you should care about are selling fees if you decide to become a seller. G2A.com has different programs, such as G2A Plus, which allows users to access the lowest prices of the website. They also receive a free game every month, but—it cost €1.99 a month to use this service. Some people have reported being subscribed to this program without even knowing it.
G2A Payment Methods
Payment methods are based on your location—select the country you are ordering in, and it will give you a list of available options. According to screenshots on G2A.com, they have many different payment options available.
Options include:
- Debit and credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, etc.
- Openbucks
- PayPal
- PayPal 1-click
- Paysafe.card
- Skrill
- Bitcoin
- WeChat Pay
- G2A wallet
Best Alternatives to G2A.com
If you have doubts about G2A.com, maybe it’s best to research other online digital marketplaces. There are many different options out there for video gamers who want a more affordable price.
Other digital marketplaces include:
- Eneba
- CDKeys
- Gamivo
- Kinguin
- SCDKey
Additional FAQs
Why is G2A so cheap?
Many people who sell products on G2A.com are wholesale resellers. This means they purchase the game keys in bulk, directly from the developers and publishers. Since they are buying so many at once, this allows them to purchase them at a much lower price. This is why they sell them for a more affordable price (while still making a profit off of them!)
How can I be safe when purchasing games from G2A.com?
According to G2A.com, they use a payment gateway to ensure all of their transactions are safe. While they try to push you to use their G2A PAY instead of other payment methods, they claim that all payment methods are secure.
When logging into G2A.com, it’s essential to be sure you are using a secure internet connection from the get-go. Double-check to see if you have a fast and secure internet connection or use antivirus software, such as Norton 360. Also, G2A.com offers a two-factor authentication log-in.
When dealing with sellers, make sure you check the seller’s ratings and reviews before buying. It’s always good to research who you are buying from. If you have an ounce of doubt about a seller, it’s probably best to stay away from them and report it to the support team. Never take the risk of buying from someone who already seems sketchy.
Is there any possibility that the keys sold on G2A.com come from an illegal source?
There is always a possibility, yes. This is why you must be careful about what to buy from G2A.com if you decide to purchase from this website. G2A.com claims they are “taking great measures” to prevent fraudulent sales on their website. The point is: do your research and don’t trust everyone you meet online!