Sounds like a Gamersgate problem.

Steam wont refund a key, you only get refunds from the point of sale. You'd need to get the refund from Gamersgate.

Steam only offers refunds for purchases directly on the Steam Store.
For everything else you need to contact the seller who sold you the Steam key.

Why was I able to purchase an invalid key in the first place though? I made a gamersgate account before I ever had a VPN, and I know for a fact that steam won't allow accounts to be made through a VPN. Isn't my mistake a thing gamersgate can stop from happening, and aren't they responsible for not doing that? If I made the mistake there are sure to be many other gamersgate customers making it too. I've had steam for 17 years and this is the first time in my memory that I've made this mistake, I'm sure if I wrote down reminders I'd probably have more than one blunder but i don't so I can't.

Originally posted by sick duck:

Why was I able to purchase an invalid key in the first place though? I made a gamersgate account before I ever had a VPN, and I know for a fact that steam won't allow accounts to be made through a VPN. Isn't my mistake a thing gamersgate can stop from happening, and aren't they responsible for not doing that? If I made the mistake there are sure to be many other gamersgate customers making it too.

was your VPN telling everyone that you are in the region you actually live in or a different region?

Originally posted by sick duck:

Why was I able to purchase an invalid key in the first place though?

They probably didn't give you an INVALID key; you pretended to be from some region, and they sold you a key for that region.

I made a gamersgate account before I ever had a VPN

They probably sell keys for the region you are currently coming from, instead of remembering where you were when you created the account.

and I know for a fact that steam won't allow accounts to be made through a VPN.

But, "gamersgate " is not Steam.

Originally posted by Wolf Knight:

Originally posted by sick duck:

Why was I able to purchase an invalid key in the first place though? I made a gamersgate account before I ever had a VPN, and I know for a fact that steam won't allow accounts to be made through a VPN. Isn't my mistake a thing gamersgate can stop from happening, and aren't they responsible for not doing that? If I made the mistake there are sure to be many other gamersgate customers making it too.

was your VPN telling everyone that you are in the region you actually live in or a different region?

Some region that uses the euro. I made my gamersgate account before I knew what VPN was, much less started using it by the way. Is this the type of error that a system could be developed for blocking automatically? I know that I made my steam account when I was 17 years younger, they know me far too well for me to accidentally trick them into thinking I live in the UK, so why can't gamersgate do that?

https://steamhost.cn/steam_refunds

Purchases Made Outside of Steam

Valve cannot provide refunds for purchases made outside of Steam (for example, CD keys or Steam wallet cards purchased from third parties).

2.4.1 You expressly acknowledge, consent and agree that you will no longer have the right to withdraw from the purchase of the game or obtain a refund if, before the Refund Period expires, the download process for the game has begun. Once the download process for the game has begun, you will no longer have the right to withdraw from the purchase of the game or obtain a refund, and the sale, purchase and payment will be final.

2.4.2 You expressly acknowledge, consent and agree that the download process for a game begins when: (a) the game is added to your account and available for you to download, or (b) a serial number for the game has been generated and made available to you through your account, or (c) when the game has been gifted by you, whichever is earlier.

2.4.2.1 You expressly acknowledge, consent and agree that the download process for a Ubisoft Connect game begins when a redemption button is available to you through your account.

This is the gamersgate policy... can't refund it once the download process begins. I don't think it began in my case if the download wasn't usable in the first place, I should be able to get the refund imo.

Originally posted by sick duck:

2.4.1 You expressly acknowledge, consent and agree that you will no longer have the right to withdraw from the purchase of the game or obtain a refund if, before the Refund Period expires, the download process for the game has begun. Once the download process for the game has begun, you will no longer have the right to withdraw from the purchase of the game or obtain a refund, and the sale, purchase and payment will be final.

2.4.2 You expressly acknowledge, consent and agree that the download process for a game begins when: (a) the game is added to your account and available for you to download, or (b) a serial number for the game has been generated and made available to you through your account, or (c) when the game has been gifted by you, whichever is earlier.

2.4.2.1 You expressly acknowledge, consent and agree that the download process for a Ubisoft Connect game begins when a redemption button is available to you through your account.

This is the gamersgate policy... can't refund it once the download process begins. I don't think it began in my case if the download wasn't usable in the first place, I should be able to get the refund imo.

You ask GamersGate to check if the key has being activated as they have access to that information. I did that with another site when i accidently bought two copies of the same game and they could see the second key was not activated and i got a refund.

EDIT: Did not notice the clause in 2.4.2 as pointed out by rawWwRrr in the post below.

Originally posted by sick duck:

2.4.1 You expressly acknowledge, consent and agree that you will no longer have the right to withdraw from the purchase of the game or obtain a refund if, before the Refund Period expires, the download process for the game has begun. Once the download process for the game has begun, you will no longer have the right to withdraw from the purchase of the game or obtain a refund, and the sale, purchase and payment will be final.

2.4.2 You expressly acknowledge, consent and agree that the download process for a game begins when: (a) the game is added to your account and available for you to download, or (b) a serial number for the game has been generated and made available to you through your account, or (c) when the game has been gifted by you, whichever is earlier.

2.4.2.1 You expressly acknowledge, consent and agree that the download process for a Ubisoft Connect game begins when a redemption button is available to you through your account.

This is the gamersgate policy... can't refund it once the download process begins. I don't think it began in my case if the download wasn't usable in the first place, I should be able to get the refund imo.

You aren't reading the policy fully.

2.4.2 stipulates that since you have been provided a key, the download is considered to have begun. It doesn't matter that you haven't even claimed the key on Steam, yet.

Also...

Originally posted by sick duck:

if I were in the UK or whatever I have a 14 day opportunity to get a refund

... this no longer applies because of 2.4.1 where you gave away your right to withdraw. Not that this matters since supposedly you aren't in the UK?

You made a mistake. Those come with consequences. You bought a key for a game you can't use and can no longer get a refund for.