Hi I have some bad news:
It appears that Steam no longer sells Steam Wallet (gift card) codes online to be given to someone else. During the first CW contest, there was an option in Steam stores to send Steam wallet codes to other people. But it's now gone and now the only way to buy a gift card for someone else is to go to a physical Gamestop store or order one on Amazon to be shipped at your home.
Not only that, but they now only provide fixed amounts of $20, 50, 100, no custom ones. Since CodeWalrus has a policy of only offering digital prizes for contests (it is done for safety reasons, as parents and Internet don't mix) a physical gift card wouldn't have been an option anyway.
As a result, despite the CodeWalrus Contest II announcement including Steam in the type of gift cards that winners can choose from, we will not be able to fullfil that request and thus, the winner or runner up will have to choose a different store.
There is, however, a workaround that can allow a contest winner or runner-up to still get Steam stuff from the contest prize: We can simply buy you games for a total of what the contest prize is worth for (eg CAD$30 or $70 worth of games). But then you would need to choose which games you want for that total then I buy them. But that's a lot of hassle because your Steam store is American while mine shows prices in Canadian dollars, so I guess choosing a different store such as Amazon is recommended.
In the past, iTunes also had many annoyances: For example, in some countries you were forced to enter a credit card number in order to redeem an iTunes gift card.
I doubt this is a serious issue for contestants, especially
@c4ooo 's prize which was a different store and was sent a few minutes ago) but I'm bringing this up to public for the sake of transparency, since this involves the removal of one of the choice of contest prizes after the winners have been declared and we apologize for the inconveniences, in particular to the one affected (
@Unicorn ). We also feel that it's a very dumb move from Steam, as we are now in 2016, not 2006. (Aren't digital gift cards the successor of plastic cards, much like how plastic cards were the successor of gift certificates?)
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/account/redeemwalletcode
That is quite weird. I thought I had seen paypal selling online codes a month ago... It might have been ebay, but Idoubt it.
They don't let people choose the amount of funds they want anymore, though. All they offer are fixed amounts.
That sucks xD
I hope steam starts it up again ???
Then give away Amazon codes or PaysafeCard codes. They tend to be more useful anyways as you can either buy other gift cards with them or just let Paysafe transfer them to ones bank account.
Actually that could work. I could give Unicorn one of those cards so he can buy a Steam gift card. But it depends if the store lets us buy a gift card with a gift card.
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 04, 2016, 07:39:17 PM
Actually that could work. I could give Unicorn one of those cards so he can buy a Steam gift card. But it depends if the store lets us buy a gift card with a gift card.
The cards I just mentioned will certainly allow for buying other gift cards, as I have used both in the past before I had a bank account for paying online.
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 04, 2016, 07:39:17 PM
Actually that could work. I could give Unicorn one of those cards so he can buy a Steam gift card. But it depends if the store lets us buy a gift card with a gift card.
I know amazon doesn't allow that.
A prepaid Visa card would just be easiest, if it works internationally. If not, a 20 dollar steam card is fine. ;)
That or I can always try to print you a t-shirt and I'd ship it internationally, if the winners are okay with this. Otherwise, a prepaid credit card would definitely work.
Quote from: Unicorn on February 04, 2016, 08:25:58 PM
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 04, 2016, 07:39:17 PM
Actually that could work. I could give Unicorn one of those cards so he can buy a Steam gift card. But it depends if the store lets us buy a gift card with a gift card.
I know amazon doesn't allow that.
A prepaid Visa card would just be easiest, if it works internationally. If not, a 20 dollar steam card is fine. ;)
Where can you buy digital Visa gift cards online? I checked Google, and only found shady sites I never heard about before.
@Unicorn Would you mind getting a $20 Steam wallet code via Paypal, then tell me if there is an extra $2-3 Steam game you would like so I can then send you a code for it?
Sure, that would be fine! Whatever's easiest for you guys. ;)
So gogogogo, pick a $2-3 Steam game in there and let me know which one you want :P http://store.steampowered.com/search/?filter=ut2&category1=998&os= (hm there is even an RPG there O.O)
(I'll buy the gift card as soon as possible so you can buy even more :3= )
Haha thanks! I'm on mobile right now, so it might be an hour or so before I get on my computer :P
EDIT: What do you think of this,
@DJ Omnimaga ? http://store.steampowered.com/app/397350/?snr=1_7_7_ut2_150_2
My god... that game is still a thing? That can work, though. Also it appears to run on WIndows 8 (maybe it comes bundled with DOSBox?).
