Valve updates rule for gifts in attempt to limit revoked keys

[rafbanaan]

 

Steam has moved to limit the quick re-sale of gifted Steam keys by applying a 30-day wait before they can be sold on.

 

 

The rule change, announced today by Valve's Tony Paloma, is an attempt to clamp down on scammers who trade gifts which are later revoked due to problems with payment.

 

"All new games purchased as a gift and placed in the purchaser's inventory will be untradable for 30 days," Paloma wrote. "The gift may still be gifted at any time. The only change is to trading.

 

"We've made this change to make trading gifts a better experience for those receiving the gifts. We're hoping this lowers the number of people who trade for a game only to have the game revoked later due to issues with the purchaser's payment method."

 

Steam key resellers and rival retail sites have been known to buy up game keys in bulk using fraudulent payment details, then sell them on at a discount to ensure quick sale.

 

Customers who snap up these keys are then left out of pocket if Valve is unable process the original payment, which then causes the keys to be revoked.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-25-valve-updates-gift-rules-to-limit-steam-key-sellers

 

 

I can only say: Good job, Valve, but you should have done this sooner.

[Sumsar]

This sucks  Now i will have to pay more for my games...

[Snickerzz]

This sucks  Now i will have to pay more for my games...

this helps you too though... If this was here awhile ago the whole thing with peoples sniper elite 3 keys getting revoked wouldnt have happened, or atleast not as bad

[AlexGoesHigh]

if the limit is only for trade, then how is this going to affect sites like GMG and G2A, to me this seems to be more of an attack to individual scammers that work through forums and boards which i do agree there's something to be done with them, the amount of scams going around for game items is really disturbing

[SirRoderick]

if the limit is only for trade, then how is this going to affect sites like GMG and G2A, to me this seems to be more of an attack to individual scammers that work through forums and boards which i do agree there's something to be done with them, the amount of scams going around for game items is really disturbing

I do agree with this. Might just be the first foray into harsher regulations though. Really though, they'd have to eventually get rid of physical keys if they want to set up anything properly secure with encryption and the like.

[fojacko]

Ummm, OP, this doesn't effect steam key resellers (such as CJS and G2A) at all. This only hurts the people who buy gift copies of games during summer/fall/winter sales then resell them to make a profit. It has been put in place so that sellers that use stolen cards wont be able to trade their copies to people (which results in the traded copy of the game being revoked. Which was said in your post...).

 

Steam key resellers buy retail copies of games from poorer countries for a heavily discounted price and then they are able to make a huge profit, whilst the consumer still gets a really cheap deal.

[rafbanaan]

Ummm, OP, this doesn't effect steam key resellers (such as CJS and G2A) at all. This only hurts the people who buy gift copies of games during summer/fall/winter sales then resell them to make a profit. It has been put in place so that sellers that use stolen cards wont be able to trade their copies to people (which results in the traded copy of the game being revoked. Which was said in your post...).

 

Steam key resellers buy retail copies of games from poorer countries for a heavily discounted price and then they are able to make a huge profit, whilst the consumer still gets a really cheap deal.

 

Updated the title. I just did a copy of the eurogamer title

[DeViLzzz]

http://www.pcgamer.com/valve-changes-rules-around-steam-gift-trading/

Praise Gaben my ***!  Heck I laughed when I saw people doing this as for over a year I have seen Valve/Steam becoming something that wasn't that great and here we go again.  Valve has changed the rules around Steam gift trading.  Gifts purchased and placed in the inventory have a 30 day wait before the game is able to be traded.  First it was pricing that was getting worse, then I found Steam trying to get all console looking like with their store front and more, plus they now do this.  Heck there are things I am not even thinking of right now that I hate about Steam.  I am so glad there is Green Man Gaming, Amazon (Digital), GamersGate and others who provide cheap games and a decent experience because clearly Steam is set on ruining what once was a good thing for users.

[VulsaviiK]

I don't see the problem. Maybe you should be grateful for what you get and not re-gift stuff

[DavidTheWin]

 

 

"We've made this change to make trading gifts a better experience for those receiving the gifts. We're hoping this lowers the number of people who trade for a game only to have the game revoked later due to issues with the purchaser's payment method."

 

A necessary evil it seems. Would rather the above protection and having to wait than people get screwed by the above.

[Suika]

This seriously affects people?

 

I don't care, it could have been pressure from developers. I'd be insulted if my game was simply a commodity in a small trading economy.

[Tafel_Kafel]

That's going to drop prices of games if you wait a month after the game was on sale

[Oshino Shinobu]

Repost http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/257083-valve-updates-rule-for-gifts-in-attempt-to-limit-revoked-keys/

[ShadowCaptain]

SNIP

 

They are trying to stop scammers not piss off regular users, I doubt gift trading effects many people, and should help stop scamming, it must have been a big enough issue for valve to do anything.. they literally never change things unless they have to

[silberdrachi]

I think 30 days is excessive, i would think it would be better to do it as "Hold until payment is successfully completed".

