Controversy: G2A Charging Users For Not Logging In

The digital grey marketplace for game keys, G2A, has seen its share of controversies and it looks like we’re about to add one more to that pile. It seems that they are currently charging an “inactivity fee” which charges users 1 Euro per month after 180 days of not logging in to the website.

This new policy was recently shared to the r/assholedesign subreddit, which shows a screenshot of an email in which the company lets the customer know about the charge and cites the G2A PAY terms and conditions.

Upon glancing at the terms and conditions, shared by Eurogamer, the inactivity fee is indeed a thing and has much more depth to it.

If User does not log in through the Website to User’s account [sic] for over 180 (one hundred eighty) days, the Company is entitled to charge the User’s G2A Wallet inactivity fee in amount of EUR 1 (one) per each month, or less, if there is no sufficient funds on the User’s G2A Wallet to charge entire inactivity fee.

The Company is also entitled to terminate User’s G2A Wallet, if there is no sufficient funds on it which allows to charge the inactivity fee. Charged inactivity fee is not returnable. The User is to be informed about terminating his account.

It seems that if you do not log in to G2A’s website for over 180 days, you are charged for it with no refund available, and if you do not have the sufficient funds in your G2A wallet to cover this fee, then it will be terminated, possibly with your whole account.

In the same Reddit thread, an alleged G2A account gave a response in an attempt to try comfort disgruntled users. Needless to say, it wasn’t well received.

It costs money to upkeep accounts (IT infrastructure, server maintenance, etc.) and if someone does not use the account, it doesn’t make sense to upkeep it. We don’t require these users to buy anything, just log in at least once every 6 months, just so that we know they are still with us.

As a financial institution we are also monitored, supervised, and audited and have to back up and explain all our accounts and the funds stored on these accounts. Once an account may be considered “abandoned,” we take certain steps to make sure we are in line with all regulations, jurisdictions and laws.

It would seem that G2A, which wasn’t seen in a positive light online for a while now, will see their reputation further plummet with this. Now to see if they will continue with this or if there will be amendments made to salvage the situation.