The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    L4D Activation

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by mew1838, Apr 29, 2009.

  1. mew1838

    mew1838 Team Teal

    Reputations:
    294
    Messages:
    1,231
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    56
    So I am planning to buy L4D from a seller on ebay (brand new copy). Can I get him to send me the activation code so I can download the game on STEAM and start playing right away? Finals is over tomorrow and I am too cheap to pay tax at a store.
     
    mew1838, Apr 29, 2009
    #1
  2. HerrKaputt

    HerrKaputt Elite Notebook User

    Reputations:
    444
    Messages:
    2,510
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    There are A LOT of frauds on ebay when buying games that require activation codes. Do yourself a favor and buy it on a store. Don't say we didn't warn you.
     
    HerrKaputt, Apr 29, 2009
    #2
  3. crash

    crash NBR Assassin

    Reputations:
    2,221
    Messages:
    5,540
    Likes Received:
    13
    Trophy Points:
    206
    I do not recommend buying any Steam game off Ebay. Even though they may sound legit, many of them are gifts that are being sold illegally. See this. If Steam finds out that your copy of the game is not valid, even if the seller claimed it was and you are not at fault, they can (and most likely will) disable your entire Steam account. This happened to a few members here a while back and I don't know/think they ever got it resolved (ie got their account back).

    Bottom line, I would just buy it off Steam.

    EDIT: HerrKaputt beat me to it :D
     
    crash, Apr 29, 2009
    #3
  4. mew1838

    mew1838 Team Teal

    Reputations:
    294
    Messages:
    1,231
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Buying it at stores for $29 is better than $39 at Steam right?
     
    mew1838, Apr 29, 2009
    #4
  5. HerrKaputt

    HerrKaputt Elite Notebook User

    Reputations:
    444
    Messages:
    2,510
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    It's not just an issue with Steam. Any game that requires a key to play communicates with a central server that checks whether the same key is being used in more than one computer simultaneously, and on which IPs. The guy selling that on eBay most likely has already played it and therefore that server already has a record of that key being used.

    I would pay the extra money, even if it means twice the price, to get the game new from a computer store (or a virtual store like STEAM) and know for sure that it is legitimate.
     
    HerrKaputt, Apr 29, 2009
    #5
  6. Gophn

    Gophn NBR Resident Assistant

    Reputations:
    4,843
    Messages:
    15,707
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    456
    Gophn, Apr 29, 2009
    #6
  7. Hirohata

    Hirohata GBF Danchou

    Reputations:
    492
    Messages:
    1,071
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    56
    If it's off eBay, I'd only buy it if it were a sealed, unopened copy only. But then again, might as well get it from a store or off Steam instead. Alot safer~
     
    Hirohata, Apr 29, 2009
    #7
  8. HerrKaputt

    HerrKaputt Elite Notebook User

    Reputations:
    444
    Messages:
    2,510
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    How can you know if it's still sealed before you actually get it? And once you get it, you're already screwed...
     
    HerrKaputt, Apr 29, 2009
    #8
  9. Hirohata

    Hirohata GBF Danchou

    Reputations:
    492
    Messages:
    1,071
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Firstly, ask seller for recent pictures of the product. If it said sealed in the description, but you receive it unsealed, you are more than welcome to file a dispute on eBay/Paypal saying the item was not as described. I got my L4D copy off eBay and it arrived sealed, exactly as described.
     
    Hirohata, Apr 29, 2009
    #9
  10. HerrKaputt

    HerrKaputt Elite Notebook User

    Reputations:
    444
    Messages:
    2,510
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    I guess you can ask for a picture with today's newspaper. But he can still open the box AFTER he takes the picture but BEFORE he sends it to you. And filing and resolving disputes is a hassle for me, and I view hassles as losing money to get gray hair, not worth it IMO:

    But it's true, if you ask that the risk is low. I would still buy from a physical store though, even if I had to pay an extra 5 or 10 euros.
     
    HerrKaputt, Apr 29, 2009
    #10
  11. Buhdahl

    Buhdahl Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    36
    Messages:
    354
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    You'll be fined if it's a sealed copy, not a used one or a gift code.

    And you can't ask for him to send the serial, because the box would need to be opened to access it.
     
    Buhdahl, Apr 29, 2009
    #11
  12. madmook

    madmook Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    43
    Messages:
    429
    Likes Received:
    20
    Trophy Points:
    31
    madmook, Apr 29, 2009
    #12