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submitted 10 months ago by HawlSera@lemm.ee to c/games@lemmy.world

I bought Mega Man X Dive Offline, really hyped for it, but then when I double checked my VPN, I realized it was set for the Netherlands.... Not good, I thought I had it set for the US as per usual.

Now it still showed the price in USD, but now I'm paranoid, I put in a refund explaining the situation and promising I'd buy it with the VPN turned off this time..

How fucked am I?

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[-] Restaldt@lemm.ee 146 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Its already too late.

Every relevant law enforcement and investigation agency from the fbi to interpol have been notified

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 28 points 10 months ago

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL!

[-] hogart@feddit.nu 21 points 10 months ago

Texting from the inside. See you soon. I'll get you a burner from Buba.

[-] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago

It's been 3h. I think they nabbed 'em

[-] CmdrShepard@lemmy.one 4 points 10 months ago

This is your local sherif, and I demand $10000 paid in ITunes gift cards or else we will issue a warrant for your arrest.

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago
[-] PeachMan@lemmy.one 36 points 10 months ago

Lmao dude it doesn't matter at all

[-] Zellith@kbin.social 33 points 10 months ago

Straight to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars.

[-] No_Eponym@lemmy.ca 15 points 10 months ago

Buying a game with VPN on? Believe it or not, jail.

[-] NegativeLookBehind@kbin.social 7 points 10 months ago

Federal “pound me in the ass” prison, actually

[-] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

They never told me THAT was an option! I'd have pled guilty.

[-] edgemaster72@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago

You underpay for game? Believe it or not, jail. You overpay for game, also jail.

[-] QubaXR@lemmy.world 24 points 10 months ago

(assuming your home country is USA) You are allowed to purchase games from US websites while you travel. As long as the purchase is linked to your US payment method, with US residence address on the bill, it does not matter where I'm the world you connect from.

You might raise suspicion if you bought something via NL VPN, using Dutch credit card and address. Otherwise you are all good.

[-] DeusHircus@lemmy.zip 20 points 10 months ago

What's your concern? I've never heard any issues with purchasing anything on VPN. In fact, it's recommended to save money by getting around geo-pricing

[-] SymbioteSynapse@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago

It is against the steam subscriber agreement to use a VPN. Particularly if you're using it to get around a region restricted game. Will they check and catch you? Probably not, but they can. It's definately not recommended though.

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 11 points 10 months ago

Getting around geo-pricing is a bannable offense

[-] potatobro@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 10 months ago

Wut? Why would you be fucked? I buy games with my VPN on all the time

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 6 points 10 months ago

Arent you not allowed to buy games if Steam thinks you're somewhere you aren't?

[-] Sylver@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago

You’re also not allowed to cross the street outside of a crosswalk

[-] bighi@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

I don’t know if you’re kidding, but that would be a very weird law.

[-] violetgreendev@programming.dev 8 points 10 months ago

It's called jaywalking - illegal in Australian cities actually.

[-] DeusHircus@lemmy.zip 8 points 10 months ago

Also in US, and I suspect many other countries

[-] bighi@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

I don’t know if something that oppressive is going to be true in many countries.

Maybe only in oppressive countries like China and the US, and a few others.

[-] DeusHircus@lemmy.zip 1 points 10 months ago

It varies state to state but in my experience it's a single digit dollar amount fine and that's it. Only in places that have adequate crosswalks everywhere and rarely enforced unless there's been chronic pedestrian issues. In US, pedestrians always have right of way. Jaywalking laws are there as a deterrent to protect pedestrians as much as drivers. About the only place I've seen jaywalking laws enforced are university campuses. You've got throngs of young adults, on their own for the first time, and walking around everywhere in busy urban environments

[-] BeHappy@lemmy.world 5 points 10 months ago

Illegal in the USA, too. It is a rarely enforced law.

[-] Floufym@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

This is so weird to me. In Belgium, if there is no crosswalk in 20meters, you can cross (and cars a supposed to stop to let you go).

What do you do if there is non ? You take your car to cross the street ? Or everything is well done and you have a crosswalk every few meters on every road ?

[-] qwrty@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Oh, we don't walk. We drive everywhere, even if our destination is in the same neighborhood.

[-] Rough_N_Ready@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

In the US it’s only illegal if there is a crosswalk and you don’t use it. If there is no crosswalk, then it’s not jaywalking.

[-] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 10 months ago

The reason you set a steam shop location. If it's longer term it may be beneficial to change the region but usually you can let it be whereever you want.

[-] potatobro@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 10 months ago

I've never heard of that. Pretty sure even if they cared about that for some reason, there would be nothing they could do about it. What are they gonna do, take you to court? They can't prove you weren't in the Netherlands.

[-] electrogamerman@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

That would be very easy to proof actually (Not that I think Op did anything wrong or that steam would care)

[-] tomi000@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

How would it be easy? Please elaborate how steam would go about investigating OPs private life around the day of purchase and gather actual proof of them not going to the netherlands.

[-] Nephalis@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 10 months ago

I dont see any problem. Even without refund, what would be the worst case?

My guess: you need to play the game with vpn set to the netherlands? Not more, not less. Or is using vpn prohibitted where you life?

[-] lorty@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 10 months ago

Is the netherlands price even different? If you aren't changing the vpn to Argentina or some other country with an undervalued currency, you'll probably be fine.

[-] pm_boobs_send_nudes@lemmy.world 0 points 10 months ago

Does anyone know if its illegal for me to login to my friends account and buy the game for him because I live in a region that's cheaper?

this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2023
44 points (74.4% liked)

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