and more coming soon...

With partner sites, It is recommended to buy direct from the partner whenever possible and avoid third-party sellers on their sites, as some of these sellers have used illegitimate means (Stolen CC, Chargebacks) to purchase the keys and the keys could be revoked later. Purchasing direct from EA or Steam is highly recommended. The higher the prices, the more likely the deal is legitimate.

Many of these third party sites are legitimate in scope, and often times have good deals and trustworthy merchants. However, there is sometimes a bad apple in the batch. Be wary of low prices and deals that are too good to be true, they usually are.

Why buying the CHEAPEST option can hurt you:
• You're far more likely to encounter a merchant who has used illegitimate means to procure the key in question, this can range from stealing credit card information and using it to purchase the key, wherein the original owner eventually catches on and requests a chargeback for the amount. The game publisher will then have to pay that back to the bank, will then backtrack the transaction that the game key is linked to and revoke said game key.
• Second to the above, the merchant themselves will later (and intentionally) issue a chargeback on their own card they used to make a quick buck off the illegitimate transaction. Like above, publisher will backtrack and revoke again.
• Even if you're not in the wrong, each time a key is revoked for a chargeback transaction, there is always the potential for a black mark on your gaming account. Gain enough of these, and the publisher retains the right to restrict your access to the platform, or deny it altogether.

If you are going to buy from third party vendors, please follow these suggestions:
• Try to buy DIRECTLY from the partner whenever possible and not from the third-party merchants on their platform.
• Look for prices relative to what you would expect. If a Sims 3 expansion typically costs $19.99 at any given time, then a deal that is $7-$10 is probably your best bet. Anything lower than that carries a potential risk.
• Examine the merchants reviews and transaction history. Do they sell a lot of that title, are most people satisfied, pay close attention to how long between the customer buying the item and the time they left the review. The longer the better.

If any of the key points above give you pause, then by all means, stick to buying through official channels or sites you feel you can trust. Often times, Sims 3 will go on sale on Steam for 50% - 75% off (10.00 - 5.00 per expansion), these are the best times to buy extra expansions or stuff packs, and when done so through steam they can typically be registered on EA App as well.

DO NOT USE BROWSER EXTENSIONS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO SAVE YOU MONEY - THEY ARE ALLEGEDLY STEALING THAT MONEY FROM AFFILIATES BY REPLACING OUR AFFILIATE LINK WITH THEIR OWN!

DO GOOGLE COUPON CODES AND COPY AND PASTE THEM, DOING SO MANUALLY WILL SAVE YOU MONEY AND THE COMMISSION WILL GO TO THE RIGHTFUL AFFILIATE. :-)



It has only been recently discussed that browser extensions, such as HONEY; as well as many others are hijacking affiliate links and replacing them with their own. Using these extensions (even if you do not click on it) runs the risk of your purchase not benefiting SimTools at all. I shall endeavor to explain why.

Often times these extensions, even when not activated by the user, still run in the background. The extension will often examine (or inspect) the elements of a purchase page, find the affiliate string, such as ?af_id=TS3Tools and replace it with something like
?af_id=honey_paypal, this effectively swipes the earnings from affiliates such as myself and redirects them to companies like PayPal and others.

It's difficult to pinpoint the exact amount of money Honey and other similar extensions have allegedly taken from affiliates, but here's what's known:

• Some estimates, particularly from content creators, suggest Honey has skimmed millions of dollars from affiliate revenue over the years.
• A class-action lawsuit against Honey claims the damages could be in the billions due to the impact on creators' future brand partnerships. Some sources claim Honey may have potentially stolen over multiple billion dollars of influencer's affiliate commission.
• Content creators who rely on affiliate commissions have reportedly lost millions of dollars due to Honey's alleged "commission theft."

How Honey allegedly "poaches" commissions:

• Replacing Affiliate Cookies: Honey's browser extension allegedly replaces an affiliate marketer's cookie with its own "last click" cookie when a user searches for coupon codes via Honey at the point of sale. This allows Honey to take credit for the sale and earn the commission instead of the original affiliate marketer.
• Not Just for Honey Affiliates: This alleged practice has reportedly affected anyone who earns commission through affiliate marketing links, not just Honey affiliates.

Important Note:

• Allegations: These claims are allegations and are subject to ongoing legal proceedings, such as the class-action lawsuit mentioned.
• Uncertainty: It's important to note that the exact amount of money Honey has allegedly taken is still unclear.

In summary, while the precise figure is unknown, reports and claims suggest that Honey's alleged actions have cost affiliate marketers, including content creators, potentially millions or even billions of dollars in lost commissions.

Please review the following articles for more information: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]

This has only been tested with The Sims 3. You may not receive the same results with other Maxis/EA games.

If you buy your Sims 3 games on Steam, you can view your game key, and cross-register it on the EA App / Origin. This is only uni-directional and will only work with the Steam copies. You cannot cross register Sims 3 EA keys on Steam. Digital keys will also not work for retail copies, but retail codes that are unused will register on EA (but not Steam). Buying sealed retail copies or Steam copies is your best bet!

Not every vendor is going to have the best deal, so be mindful and shop around. Some vendors may have an asking price that is higher than if you bought the title on Steam or EA, so compare all deals and make sure you are getting the best offers possible. Also wishlist on Steam and EA, as sometimes there is a 75% off sale for the expansions and stuff packs, making them $5 a pop!