Just be warned: I saw a friend play this game in 1997 and it's motherbleeping hard. But it seemed kinda fun if you're into old-school strategy games. You build your army, then once you're ready you send it against another, but also you can attack castles I think.
EDIT More bad news:
(http://img.codewalr.us/paypalsucks.png)
gg America. So
@Unicorn since a Steam gift card is no longer an option at all (since your e-mail or Paypal account doesn't accept any payment from outside USA) you'll have to choose an alternative or give me a list with $23 worth of Steam games you want (US dollars of course). Sorry D:
Looks like CW Contest III will not offer Steam gift cards when it happens...
I sent you a pm about that, it might work now... Sorry for being such a problem x.x
Nah it's OK. It's just Steam being dumb for traveling 10 years back in time. I can understand it's for security reasons but couldn't they figure out an alternate way? I hope it's not the same thing that will happen for other stores in the near future. We don't want to switch to physical prizes because of what happened in past community contests that offered them (eg the 2009 and 2013 Omnimaga contests, along with the 2005 UTI ASM contest). ANyway I just sent the prize via Paypal now and it somehow worked
@Unicorn (at least, from what I can gather from the receipt?), so that would mean both contest prizes are now sent.
I think it worked, but I'm going to have to check in the morning (my kindle doesnt like paypal.com )
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 05, 2016, 07:25:52 AM
Nah it's OK. It's just Steam being dumb for traveling 10 years back in time. I can understand it's for security reasons but couldn't they figure out an alternate way? I hope it's not the same thing that will happen for other stores in the near future. We don't want to switch to physical prizes because of what happened in past community contests that offered them (eg the 2009 and 2013 Omnimaga contests, along with the 2005 UTI ASM contest). ANyway I just sent the prize via Paypal now and it somehow worked @Unicorn (at least, from what I can gather from the receipt?), so that would mean both contest prizes are now sent.
What happened? Insane shipping costs? Wrong addressees? :P
2009: One of the winner, Builderboy, couldn't get his prize at home because his parents would have freaked out if they saw something in the mail coming from the "evil" Internet. Because most parents think that anything shipped from the Internet will contain anthrax or explosives. As a result, we had to ship the prize to one of his friends, Bwang, who then gave it to Builderboy.
2013: Because of 9/11, Geekboy had troubles shipping one of the calculator prizes because USPS has restrictions on battery shipments. It took months before he found a way to ship the prize.
Otherwise, I bet shipping costs would be an issue if we had a winner oversea.
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 08, 2016, 11:31:34 PM
Otherwise, I bet shipping costs would be an issue if we had a winner oversea.
Hmm.....
Since I plan on winning sometime in the future, that will definitely be a problem, as I live in Horseheads, NY, USA. :P
Quote from: Dudeman313 on February 08, 2016, 11:35:52 PM
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 08, 2016, 11:31:34 PM
Otherwise, I bet shipping costs would be an issue if we had a winner oversea.
Hmm.....
Since I plan on winning sometime in the future, that will definitely be a problem, as I live in Horseheads, NY, USA. :P
Doesn't
@DJ Omnimaga live in Canada?
iirc
@DarkestEx lives in Germany, which could be a problem
Quote from: Araidia on February 09, 2016, 03:54:06 PM
Quote from: Dudeman313 on February 08, 2016, 11:35:52 PM
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 08, 2016, 11:31:34 PM
Otherwise, I bet shipping costs would be an issue if we had a winner oversea.
Hmm.....
Since I plan on winning sometime in the future, that will definitely be a problem, as I live in Horseheads, NY, USA. :P
Doesn't @DJ Omnimaga live in Canada?
iirc @DarkestEx lives in Germany, which could be a problem
My parents have no problem with me getting mail. I get mail all the time and I recently submitted my 100th Amazon order.
Also funny thing, sending anything from Germany to the US, Canada or similar is rather cheap (often under 14-15€) for a rather big parcel. Sending small stuff like coverts with gift cards is probably just around 1 to 2 euros from Germany to many countries. The other way round is a nightmare though. Shipping can be as high as 25 euro for small things. I hate ordering from the US, that is always a nightmare except if there is free shipping.
