Refund & Escrow Policy

1. Escrow Guarantee

AtlasKeys operates a 100% Escrow-Backed Buyer Protection Model on every single purchase made across our marketplace. When you purchase a digital game key, software license, or subscription code, your payment does not go directly to the merchant. Instead, funds are securely held in an isolated escrow custody account until you successfully activate the product or until the inspection window concludes without dispute.

No seller receives payout funds until the buyer confirms key validity or the 24-hour verification window expires.

2. When You're Eligible for a Full Refund

You are entitled to an immediate replacement or a 100% full refund back to your original payment method under the following verifiable conditions:

• Invalid or Already Redeemed Key: The digital license key provided yields an error message upon entry (e.g., "Duplicate Code", "Code has already been activated", or "Invalid Product Code") during legitimate activation on the official platform (Steam, EA App, Ubisoft Connect, Battle.net, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Microsoft Store).
• Region-Lock Mismatch: The listing was advertised as "GLOBAL" or matching your specified country, but the delivered key is geoblocked by the publisher and cannot be redeemed in your registered jurisdiction without proxy manipulation.
• Material Listing Discrepancy: The delivered item differs substantially from the listing title and description (e.g., you ordered a Deluxe Edition with Season Pass, but received a Base Standard Edition code).
• Non-Delivery or Stock Depletion: In the rare event that an instant delivery key fails to decrypt or a seller with manual fulfillment fails to dispatch the digital code within the guaranteed twelve (12) hour dispatch SLA.
• Duplicate Billing or System Glitch: Any technical error resulting in an unintended double-charge on your credit card, PayPal, or crypto wallet.

3. Non-Refundable Cases

Due to the unique, irrevocable nature of digital intellectual property and statutory exemptions for instant digital downloads (under EU Consumer Rights Directive Article 16(m)), refunds cannot be approved in the following circumstances:

• Buyer Remorse After Key Reveal: Once the digital activation key has been decrypted and displayed on your screen, change-of-mind cancellations or returns are strictly prohibited.
• Accidental Purchase: If you accidentally purchased the wrong platform edition or title, but unsealed/revealed the code in your user portal.
• Hardware or Software Incompatibility: Failure of your PC or gaming console to meet the publisher's published minimum system specifications, lack of driver support, or local operating system corruptions.
• Publisher Bans or Disciplinary Actions: Account restrictions or bans imposed by game publishers or anti-cheat engines (e.g., VAC, BattlEye, Easy Anti-Cheat) resulting from third-party modifications, cheating tools, or publisher-side terms of service violations occurring after successful redemption.
• Unauthorized VPN / Proxy Usage: Attempts to bypass publisher pricing tiers or geoblocking using commercial VPN services that result in account flags by the platform provider.

4. The 24-Hour Window & Auto-Release

From the precise second an activation key is revealed or delivered to your order dashboard, a strict 24-Hour Inspection Window begins. During this window, you have complete authority over the escrowed funds:

• Immediate Confirmation: If the key redeems successfully, you can click "Confirm Order & Release Funds". This immediately settles the transaction and releases the net payout to the seller.
• Dispute Freezing: If you experience any activation impediment, clicking "Open Dispute" instantly freezes the escrow countdown indefinitely. Funds cannot be released until our arbitration officers resolve the case.
• Automated Release: If no dispute is raised and you do not manually confirm within 24 hours, our automated ledger confirms the order and releases the merchant payout. Always inspect and redeem your digital keys promptly upon delivery.

5. Dispute Resolution Workflow

When an issue occurs, our transparent arbitration mechanism guarantees a swift resolution:

To expedite arbitration, buyers should attach uncropped, full-screen desktop screenshots showing the official platform activation window, the exact error dialogue, and the local system clock.

6. Refund Methods & Timing

Once a refund is approved by our arbitration team, funds are dispatched according to your payment rail:

7. Merchant Liability & Penalties

AtlasKeys enforces zero-tolerance against bad-faith sellers. If an authorized seller uploads duplicated, stolen, or invalid keys:

• The seller is assessed a mandatory $15.00 administrative dispute fee per verified invalid key.
• The seller's platform trust rating is penalized, demoting their listing placement in search results.
• For systemic infractions (>2% defect rate), the merchant store is permanently frozen, pending balances are confiscated to satisfy buyer compensations, and corporate legal action is initiated.

8. Arbitration Assistance

If you have an urgent dispute or need assistance with an ongoing claim, our 24/7 Arbitration Support Team is at your service:

Email: disputes@atlaskeys.com
Direct Ticket Portal: AtlasKeys Customer Support Center
Order Management: My Orders & Escrow Status