G2A, a digital marketplace for users to buy game keys, has recently come under fire for an “inactivity fee” that charges users 1 euro a month for every month after 180 days that they do not log in to the website. The site has had its fair share of controversies in the past, mainly allegations that a majority of game keys sold on the marketplace are gained through illegal means such as stolen credit cards.
The practice was recently shared to the r/assholedesign subreddit, where one user received almost 40,000 upvotes for their screenshot of an email in which the company lets the customer know about the charge and cites the G2A PAY terms and conditions.
Upon glancing at the terms and conditions, shared by Eurogamer, the inactivity fee is indeed a thing and has much more depth to it.
“If User does not log in through the Website to User’s account [sic] for over 180 (one hundred eighty) days, the Company is entitled to charge the User’s G2A Wallet inactivity fee in amount of EUR 1 (one) per each month, or less, if there is no sufficient funds on the User’s G2A Wallet to charge entire inactivity fee. The Company is also entitled to terminate User’s G2A Wallet, if there is no sufficient funds on it which allows to charge the inactivity fee. Charged inactivity fee is not returnable. The User is to be informed about terminating his account.”
It seems that if you do not log in to G2A’s website for over 180 days, you are charged for it with no refund available, and if you do not have the sufficient funds in your G2A wallet to cover this fee, then it will be terminated, and maybe even your whole account.
In the same Reddit thread, an apparent G2A account gave a response in an attempt to try comfort disgruntled users. It was… not well received.
“It costs money to upkeep accounts (IT infrastructure, server maintenance, etc.) and if someone does not use the account, it doesn’t make sense to upkeep it. We don’t require these users to buy anything, just log in at least once every 6 months, just so that we know they are still with us. As a financial institution we are also monitored, supervised, and audited and have to back up and explain all our accounts and the funds stored on these accounts. Once an account may be considered “abandoned,” we take certain steps to make sure we are in line with all regulations, jurisdictions and laws.”
Many users disregarded the explanation with their complaints taking over. G2A once did an AMA on Reddit on a different account to extreme negative response, so it is not surprising that their alleged presence is not very welcomed in the comment section. As much of a defense that it is, some responses do give some good counter-arguments.
It isn’t the first time G2A has been in the spotlight for shady business practices, whether morally right or wrong. You can read the Reddit user’s email below. While it’s good the company does give a prior warning to allow some users to circumvent the fee, it could still be considered a petty excuse.
The post Grey-Market Digital Game Key Reseller G2A is Charging Users for Being Inactive by Ben Walker appeared first on DualShockers.