Wanting to add a couple S3 packs and saw this https://www.instant-gaming.com/en/219-buy-key-the-sims-3-island-paradise/?currency=USD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs7DAuab22QIVBLjACh0pjgZwEAoYASABEgLCDPD_BwEIt’s so cheap, that I’m scared it’s a scam. Has anyone bought from here before?

Afraid I have some different advice to offer. Over the past couple of years now, EA has begun mass deactivations of Origin codes purchased from unauthorized resellers for which EA was never paid or a chargeback scheme was used by the original bulk purchaser which means essentially the same thing. Not just for TS3, but hundreds if not thousands of players have been affected, there were dozens of threads here many of which have since been combined by the moderators and tons of them still active and being started on the Answers.HQ board.The players don't really know what's happening when their game or EP/SPs get deactivated, they just suddenly stop showing up in Origin and not because of the typical instability of the platform. Investigations with customer service, which is not the same department as loss prevention, can take weeks or longer to reach resolution, and often enough the answer is sorry, you do not own the rights to run that pack. Then it becomes a struggle for them to get their accounts unlocked so they can repurchase through Origin or an authorized reseller.https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/where-to-buy-ea-games-v2I understand the desire/need to save money, but there is definitely a risk involved.

"Jordan061102;c-16389235" wrote:Oddly I bought a several packs for TS3 here and I never had any problems.It's not really that odd. We have no idea if the chargeback deactivations affect 5% of purchasers from unauthorized resellers or 95% of them as that would be impossible to calculate (most likely somewhere in between). I just know that I'd like to have half of my hair back that was lost helping players trying to figure out what in the world was going on when this started happening on a wide scale and we all assumed at first it was Origin acting goofy on its own.I only post about it to make players aware that the risk of having something not very nice happen to their Origin accounts is there, and that doesn't do their ongoing games any good either since in many cases saves that have "seen" an EP cannot then be played without it loading up.Origin does have sales a few times a year in case that helps at all, although not on any kind of predicable schedule.

"Jordan061102;c-16389236" wrote:@Olivesplum06 do how you want to do. ;) In any case I never had any problems.Famous last words..... ;)

"igazor;c-16389225" wrote:Afraid I have some different advice to offer. Over the past couple of years now, EA has begun mass deactivations of Origin codes purchased from unauthorized resellers for which EA was never paid or a chargeback scheme was used by the original bulk purchaser which means essentially the same thing. Not just for TS3, but hundreds if not thousands of players have been affected, there were dozens of threads here many of which have since been combined by the moderators and tons of them still active and being started on the Answers.HQ board.The players don't really know what's happening when their game or EP/SPs get deactivated, they just suddenly stop showing up in Origin and not because of the typical instability of the platform. Investigations with customer service, which is not the same department as loss prevention, can take weeks or longer to reach resolution, and often enough the answer is sorry, you do not own the rights to run that pack. Then it becomes a struggle for them to get their accounts unlocked so they can repurchase through Origin or an authorized reseller.https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/where-to-buy-ea-games-v2I understand the desire/need to save money, but there is definitely a risk involved.This. So much this.Think about it this way: Why would someone sell things for a loss?There are 2 main reasons:1. Loss leader. They sell one thing for a loss hoping to get people to buy items in the store that have a higher profit margin. This is why sodas are constantly on sale at grocery stores and alternate brands. Soda on sale is sold for a loss. Especially when they do those buy 2, get 3 free promotions.2. They obtained the key with a stolen card so any money they earn is profit. They don't get hurt when the actual owner of the card gets the charges charged back. They don't lose the money that the people who bought those stolen keys gave to them. Because it usually takes more than the 30 days for people to realize what's happened and by then it's too late to do a charge back of your own.Taking a look at the site shows that they have nothing that's not on sale or way below retail value. And they are out of stock of some items. If they were a legit place, why are they out of stock of keys? Which means it's not reason 1.Now some people may not get hurt by buying from those sites, but they may have gotten keys that were obtained from someone who doesn't pay attention to their credit card statement before paying it off.Seeing as how it was affecting the player's Origin account, is however much the discount is on Island Paradise really worth the risk that the site isn't legit and that you bought a stolen key? You don't just lose the saves you played with it if they deactivate it. You lose your entire Origin account.IMO: If you have to ask is it a scam, it probably is.

At the end of the day, it's not worth the risk. I used to buy cheap Steam games through sites like these and your account is always at risk if you choose to purchase from an unauthorized seller. There's no way to tell how the seller obtained the keys they are selling and that's what can get your account in trouble.

Has anyone bought anything from this site?

14 Replies

CharlottesMom66
8 years ago
"SimplyJen;c-16389396" wrote:
"Charlottesmom;c-16389388" wrote:
"Jordan061102;c-16389374" wrote:
"Charlottesmom;c-16389244" wrote:
"Jordan061102;c-16389236" wrote:
@Olivesplum06 do how you want to do. ;) In any case I never had any problems.

Famous last words..... ;)

I don't understand?

It in this threads context basically means something always goes wrong when people say that they never had an issue with it..
It's not unheard of for some of these illegal keys to be voided months after purchase locking the account in return. Chargebacks aren't always instant.

I heard that was a big issue some months back.
CravenLestat
8 years ago
@Jordan061102 Charlottesmom is just saying a very widely known quote "Famous last words" is nothing against you.That saying has been around for a very long time.

Example "The enemy would never expect us to head through this valley" shortly after saying that an army appears on both sides of the cliff rolling rocks down at them and shooting arrows.
lisasc360
Hero
8 years ago
"Jordan061102;c-16390979" wrote:
"Charlottesmom;c-16389388" wrote:
"Jordan061102;c-16389374" wrote:
"Charlottesmom;c-16389244" wrote:
"Jordan061102;c-16389236" wrote:
@Olivesplum06 do how you want to do. ;) In any case I never had any problems.

Famous last words..... ;)

I don't understand?

In this threads context it basically means something always goes wrong when people say that they never had an issue with it..

Okay? But why should I lie?

What might work for one person might not work for another. You might not had any issues with the site but that doesn't mean that if the OP buys from that site, that they won't have issues either. Buying from unauthorized sellers/sites is like playing a game of chance. The saying goes "You win some, you lose some!"

This is like when someone suggested for someone to check E-bay for games on another thread as they didn't have issues with not having access to their games, well a lot of people who had brought from E-bay was blocked from playing their games. So I'm sure that a lot of those players had to go and repurchased games from a authorized seller so that they could play their game.

So I guess what some of us is saying that we would hate for someone to buy from an unauthorized dealer and have issues accessing their game because EA/Origin has a block on those games sold from those sites thus causing the person to have to go out and repurchase whichever EP's/SP's that they can't play.
CharlottesMom66
8 years ago
"Jordan061102;c-16390979" wrote:
"Charlottesmom;c-16389388" wrote:
"Jordan061102;c-16389374" wrote:
"Charlottesmom;c-16389244" wrote:
"Jordan061102;c-16389236" wrote:
@Olivesplum06 do how you want to do. ;) In any case I never had any problems.

Famous last words..... ;)

I don't understand?

In this threads context it basically means something always goes wrong when people say that they never had an issue with it..

Okay? But why should I lie?

Um, when did I say you were lying?? That quote has nothing to do with you lying at all.

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Has anyone bought anything from this site?

14 Replies

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