[Blue fellow]

As a person who likes to trade rather frequently, I am very happy with this change. Previously I would not accept any game gifts because of the possibility of it being recalled. If you want to gift a game to a friend, do it directly instead of through trade.

 

Also your other two complaints are pretty silly. Saying it's more console like is useless and I cannot argue against that because there really isn't an argument there.

 

But complaining about pricing? Are you talking about Valve adding more native currencies and certain publishers charging their local price for their products? How would that be Valve's fault?

[Misanthrope]

http://www.pcgamer.com/valve-changes-rules-around-steam-gift-trading/

Praise Gaben my ***!  Heck I laughed when I saw people doing this as for over a year I have seen Valve/Steam becoming something that wasn't that great and here we go again.  Valve has changed the rules around Steam gift trading.  Gifts purchased and placed in the inventory have a 30 day wait before the game is able to be traded.  First it was pricing that was getting worse, then I found Steam trying to get all console looking like with their store front and more, plus they now do this.  Heck there are things I am not even thinking of right now that I hate about Steam.  I am so glad there is Green Man Gaming, Amazon (Digital), GamersGate and others who provide cheap games and a decent experience because clearly Steam is set on ruining what once was a good thing for users.

So you're glad that you can name 3 other stores, 2 of which still just sell steam keys and hence would be subject to the same policy you're angry about. Looks like you need one more cup of coffee for your logic to wake up.

Joking aside though I agree is a shit move, Valve is leaning more towards just letting more and more bullshit practices like regional pricing and now blocking ways to prevent em. However here's a thought: I am now subject to regional steam pricing and I find it easy to just support devs who use sane or consumer sided regional prices and pretty much give the fucking finger to the likes of Activision that are inflating prices regionally by like 40%

[Humbug]

Seems like a good thing according to the article.

Essentially, Valve is trying to reduce instances of charge-back scams and similar—where games were bought with a credit card; traded on, potentially multiple times; and then charged back, forcing Valve to revoke the original game.

 

Also

First things first: general gifting remains the same. You can buy a game directly for a person, who can then redeem and access it immediately.

That's what matters to me, I only use gifting for this...

[DeViLzzz]

So you're glad that you can name 3 other stores, 2 of which still just sell steam keys and hence would be subject to the same policy you're angry about. Looks like you need one more cup of coffee for your logic to wake up.

But other than that I agree is a shit move, Valve is leaning more towards just letting more and more bullshit practices like regional pricing and now blocking ways to prevent em. However here's a thought: I am now subject to regional steam pricing and I find it easy to just support devs who use sane or consumer sided regional prices and pretty much give the fucking finger to the likes of Activision that are inflating prices regionally by like 40%

I can name others that don't require Steam.  Also I think you need to wake up and realize with those sites I mentioned you may be able to get a Steam key but you don't need it to play many if not all games.

[Trik'Stari]

[Mooshi]

Whenever I'm gifted a game, I'm greatful a friend even considered doing so instead of trading it to someone else. But this is just my personality. Even if I get a gift I wish to burn with fire (like a Furby..this happened before...), I say my thanks to be polite.

[Colonel_Gerdauf]

Few problems:

1) As said above, it is a repost.

2) Sensationalist title is used with little context to the article itself.

3) The entirety of the OP is a personal rant, and there are no references used. Again, this is sensationalist.

[Misanthrope]

I can name others that don't require Steam.  Also I think you need to wake up and realize with those sites I mentioned you may be able to get a Steam key but you don't need it to play many if not all games.

I did edit that to clarify that I was just teasing you, lets focus on the second paragraph in which I agree with you about this being a shit practice

[DeViLzzz]

Few problems:

1) As said above, it is a repost.

2) Sensationalist title is used with little context to the article itself.

3) The entirety of the OP is a personal rant, and there are no references used. Again, this is sensationalist.

The title is what it is.  Also I gave a clear idea of what the topic in the article was about.  Sensationalism?  No.  I truly do think some users are going to be upset about this. If you think not you are clueless.

Oh ... and I notice it is the same people complaining about my other posts now complaining about what I shared here.  LOL!  Troll on.

[Legion]

Seems like a good thing according to the article.

Essentially, Valve is trying to reduce instances of charge-back scams and similar—where games were bought with a credit card; traded on, potentially multiple times; and then charged back, forcing Valve to revoke the original game.

 

Also

First things first: general gifting remains the same. You can buy a game directly for a person, who can then redeem and access it immediately.

That's what matters to me, I only use gifting for this...

 

 

Except I use this to buy games for my friends for christmas.

Going to be amazing this year hang on boys we can't play together when I bought a game on sale and didn't send it to you immediately because I have to wait 30 days.

Now I buy the game on christmas eve and hope the store works or send it to them early which runs the fun. Good job valve.