DLC without the original game

[harf4ng]

Hi,

Something I wonder, I have read that it should be impossible to buy a DLC if you do not own the original product.

My son bought shadow of the erdtree and activated it on his account, and steam allowed him to do so. But he does not own the original game. He played elden ring through my shared library, I own eldreng ring, my son does not.

And therefore, the shadow of the erdtree DLC does not work on his account. He tried twice to ask for a refund but each time he has the answer he played too much of the game already. But I think the time displayaed starts from the time he bought the DLC.

So seems steam refuses to refund, and there is nothing we can do about it, right? So, is there a way to have the DLC works even if he does not own the orginal game and play it through my shared library?

If not we will have to buy the original game again for his account, but this is kinda wasted money.

Thanks

[Bankai9212]

Guess it’s one of those quarks when using family share. Simply put, he needs to buy the game on his account. No other option

Edit:Actually thinking about it since he’s using family share you should have activated it on your account that actually has the base game.

[Kim]

Originally posted by harf4ng:

Hi,

Something I wonder, I have read that it should be impossible to buy a DLC if you do not own the original product.

My son bought shadow of the erdtree and activated it on his account, and steam allowed him to do so. But he does not own the original game. He played elden ring through my shared library, I own eldreng ring, my son does not.

And therefore, the shadow of the erdtree DLC does not work on his account. He tried twice to ask for a refund but each time he has the answer he played too much of the game already. But I think the time displayaed starts from the time he bought the DLC.

So seems steam refuses to refund, and there is nothing we can do about it, right? So, is there a way to have the DLC works even if he does not own the orginal game and play it through my shared library?

If not we will have to buy the original game again for his account, but this is kinda wasted money.

Thanks

Hi,

"Who owns and can access the DLC and in-game content associated with a shared title?

A guest will have access to the lender's DLC, but only if the guest doesn't also own the base game. Guests may not purchase DLC for a base game they don't own. Any player may purchase, trade, earn, or otherwise acquire in-game content while playing a game, but in-game items cannot be shared between accounts. These items remain the property of the account that purchased or acquired them, whether borrowing or lending the base game."

source : https://store.steampowered.com/promotion/familysharing?l=english

You can always request a transfer of the DLC from his account to yours (with proof of purchase this may be possible, I don't know)

[dark-breed]

It is not possible to play the dlc without own the basegame.

Your son has ignored 2 warnings that he needs to own the basegame to be able to play.

If he played 2 hours after he purchased the dlc the refund time is over, but basically since he do not own the basegame he can not install the dlc at all what should allow to apply the refund rules since the dlc got not installed.

You should contact the Support with a full explanation that the dlc can not get installed because the basegame is not owned by this Account.

Maybe you can Deal with them by Transfer the dlc to your Account (if you do not own it).

[Bankai9212]

No it’s 2 hours with the base game of elden ring. Since your hours would be tied to that not the dlc. Didn’t realize family share hours counted towards a refund window.

[dark-breed]

Originally posted by Bankai9212:

No it’s 2 hours with the base game of elden ring. Since your hours would be tied to that not the dlc. Didn’t realize family share hours counted towards a refund window.

there are several cases with hundreds hours played the basegame and refund of the DLC, according to the refund rules you can refund a dlc if you did not played 2 hours after owning the dlc or outside the 2 weeks window after purchase.
basically it is actually a problem because it should not be possible to refund this dlc anyway because the char get altered by the dlc and can not get used with the basegame only anymore, i think it depends on which agent work at the refund case if you can refund or not.

this here is a special case, because without owning the basegame you simply can not install the dlc.

[Bankai9212]

Since I never had that issue I can’t really comment, states he tried and they rejected it for that reason. Maybe that changed idk personally. Dlc or not the patches would still be included even if you don’t have the dlc.

[Chillum]

The two hour window or two weeks is for the automatic refund system.

There should be a way to send a message to steam and get a real person. Been awhile since ive done that though.

As a fellow dad I feel for you man, on the bright side if you do buy it for him you two can play together or at the very least he can play while your on other steam games.

[harf4ng]

Originally posted by dark-breed:

Your son has ignored 2 warnings that he needs to own the basegame to be able to play.

My son got absolutely no warning when he bought the DLC. Maybe because as the original game was in his library and installed through family share, steam believed he owns the game.

The problem is, I think steam do not even read the message I send them. The only way to write something to steam is to ask for a reimbursement then say "other issue". But as he went over the 2 hours time, I think a bot answers us without a human to see that.

Is it really possible to ask steam to transfer DLC to my account?

And note he was able to install the DLC. He installed elden ring through family share and it installed the DLC as well. But he cannot use it. A friend of him showed him at login he should have a "shadow of the erdree" information, and he has not.

So he installed the game, the DLC as well, but DLC is not activated it seems...

[Bankai9212]

Wouldn’t say owned, only that he had played the game since steam would see it’s under your name not his. To his point your sim should have realized it’s no under his account.

That said it’s worth asking steam if they can transfer it to your account. As for activation would need to check under properties. Just chalking all of this under the oddity of family share.

[Kennedy]

Tell Valve, the purchase was by accident and if they would transfer the DLC from his account to yours instead. If he didn't buy it in the Steam-Store, they most likely refuse, though.

[Bankai9212]

Anything purchases and activated on steam isn’t viable for a refund.

[harf4ng]

Originally posted by Bankai9212:

Anything purchases and activated on steam isn’t viable for a refund.

Ok but then it should work. So either it should be impossible to activate it if you do not own the original game, or it should work even if you do not own the original game. Letting the user buy it without the original game and then refuse to let it work is not normal...

[harf4ng]

Originally posted by Kennedy:

Tell Valve, the purchase was by accident and if they would transfer the DLC from his account to yours instead. If he didn't buy it in the Steam-Store, they most likely refuse, though.

He bought it on the steam store with a steam card. But twice we asked and twice we got the same answer, like an automatic answer saying the refund is not possible because he played too much of the DLC. Which is wrong, he played elden ring, not the DLC, but steam do not see the difference. I wonder if a human really read our message.
And seems there is no way to contact steam outside this refund system...

[Bankai9212]

Originally posted by harf4ng:

Originally posted by Bankai9212:

Anything purchases and activated on steam isn’t viable for a refund.

Ok but then it should work. So either it should be impossible to activate it if you do not own the original game, or it should work even if you do not own the original game. Letting the user buy it without the original game and then refuse to let it work is not normal...

You can still activate/purchase it, no system would really stop you. Again this is more on how family share functions more then anything.

[Bankai9212]

Originally posted by harf4ng:

Originally posted by Kennedy:

Tell Valve, the purchase was by accident and if they would transfer the DLC from his account to yours instead. If he didn't buy it in the Steam-Store, they most likely refuse, though.

He bought it on the steam store with a steam card. But twice we asked and twice we got the same answer, like an automatic answer saying the refund is not possible because he played too much of the DLC. Which is wrong, he played elden ring, not the DLC, but steam do not see the difference. I wonder if a human really read our message.
And seems there is no way to contact steam outside this refund system...

Yeah sorry to say you aren’t getting any refund. If it was over his or your card you’d have something. Steam cards like any form of gift card is rarely is ever refunded. Most steam could do is give him money via steam funds.

Also again the dlc is part of the main game now. There’s no way measure time in dlc or not there isn’t any achievements for it.