edit: thanks to everybody for their responses, I did get the info from Steam support

Hello, I'd like to ask somebody experienced for help. Here's the story:

I bought a key for a game (cheap, nothing big but I'm still upset) from a legit, licensed store (not gonna name any names, don't want to hurt them - never had any issues in the past). I then used this key for a giveaway and it turned out that the key is already redeemed. Now I must prove to the store that it was already duplicated when I bought it to get a new key OR to get my money back.

So question: how do I do that? Where/whom do I need to contact to tell me time and date of activation? I heard it was possible to request this info but I can't find any guide for that on the Steam website. Does anybody have experience with this process?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

3 years ago*

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Ask that store. Steam support can't help you with that.

3 years ago
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are you sure? I have heard multiple people say you can request this info from Steam...
I already asked the store and well, they basically don't believe me so.... this was my only shot

3 years ago
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Hi :) !
Steam can help you here
https://help.steampowered.com/es/wizard/HelpWithCommunityContactSupport
In the last option, explain your situation and paste in the same message your key.
The support team will tell you the activation date and time.

3 years ago
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thank you very much!

3 years ago
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Steam support isn't going to give you that information, and people who say they do, are spreading false information

3 years ago
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They did in the past, but policy changed. However, a screenshot of Valve answering that they don't give out that information, should suffice.

3 years ago
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How recent is that? They gave me the date and time of an activation for a game key back in April 2021.

3 years ago
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Several times in the past months. Since Valve wipes the ticket history very fast nowadays, I can't tell you exact dates though.

3 years ago
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well that's sad. So the moral of the story is: don't buy keys specifically for giveaways because if this happens, nobody will help you. Nice. thanks for replying

3 years ago
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And to make things even more fun there's the problem you can't be completely sure the key was actually already activated and the winner is not just trying to scam an extra key from you to idle cards on their alt or give it to one of their friends.

3 years ago
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it was a no-card game, not even +1, it's completely useless to lie on this - I believe the winner it really was duplicate

3 years ago
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3 years ago*
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thank you for telling me - I sent the request and I will wait for response, I hope they will tell me since they told you :)

3 years ago
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3 years ago
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Sometimes if staff is a lazy dick they'll just go with 'oh noes we can't tell you this, this is confidential information'.

3 years ago
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3 years ago
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I know right? How the hell is date and time when the key has been redeemed is confidential?

3 years ago
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you were 100% right, support gave me the info no problem.

3 years ago
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That's great to know for the future :)

3 years ago
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You're very lucky person, because at 99% of occasions steam support answers something like: this information can't be shared/contact your key retailer instead/your request violates our policy/etc

3 years ago
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3 years ago
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3 years ago
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steam support still provides you with that information, they just won't do it if you keep contacting them with multiple request of same kind

3 years ago
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Steam support isn't going to give you that information, and people who say they do, are spreading false information

That's not correct. What you are stating is the false information.

3 years ago*
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Or just different experience? How would he profit from lying about this? Wow.

3 years ago
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I'd lean towards they were trolling.

3 years ago
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Steam's very own FAQ says to contact the retail shop, and failing that, the developer, and nowhere does it say to bother steam support with this

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7480-WUSF-3601

also https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/bb2sw3/is_there_a_way_to_check_a_keys_validity_wo/

Suggests that it depends on the person you get at the other end, from reading the comments

so not trolling, just basing it off what im reading elsewhere, and yea WoW, i would profit massive from ''lying'' about this

3 years ago
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No :)

3 years ago
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Basic answer is some support guy can give you that information and some of them kindly refuses. If one of them refuse you close the case (dont reply) and re-create it. So another representetive can give it.

3 years ago
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Kind of a crapshoot, but is the information from https://store.steampowered.com/account/licenses/ enough for you?

3 years ago
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thanks for replying.
No, because I did not activate it. I don't know who did - I bought the game and received a duplicate code, somebody else has already used it

3 years ago
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I see. I thought the store was thinking that you had activated it yourself (in which case you could prove otherwise with that).

Having said that, a legitimate store should be able to have the publisher revoke the key in such a circumstance. When I take your latest update into account, that sounds to me like they're behaving highly suspiciously, but it's a you-against-them fight and that's pretty uphill. :/

3 years ago
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3 years ago
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edit:
thank you everyone who replied for your help, I did receive the info from support.

The bad news is the key was activated AFTER i purchased it, but BEFORE the giveaway ended (so my winner was telling the truth - not that I ever doubted them). Time of purchase 16:37 local time, time of activation 17:21 local time and the giveaway was active for 24 hours. So two scenarios:
1.) my account on the store where I bought it is compromised (unlikely, I have some store credit on the account so surely if someone has access to it they would have bought something nice for themselves - but gonna change my password just in case)
2.) the developer/publisher or maybe even the store sold the same code to 2 customers

either way I must drop my support ticket with the store, since I can't win this. Luckily it was a really cheap game, so no big loss

3 years ago
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can you share a screenshot of this response please? With today's date

3 years ago
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Hey, sorry I'm responding so late - I only now checked back on this thread for replies
Here is the screenshot if you still need it/want to see it
https://imgur.com/a/7G9Iby3

3 years ago*
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3 years ago
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What about asking the store for inactivation of key and giving a new one?
Can that be done?

About passwords being compromised, unfortunately that's pretty frequent.

3 years ago
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I kind of think they sold the same code twice accidentally, so I'd probably be hurting another paying customer if I asked for that - I will just let it go and enjoy my negative feedback (elsewhere, not here).
It cost me just a couple of cents, so it's not worth the energy anymore. Thanks for replying and trying to help, appreciate it :)

3 years ago
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happy to read that you "solved" your problem :D

3 years ago
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Closed 3 years ago by cheerie.