Answer by Kinguin : Dear Customer,

Upon careful review of the case and considering the evidence provided, we have decided to close the case in favor of the merchant.

We understand your situation and would like to assist you as much as possible. However, please note that our role is limited to providing keys. We do not have any affiliation with the publisher and the decisions they make.

Should you require further assistance with this case, please feel free to contact us by submitting a ticket at our support page: Contact Support --> https://kingu.in/ContactSupport

Kind regards,
Sage

Anwser by Steam : Still waiting

Anwser by Steam : Account Alert for ******** 22 Dec, 2023
A Steam Product code you activated has been removed from your account.

7 Dec
THE DAY BEFORE
Your recent Product code activation has been revoked due to a refund for this item. The games associated with this product code can no longer be played as a result. The content associated with this product can no longer be used as a result. Please contact the seller you acquired the Product code from for assistance.

If you would like to purchase the item, please visit the Steam Store. Otherwise you may choose to delete the local content associated with these games.

Answer:
You bought the key from a key reseller, not from Valve. You need to get your refund from that 3rd party key reseller, and complain to them as that is who you bought the key from.

Further, you bought the key from a 3rd party market place who is just facilitating the sale. You did not buy the key from Kinguin, you bought the key from some rando selling the key on Kinguin's site. You need to contact that rando you actually bought the key from to try to get your money back.

Did you even read my Posts?

Originally posted by fl0wzeN:

This incident raises significant concerns about the security and reliability of purchasing game keys from third-party vendors, especially when unforeseen actions by platforms like Steam can lead to such frustrating outcomes.

You should have thought about this before buying keys from unauthorized key vendors through a 3rd party marketplace.

Originally posted by fl0wzeN:

Did you even read my Posts?

Did you even read my reply? You didn't buy it from Kinguin. You bought it from some random person who was selling it through the Kinguin site. Kinguin is a 3rd party marketplace. You should probably learn to actually read the terms and conditions when using services like this.

For example;
https://www.kinguin.net/category/110943/windows-11-home-oem-key

Kinguin isn't the seller for that Windows 11 key.

Originally posted by Kinguin listing:

Windows 11 Home OEM product Key
PROMOTED OFFER
Sold by
NextKeys.io
99.92% of 1152224 ratings are superb!

Just like when you buy something off of eBay, you are not buying it from eBay.

You need to look at your purchase on Kinguin to see who the 3rd party seller was and then if possible try to contact them. But chances are you are just SOL as they don't have any return policy or any obligation to return the money as stipulated in the Kinguin agreement; to which you've agreed to when making the purchase on the Kinguin site.

And since you surely didn't read anything on the page you were buying the key on...

Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.

You definitely just ignored that warning on the listing.

Originally posted by Kinguin Terms and Conditions: Section 5.15:

5.15

Kinguin.net shall not be held in any manner whatsoever responsible for any third parties’ services or products offered by Seller on the Site. Kinguin.net shell also not be held responsible for any products or services offered by Seller on the Site with the use of or through third parties’ services or websites. Especially Kinguin.net takes no liability or responsibility whatsoever for any changes, suspensions or termination regarding such third parties’ services or products and Kinguin.net makes no representation or warranty that any such services or products will not be changed suspended or terminated (by way of illustration, Kinguin.net shall not be held responsible or liable for change, suspension or termination of user account(s) controlled, owned or administrated by third parties).

That's literary the Risk you take for buying keys on a third party site.
They can always any time get revoked because you don't know if the seller did a chargeback or bought it with stolen credit card etc. It happened to me once when i bought years ago a stormblood key on a site and Square banned my account because the seller bought it with stolen credit card and later on it got revoked.
It might be dumb but it is what its. Just that steam revokes the keys like you showed. And the only thing that you can do is contact the seller which you showed you did. Or you go through your payment provider and try to get a chargeback on the key purchase.

Friendly reminder that BS like this is why piracy is still alive and well. That being said, if you'll sail the high seas for a bit, i'm sure you'll be able to find a playable version.

Originally posted by Lizzy:

...And the only thing that you can do is contact the seller which you showed you did...

They didn't contact the seller; they bought it off a 3rd party marketplace. They contacted the marketplace, not the seller.

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

Originally posted by Lizzy:

...And the only thing that you can do is contact the seller which you showed you did...

They didn't contact the seller; they bought it off a 3rd party marketplace. They contacted the marketplace, not the seller.

That's what i meant also don't take just that one part and the other too.

I appreciate everyone's input on this matter. Indeed, the responses underscore the inherent risks when dealing with third-party marketplaces. My intention was not to overlook the terms and conditions of Kinguin or to disregard the responsibility of the individual seller involved. I acknowledge that I purchased from a third-party seller through Kinguin, and I understand the distinctions you've all pointed out.

