I know this has been discussed before, but I can't see the answer: Why doesn't SG use Steam Trading System to deliver gifts? If I understand Steam Policy correctly, getting a game by trading is safer than receiving a gift from a stranger, because the latter could result in having you Steam account suspended if the game was purchased in some illegal way. Unless it's impossible to trade a game for nothing - I don't know, because I have never traded on Steam.

And what about making it obligatory to specify, whether the game being given away is a Steam Gift or a key (and a way the key has been obtained)?

I know it may seem like I am not happy with people giving away free games and want to make it harder for them, but I found the topic mentioned above today and now I'm afraid to enter any giveways (and I probably am a bit paranoid).

12 years ago*

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When someone wins a giveaway, the Gifter sends the gift via Steam trading system or via email(Cd-key), its just his/her preferred method of sending you the gift. And when using the Steam Trading system he can give the game to you in return for nothing. Read it twice. No misunderstanding right?

EDIT: As far as I know such a case hardly happens(Who buys games with a stolen credit card and gives them away?). If it does you can always contact steam support.

12 years ago
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12 years ago
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I think i'm trustable enough for people to receive any game from me. Can't speak for others, though

12 years ago
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Nope, having successfully sent games worth 1351$ is not enough to be trustworthy!!!1!11

12 years ago
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I don't trust this guy.

12 years ago
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He's pretty untrustworthy. I mean he used the word "trustable". Totally unlegit.

12 years ago
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Seems Legit...

12 years ago
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Please report this scammer

12 years ago
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No one trust you!
Except those who receive gifts...

12 years ago
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1 awaiting feedback! Scammer detected!

12 years ago
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Well its just points you dont lose anything that important. And most people write on a discription if its a cd-key.

12 years ago
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Except that when it's bought with a stolen credit card you lose your Steam account.

12 years ago
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Ideally the gifter would submit the gift to SteamGift for safeguard when creating the giveaway and SteamGift would deliver the gift to the winner when it ends. That would eliminate the fake giveaways.

When the gift has been deposited on SG, SG would be able to check its authenticity, thus also eliminating the illegal keys.

It would require a lot of work/manpower though so probably not affordable at the moment.

12 years ago
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And it would remove the option of giving away steam redeemable keys.. And it would remove the option to buy the game once the giveaway ends... And it'd be a pain in the ass to submit games for giveaways, even with a bot on the other end...

12 years ago
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I meant a human would check the gift, it could be a key. The only issue is that it would require hiring a whole team which is not viable...

12 years ago
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You can't use keys if a 3rd party holds the key during the giveaway. There is no way to check if a key is valid other than using it. And if the winner then gets the key and it turns out to be fake/used the gifter could just say that it's SG that fucked up.

12 years ago
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No. This would open Steamgifts up to a crazy amount of Liability. "I gave steamgifts my game but they never delivered it to the person." being one example. The site being targeted because it has control over so many games, and then hacked is another. They're not going to risk lawsuits or attracting hackers just to cut down on the number of fake giveaways.

12 years ago
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A lawsuit for a game worth up to $60?

12 years ago
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How about 100 games worth $60? SteamGifts has about $5500 in active giveaways going right now> I would not like to be responsible for that. With how upset people can get over free stuff, SG is better staying out of handling the gifts.

12 years ago
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Have you never bought stuff online? You are aware that security measures do exist right?

Like I said in my first post, this wouldn't be viable anyway since SG is free, that's also why I started with "ideally".

12 years ago
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If the gift is "tainted" and gets removed by steam support then it doesn't matter if it was gifted or traded to you...

12 years ago
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The reason that the trading system is not the only method of game distribution is two-fold. First, people used to change their profiles to look like winners and scam the gift givers into sending the wrong person a gift. Second, keys cannot be sent through the trade system, making key giveaways impossible.

12 years ago
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Yes, the trade window has a chat, so you can actually send a key "through" the trade system.

12 years ago
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12 years ago
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i would try to use the trading system or (or chat for keys) anyway as it's easier to prove you've given the gift.

12 years ago
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Both trading and gifting leaves a log entry on your steam account.

12 years ago
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Read this

Steam trading is not safer, lol.
That is what they want you to believe.

12 years ago
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Just read that doc; That's some industrial-grade BS you were put through. A for persistence though :)

12 years ago
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... Oh my god. Reading that made me just boil inside out of the indignity and injustice of it all. Sorry for sounding melodramatic but I absolutely hate seeing shit like that happen. Sorry for what happened to you, that support team is absolute shit.

12 years ago
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Damn. I'm absolutely furious just having read that. That's utter bullcrap! I'm so sorry that happened to you, that's unacceptable for support.

12 years ago
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Yeh i remember when you could get hijacked by the trading system T.T

12 years ago
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Hmmm wonder if there is cause enough to file a lawsuit because that seems to be the only way to get the answers you wanted. But Steam has massive amount of money and power behind them so any lawsuit would be crushed. Pretty rude of them closing down a ticket and not answering a single question you wanted answered, just constant PC bullshit from them.

12 years ago
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Wow. Just....wow.

Unbelievable.

12 years ago
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think you could go pulbic with this or smth? It would be nice if steam support got his shit straight... theyre not helping at all

12 years ago
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if a game was purchased with stolen account it won't matter if it was given to you by trade or email or any other method, it will still be taken back by steam if they end up not getting paid for it, and may freeze your account while investigating the matter - that sux, but totally understandable.

that said, I would like to see an automated delivery system of some sort - giveaway ends, giver sends game to SG, SG sends game to winner - but either way, it seems to work pretty good as is

12 years ago
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Thank you for your answers so far, especially MoneyHypeMike's - that was an interesting read.

12 years ago
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Steam support really needs to brush up on its act cause I don't see it solving the problem Mike had.

12 years ago
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Closed 12 years ago by NotSev.