Opinions And Workings Of Sites Like Cdkeys

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by FD1003, Jul 24, 2022.

  1. FD1003

    FD1003 Well-Known Member

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    Hey guys, I wanted to hear your opinions on CDKeys, from my understanding it works by exploiting the currency exchange and local taxations (some friends of mine do the same by buying foreign gift cards and then redeeming them on those other countries' network using a VPN), and I am mostly fine with this, apart from the way they acquire gift cards.

    My question is, does anyone know where they get the codes from? I know gift cards are a pretty common way to launder money and I fear CDKeys can be used in a similar way by a bad actor, are there any policies in place to check for this sort of things?

    I will do my research for the above questions, so I mainly ask you, do you use CDKeys? Do you avoid it, if so why?

    (Maybe) completely unrelated question, how often does ZuSi go on sale on Steam? ;D
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2022
  2. I've used cd keys a few times. Don't know where they aquire the keys!

    They seem legit. None of the keys I've used have ever been black listed by steam.
     
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  3. FD1003

    FD1003 Well-Known Member

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    Digging a bit deeper it seem like they operate in a slightly different way compared to -for example- G2A, it's not a marketplace but some kind of third party reseller, so they seem to be a bit more trustworthy, still not 100% convinced though.
     
  4. The first key I purchased was a couple of years ago. If there was any skullduggery I think steam would have cancelled it by now.

    There's some proper shady sites out there though, offering a £80 game for £2.99 I wouldn't trust them at all.
     
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  5. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    Like those Russian sites that claimed to offer legitimate cheap MP3 purchases, you have to ask yourself would you trust these people with your debit or credit card details?

    Personally I would rather just wait for a DTG or Steam sale to get a discount, not only that buying a code probably means you can't refund the product if it turns out to be carp.
     
  6. Lamplight

    Lamplight Well-Known Member

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    I have been using CDKeys for quite some time (probably a year or two) now to buy PSN top-up codes and never had any issue. The small savings are really starting to add up for me at this point.
     
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  7. Mattty May

    Mattty May Guest

    I have no issue with CDKeys at all. Always buy my PSN top ups from them to get them a little cheaper (usually around 12-15% off).
     
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  8. Calidore266

    Calidore266 Well-Known Member

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    Meaning, if you accidentally bought fishing sim DLC? :D
     
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  9. DTG Protagonist

    DTG Protagonist Has left the building Staff Member

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    I've worked for Green Man Gaming in the past (same line of business as CD-Keys) and there are numerous ways that keys are acquired legitimately. To find a legitimate seller the best place to go (as they're independent, and strict) is the GameDeals subreddit.

    Intriguingly CD-Keys is no longer on their "safe" list. Safe key resellers have guarantees in place and consistent customer service teams. Those that aren't on the safe list will have fallen foul of any number of different issues. The worst offenders will have keys for sale that have been bought using stolen credit cards then resold (that was the issue G2A were rumoured to have), or that get cancelled by the publisher.

    It's also worth noting that many of these places (legit and otherwise) do not offer the same level of refund protection as you'd get going direct to Sony, Xbox, Epic or Steam. They may refund you once, but then they'll likely close your account to prevent fraudulent use of refunds since they have no way of actually cancelling your key in many cases.

    With any 3rd party site please exercise due diligence and observe caveat emptor.
     
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  10. FD1003

    FD1003 Well-Known Member

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    Thank you very much for the in-depth answer. I will definitely take a look at that subreddit.

    Thanks for the warning about the refunds. I generally tend to do some research before buying a game so it shouldn't be a huge problem, but it's definitely something to keep in mind.

    Thanks again for your answer, appreciate it.
     
  11. junior hornet

    junior hornet Well-Known Member

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    Personally, I’ve bought Xbox Game Pass keys from CDKeys as they work out significantly cheaper than buying from Microsoft and, up to now, have never had a problem. I usually get 3 months at a time.
     

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