Valve refuses to make good on return item

[kiddvid360]

So I bought a oled steam deck and requested a refund on the device. It was approved however I was told I had to arrange shipment back. I did via UPS which guess what happened….UPS made one attempt at a return in Salt Lake City, then subsequently lost the package. Now, because for whatever reason Valve decided I had to arrange shipping rather than the usual valve supplying a return label, valve refuses to help in any way. Now I’m out both the steam deck and the $588 I spent on the unit. Thanks Valve!

[Haruspex]

What are you doing getting upset at Valve for? They didn't lose your package. Don't waste time complaining about it here. File a claim with UPS.

I am curious about Valve requiring you to pay for your own shipping though. That's not typical, based on the other return or RMA requests I've read about. Do you live outside the US? Are you technically outside of the return policy and Valve is offering you a return anyway as a "one time courtesy"? Did you purchase that Deck via a third party?

I'm also curious about your account. Two years old, barely own a dozen games, profile isn't fully set up, zero friends history, zero forum posting history, yet you spent hundreds on a Steam specific piece of hardware? I mean, it's certainly possible but something just seems off about the situation.

[kiddvid360]

I’m upset because they made me pay to ship it back and now I’m screwed.

[kiddvid360]

We don’t all need to be level 63 to be treated fairly

[Haruspex]

Originally posted by kiddvid360:

We don’t all need to be level 63 to be treated fairly

Oh sure, absolutely. I'm mainly trying to get around your "screw Valve" sentiment to understand your situation better since you haven't provided much in the way of details and there's an extreme lack of context. Unless of course you aren't interested in details or finding solutions and just want to vent your frustrations, in which case have at it.

[kiddvid360]

So further I guess my whole issue is the difference between taking care of a customer and washing your hands of a customer is who paid the $19.17 to ship the steam deck back. They have the tracking and see all the packages specifics, shape, weight where it was going which was the valve return center in Utah. They see where an attempt to deliver was made and they see where UPS lost it. Like, what else would I be trying to ship back to them? A box of rocks? How would that help me if delivery was actually made and not lost? So if valve paid for the label instead of me, what would the solution be? That’s what’s sticking in my craw to use an old phrase. I guess it’s the refusal to assist in any fashion or helpful solution when they approved the return only I paid for the label.

[Haruspex]

Right. So how long ago did the package arrive in SLC according to the tracking? Have you filed a claim with UPS?[www.ups.com] How do you know it's genuinely lost and not merely delayed? Has the estimated day of delivery come and gone?

I ordered an electric weed trimmer last week. Last tracking information in Salt Lake said the package was delayed and they pushed the estimated date of delivery ahead by a week. It was delivered to my house the very next day.

[RedBaronK™]

Was it out of warranty? Why didn't they pay for the label?

Even if they did pay for the label, it's on UPS to deliver it right. If the package shows being received by valve, signed for and then it's lost, then it's on valve since it was lost in their care... If it never made it to valve, then it's on UPS. It sucks, but that's the way it's viewed.

[kiddvid360]

Right and ups will give $100 in your claim of $588.

[kiddvid360]

I asked for a return not long after the window closed in March. It’s an oled so those haven’t been out long I maybe had it 45 days. So is that why I had to pay for the label? I didn’t question it because I could just ship it from my work and was happy to get the return. But now I wish they’d not approved the return. At least I’d have the deck

[Haruspex]

Originally posted by kiddvid360:

Right and ups will give $100 in your claim of $588.

Not before they investigate where your package went first. There's a lot of steps you're skipping here, and you still haven't answered half of our questions.

Originally posted by kiddvid360:

I asked for a return not long after the window closed in March. It’s an oled so those haven’t been out long I maybe had it 45 days. So is that why I had to pay for the label?

That makes a little more sense. The hardware return policy is still 14 days from delivery, same as a game, so it sounds like they made an exception and are doing it as a "one time courtesy", hence why you had to pay for your own shipping.

Originally posted by kiddvid360:

I didn’t question it because I could just ship it from my work and was happy to get the return. But now I wish they’d not approved the return. At least I’d have the deck

Valve was doing you a favor, and UPS is screwing up. How long ago did you ship it, and what was the estimated date of delivery?

[kiddvid360]

That’s pretty much all I got. I bought it. New to steam in general. Bought some games for it. I’m an old so it wasn’t super easy for me to use and my eyes are old. But I thought my son and I could play something together. He likes his. Didn’t use it much. Asked to return it once I finally found out where I go to request a return. It was after their date they said but if I paid for the label they would refund me. Shipped it. UPS lost it. I filed a claim with ups after valve said they can’t help me. UPS looked into it. I sent them my valve receipt. My valve rma form. My drop off receipt. I had everything. UPS researched it and sent me a check for $119.17. UPS was nice enough to refund my shipping. What half of your questions am I leaving out??

[kiddvid360]

“ Hello,
The shipment was not successfully delivered at our repair center and we can, as mentioned before and unfortunately not help with shipments that we did not arrange. You will have to keep working with the carrier directly.
I'm sorry that we canto assist further and since we have provided all available information, I will close this ticket at this point. Should you have an unrelated question or more information regarding your return, feel free to open a new help request.
Steam Support
Felix”

Like I said. Who pays for the $19.17 label makes all the difference.

[Haruspex]

Sounds like it's been a while then, and it's just a crappy situation in general. Condolences.

As for Valve "making it right". That would be nice for you, sure, but ask yourself if you sold something on the Internet for $500 for example. The buyer wants to return it. He ships it back to you, and you get the tracking information, but the returned item never arrives. Are you just going to give that person $500 for his trouble, and now you're out that thing you sold and half a grand?

Maybe you would, in which case that would be nice of you, but should you be expected to?

Considering the shipping was on you and you were sending out an item worth hundreds of dollars, it might have been prudent to have spent the additional $8.70 for insurance. But hindsight is 20/20 and it's a little late for that now, unfortunately.

[ugafan]

UPS will cover $100 on every package free of charge. But if you're mailing something more expensive, you have to declare the value and pay extra when you mail it. If you don't do that, you'd only be covered up to $100.

This situation really sucks and I feel bad for you, but it's the fault of UPS for losing the package, not Valve. If Valve could have done anything better, they should encourage customers to declare the value and pay for the extra coverage whenever they send back a Steam Deck.

[kiddvid360]

I understood that insurance to cover I didn’t pack something right and it broke when it got there or it got stolen off the porch of where I sent it yes, that I get but UPS itself actually losing the package. Like they lost it and their only liable for $100? Like I need to pay extra to do the basic thing my $19.17 was supposed to cover?

I guess what I didn’t expect was for vale to so easily and quickly without compassion just say “not our problem….now if you have anything else”. Like maybe hey we know some ups contacts let’s see what we can do to get this tracked down or hey we’ll help somehow because we are reasonable people who allowed this return and won’t let the fact you paid for the label not us stop us from getting this right for you because you the customer is important and being out $500 can be a real loss for you.