My initial post aimed to highlight the surprise and frustration that come when a platform like Steam revokes access to a game without a direct refund path for third-party purchases. It serves as a cautionary tale for others who might find themselves in a similar bind.

To PopinFRESH and Lizzy, your points are well-taken about the importance of thoroughly understanding the terms of service and the potential consequences of purchasing from such sites. It's clear now that the onus is on the buyer to be aware of these details.

To Lizzy's point about the possibility of chargebacks through the payment provider, that's an avenue I hadn't considered and will look into as a potential recourse. Thank you for that suggestion.

And to Tom7i, while I can't condone piracy, I understand the sentiment and frustration that lead people to feel it's a viable alternative when faced with situations like this.

Ultimately, my goal was to share my experience so that others might avoid similar pitfalls, and to explore any possible solutions with the help of the community. I appreciate the robust dialogue and the insights provided.

I'm not seeking to absolve myself from responsibility, but rather to shine a light on practices that may be at odds with consumer protection laws. It's a complex issue that affects many of us in the community, and I believe it's important to discuss not only the risks but also the rights we have as consumers.

Thank you all for your contributions to this discussion.

Originally posted by Lizzy:

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

They didn't contact the seller; they bought it off a 3rd party marketplace. They contacted the marketplace, not the seller.

That's what i meant also don't take just that one part and the other too.

Well that isn't what you said so... 🤷‍♀️

Thanks for the points. 🤡

But, I've given this situation considerable thought and have reviewed the user agreements and consumer rights law in depth. Based on this, I must assert that there is a significant legal question regarding Steam's right to revoke access to a game without issuing a refund, even if the game key was purchased from a third-party seller.

The argument that Steam has the right to delete games from users' libraries without providing restitution is not as cut-and-dry as some suggest. Legally, once a product is sold, there are consumer rights and protections that come into play. These rights often include the expectation of the product's continued use, provided there was no misconduct on the part of the buyer.

The key point here is that I have not engaged in any misconduct. The game was legally purchased through a third-party marketplace, which should not give Steam carte blanche to revoke access to the game without providing a refund or offering a solution. This is not a gray area in consumer protection; it's black and white. The product that was once verified and playable has been taken away, which in many jurisdictions is simply not permissible without providing due compensation or an alternative remedy to the consumer.

I understand that everyone is sharing their insights based on personal experiences and interpretations of marketplace policies. However, let us not confuse policy with legality. A platform's policy does not supersede the law. There are processes and legal precedents that protect consumers, and these should not be overlooked or dismissed.

To everyone who has offered advice and shared their opinions, I thank you. Your engagement has been valuable. Yet, I stand firm in my conviction that what has transpired here is not just a matter of marketplace risk but a potential infringement on consumer rights. I am exploring all available avenues, including legal action, to address this infringement.

Originally posted by fl0wzeN:

...the possibility of chargebacks through the payment provider, that's an avenue I hadn't considered and will look into as a potential recourse...

Just as an FYI, this is normally something you do not want to do for purchases made on Steam (e.g. you actually paid through Steam, not a key reseller) as doing so is a breach of the Steam subscriber agreement and your Steam account will likely be terminated.

In this case, however, Steam has no involvement with whom you've paid for the key so worst case scenario your Kinguin account will be terminated and you won't be able to use their services.

Here are their ToS for reference.
https://static.kinguin.net/cms/Kinguin_TC_cbb8b4ce52/Kinguin_TC_cbb8b4ce52.pdf

Originally posted by PopinFRESH:

Originally posted by fl0wzeN:

...the possibility of chargebacks through the payment provider, that's an avenue I hadn't considered and will look into as a potential recourse...

Just as an FYI, this is normally something you do not want to do for purchases made on Steam (e.g. you actually paid through Steam, not a key reseller) as doing so is a breach of the Steam subscriber agreement and your Steam account will likely be terminated.

In this case, however, Steam has no involvement with whom you've paid for the key so worst case scenario your Kinguin account will be terminated and you won't be able to use their services.

Here are their ToS for reference.
https://static.kinguin.net/cms/Kinguin_TC_cbb8b4ce52/Kinguin_TC_cbb8b4ce52.pdf

I understand the strict policies Steam has regarding chargebacks, and I appreciate you highlighting that this situation differs since the transaction in question did not occur directly through Steam but through a third-party seller on Kinguin.

The ToS from Kinguin are indeed an important part of this discourse. However, while ToS are binding to an extent, they can sometimes conflict with overarching consumer protection laws, which typically cannot be overridden by any company's ToS. My contention remains that the action taken by Steam, in this case, seems to be at odds with consumer rights, and if necessary, I am prepared to seek further advice to clarify these legalities.