Oh. I didn't realize this, as most of you guys are overseas, or just not in the US.
Quote from: DarkestEx on February 09, 2016, 04:38:33 PM
Quote from: Araidia on February 09, 2016, 03:54:06 PM
Quote from: Dudeman313 on February 08, 2016, 11:35:52 PM
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 08, 2016, 11:31:34 PM
Otherwise, I bet shipping costs would be an issue if we had a winner oversea.
Hmm.....
Since I plan on winning sometime in the future, that will definitely be a problem, as I live in Horseheads, NY, USA. :P
Doesn't @DJ Omnimaga live in Canada?
iirc @DarkestEx lives in Germany, which could be a problem
My parents have no problem with me getting mail. I get mail all the time and I recently submitted my 100th Amazon order.
Also funny thing, sending anything from Germany to the US, Canada or similar is rather cheap (often under 14-15€) for a rather big parcel. Sending small stuff like coverts with gift cards is probably just around 1 to 2 euros from Germany to many countries. The other way round is a nightmare though. Shipping can be as high as 25 euro for small things. I hate ordering from the US, that is always a nightmare except if there is free shipping.
Yeah, shipping seems to be much cheaper from Europe to USA/Canada than it is from USA to Canada, for some reasons. When I grew my calculator collection a few years ago, most calcs I bought from USA were $40 shipping each, yet the ones from China and Australia were $7-12. On top of that, stuff from the USA often took longer to arrive than from Europe.
I live in Canada, by the way.
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 05, 2016, 07:25:52 AMWe don't want to switch to physical prizes
Idk, but personally I would prefer a physical price over anything as it is more personal and you look at that thing and instantly see and know that you won it. Happyness will persist much longer. Be it a physical game or a device or anything else. Steam games are just a rather boring price :(
What about gift cards to buy physical stuff? :P
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 10, 2016, 12:55:53 AM
What about gift cards to buy physical stuff? :P
Not really.
Quote from: DarkestEx on February 09, 2016, 11:27:23 PM
Idk, but personally I would prefer a physical price over anything as it is more personal and you look at that thing and instantly see and know that you won it. Happyness will persist much longer. Be it a physical game or a device or anything else. Steam games are just a rather boring price :(
Well, I won some calculators from contests, and I can tell you that apart from telling me "I know I won it", my TI-76.fr doesn't serve any purpose. If I had won money (for Amazon or whatever), I could have bought a more useful calculator (or something unrelated to calculators).
Plus, fees and stuff are really annoying. I ordered something from Canada last week (it arrived yesterday) and I had to pay 35€ just for shipping. If there are two prices, it makes 70€ for shipping. With virtual money, these 70€ can make a third prize instead of being wasted on shipping.
Well. you could always sell the TI-76 on eBay... :P
Quote from: Dudeman313 on February 10, 2016, 10:54:03 AM
Well. you could always sell the TI-76 on eBay... :P
No one would buy that lol.
But I understand why they gave this I think. They probably had physical donations from sponsors and stuff. Without sponsors though, (virtual) money is best in my opinion, rather than not giving the choice and giving less value due to wastings in shipping.
Quote from: Hayleia on February 10, 2016, 11:36:51 AM
Quote from: Dudeman313 on February 10, 2016, 10:54:03 AM
Well. you could always sell the TI-76 on eBay... :P
No one would buy that lol.
I know. :P
BTW, are you ever going to finish SSBO? If you win TI-C 2016, you could finish it for the CE series.
weird that you need verified paypal to send to other countries, i've sold runescape accounts some months ago and i didint had any problem, maybe is paysafecard or bitcoin good for contest price?
Quote from: Jokeriske on May 15, 2016, 07:23:38 AM
weird that you need verified paypal to send to other countries, i've sold runescape accounts some months ago and i didint had any problem, maybe is paysafecard or bitcoin good for contest price?
Maybe the country the buyer was from is in the European Union?
could be
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 10, 2016, 12:55:53 AM
What about gift cards to buy physical stuff? :P
@DJ Omnimaga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj-7_YU-KIs
/me runs away
I never had issues with gift cards, but I be very careful where I buy them. For example, I once bought a Target gift card to my mom, then just a few months later Target Canada went out business. She could use her gift card during the going out of business sale, but she was lucky because some stores don't do that. Subway gift cards are the best because if it's $25 then you get a free sub :P