Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hintmaster?

Hintmaster is a small marketplace where gamers resell legit digital game codes and tokens. People who bought a bundle, sale, or promo can list unused codes, and other players can buy them at discounted prices. We sit in the middle to keep things fair.

How does the escrow system work?

When you buy a code on Hintmaster, you don’t pay the seller directly. You pay into escrow:

• You pay Hintmaster for the listing.
• We hold the funds while you receive and redeem the code.
• If everything works, you confirm the trade and escrow releases the money to the seller.
• If there’s a problem, you open a support ticket before releasing funds.

This flow makes it much harder for scams to stick and gives both sides a clear process when something goes wrong.

How do reviews and reputation work?

Every completed trade creates a small “story” for both people involved:

• Buyers rate sellers (1–5 stars) and can leave a short comment.
• Sellers also rate buyers, so people who constantly cause chaos show up in history too.
• Future listings highlight seller rating + number of successful trades.

Over time, this reputation score becomes the main signal people use when deciding who to trust with their money in escrow.

What is the Three-Stick Rule?

The Three-Stick Rule is our “you don’t get infinite chances” policy:

• If an account is involved in confirmed bad trades (for example: clearly fake codes, repeated non-delivery, obvious abuse of disputes), we keep track.
• After three serious, verified strikes, the account is removed from the marketplace.
• In some cases, we may remove someone sooner if the behavior is extreme or clearly malicious.

Hintmaster is meant to feel like a scam-free zone. Good-faith mistakes can happen, but repeat offenders don’t stick around.

What kinds of codes are allowed?

Only legitimate, legally obtained digital codes and tokens. No stolen keys, no chargeback-heavy “gray” sources, and nothing that breaks the publisher’s terms of service.

If we see clear signs that a seller’s stock isn’t legit, we can pause or remove listings while we investigate.

What happens if a code doesn’t work?

If you can’t redeem a code, do not release escrow. Instead:

1. Double-check that you’re using the right platform / region / account.
2. Contact the seller via the tools provided (if available) to see if it’s a simple mix-up.
3. Open a support ticket with details and screenshots.

We’ll review the situation. If it’s clearly on the seller, escrow may be refunded to you and the seller can get a strike. If it’s unclear, we’ll look at history, evidence, and try to reach a fair outcome.

Can I delete my account or export my data?

Yes. When full accounts go live, you’ll be able to request account deletion and/or a “download my data” export. Deleted accounts are removed from the active marketplace, but some records may be kept for fraud-prevention and auditing, similar to how other marketplaces operate.

Is Hintmaster live for real money yet?

Not yet. Right now we’re in an early-access, “figuring out the shape of this thing” phase. The site and flows you see are the blueprint for how the real marketplace will work once payments and accounts are wired up.

If you’re interested in being an early seller or buyer when we flip the switch, you can create a profile or drop us a note on the contact form.