Cause they can?

it make sure people get it and i find that it gives it more of a personal touch.

spam

You're not "supposed" to do anything. You can do it in any method you choose. I like to actually talk to the winner rather than send them an email.

Another pointless topic that's just looking for trouble. You should really think before making these...

If you don't like getting keys via steam avoid giveaways that say "Key will be given via steam chat"

You can give them out any way you want. I'll add the person if they're online when I'm ready to send. Otherwise, I'll email them the game. I'd prefer to chat with them since, like others have said, it adds a personal touch.

People have sent me my wins both ways, and I'm not picky which one they do. Why should I be?

Some people like to verify the person doesn't own the game already and like knowing the person actually received it.

shrug I just email keys. Most of the time the person isn't online when my giveaway ends, and who wants to sit around chatting when they've just got a new game to play?

But if someone wants to send it on Steam, that's cool too. Nothing wrong with being friendly.

Well there's a legit reason why sending an email is bad. If the winner has set his profile to private or to friends only, you can't check if he has already have the game or verify that he had already activated the game.

Who's insisting?

I do both.

I sent keys in e-mail only once. I'll never do it again, the winner did not check in "gift received" for 5 days, and as I'm reading the forums there are people who've been waiting for more than 2 months.

Those scumbags! Expecting you to be bothered enough to accept their friend request and acknowledge that you've activated the free key they handed over! How dare they!

Because e-mail isn't really reliable due to spam filters. I won a game and thought the guy didn't send it to me and marked as did not receive when in reality he had sent it through e-mail and it had ended up in my junk mail. Unfortunately, I get too much junk mail that attempts at being "personal" that I must have just taken it for junk and emptied my junk mail folder. Fortunately, we got it all sorted out in the end but still, that's one reason to send keys through steam chat rather than e-mail.

I hate having random strangers having my E-mail adress.

I just want to make sure, that the winner got the key, and could activate it. If they have any problems - they can contact me very easily through steam. But after they activated it, I usually delete them.

When my first giveaway ended I have sent the key to the winner's e-mail. The winner didn't log into steam or steamgifts for over a month. The support didn't answer for over 3 weeks to what to do. Then the winner magically appeared and he said that he didn't even get my e-mail with the key in it.

So yeah, f*ck the e-mail, accept my friend request if you want your key, I will delete you afterwards anyways.

I have sent indie galas to email, because I then have a proof I have send it. On other hand I prefer to give keys in chat, just last giveaway the person had the game, so I had to reroll.

Friends can always be removed on steam and it's not that hard.

jesus christ that is some stupid thread.

I should post OPs avatar on every thread he made

So i get an answer right away and i delete them after i gave the gift.