are second hand decks worthless?

[-= Old-Man =-]

is there a way to transfer ownership or serial number to a new owner?
if not once you've brought it you can not sell it as it will always be linked to one account

[WarnerCK]

Why do you believe they're tied to a particular account? They aren't. It's just a computer that you've bought from Valve.

[LeviathanWon]

So you can't re-image and sell it on the re-sell market? It's always tied to one account?

[-= Old-Man =-]

because when you earn rewards it will not let you have them as the deck is registered to someone else's account and steam says you have to ask the previous owner to transfer the point but the deck is still registered to someone else

[blabbedyblah]

I bought a second hand one. No steam deck reward but they're useless anyway aren't they. Otherwise I reimaged and connected to my steam account.

[-= Old-Man =-]

Originally posted by WarnerCK:

Why do you believe they're tied to a particular account? They aren't. It's just a computer that you've bought from Valve.

the decks serial number is automatically registered to the account that purchases it from valve

[-= Old-Man =-]

Originally posted by blabbedyblah:

I bought a second hand one. No steam deck reward but they're useless anyway aren't they. Otherwise I reimaged and connected to my steam account.

i get that but it would be nice if it was linked to the account that now owns it at not someone else and even though the points are worthless they are still yours lol
ive also read that you can not send it to valve for repairs if its not linked to you account so according to valve your not the owner

[-= Old-Man =-]

Originally posted by LeviathanWon:

So you can't re-image and sell it on the re-sell market? It's always tied to one account?

this is what im trying to find out i have asked steam and all they said was ask the previous owner to transfer the points but i don't want the points i want the serial number linked to my account and not some one else's so im the legal owner because if not whats to stop the previous owner reporting it stolen for insurance claims like with phones

[LeviathanWon]

Should we get a GPS, a crypto-matic bio sensor that is paired with your eye retina... So you will always have steam, the government you want to store the information with value valve... your own personal bank account that is always yours, your identity spread and protected across all nations of the world, STEAM DECK IS YOURS, you are now part of the machine for now and FOREVER, IT WILL GROW WITHIN YOUR THE CELLS IN YOUR BODY, a part of it...

Who cares man?

[LeviathanWon]

Yeah I own five of them... I have the limited edition encased in a gold framed box... Right next to my most prized stuff.

[LeviathanWon]

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

Originally posted by LeviathanWon:

Yeah I own five of them... I have the limited edition encased in a gold framed box...

sure you do

I have access to my own personal Steam cellular internet service provided ( still in beta alpha stage ), I get it 10 bucks a month... it blocks everything out but Steam, I log in everyday just to have these fun conversations about how all of us are constantly getting robbed everyday, but you concerns yourself with these little toys that will always have a re-sale market, cause it just fills up landfills when the next one comes out.... stop crying.

[LeviathanWon]

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

Originally posted by LeviathanWon:

I have access to my own personal Steam cellular internet service provided ( still in beta alpha stage ), I get it 10 bucks a month... it blocks everything out but Steam, I log in everyday just to have these fun conversations about how all of us are constantly getting robbed everyday, but you concerns yourself with these little toys that will always have a re-sale market, cause it just fills up landfills when the next one comes on.... stop crying.

sure you do sweetheart sounds like your the one crying though pmsl

There is lots of things you could be doing, going to play a game or watch youtube on stuff that is overpriced junk that TSMC is pushing out.... trusted trusted mod platform for the new anti cheat, nucular powered GPU. Go do something with your life.

[WarnerCK]

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

Originally posted by WarnerCK:

Why do you believe they're tied to a particular account? They aren't. It's just a computer that you've bought from Valve.

the decks serial number is automatically registered to the account that purchases it from valve

Of course it is. That account bought a Deck, and they record which Deck they sent out in response (which is useful should the Deck be stolen instead of delivered). That account also gets a big chunk of (worthless) Steam points for making a big purchase on Steam.

The rewards (keyboard themes and suchlike) go to the Steam account that first claims them on a particular Deck. There's no reason that that has to be the same account that bought the Deck.

None of that means that the Deck is tied to any account. It's yours: do what you want with it.

If someone sells you a second-hand Deck and then reports it stolen to mess with you (which I guess is what you're concerned about?), that's just common-or-garden fraud. Nothing to do with the Deck itself.

[Haruspex]

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

is there a way to transfer ownership or serial number to a new owner?
if not once you've brought it you can not sell it as it will always be linked to one account

It's just another PC. You can reimage it and someone else can log in with their own account with no problems.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

because when you earn rewards it will not let you have them as the deck is registered to someone else's account and steam says you have to ask the previous owner to transfer the point but the deck is still registered to someone else

What, you mean the neon-looking profile picture and background? Yes, that's only redeemable once per Deck, but I think most people place the value of the Deck on the Deck itself, not on the digital tchotchkes it comes with.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

the decks serial number is automatically registered to the account that purchases it from valve

Just for the purposes of redeeming the profile stuff that I previously mentioned don't matter. You can still activate it on a different account.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

ive also read that you can not send it to valve for repairs if its not linked to you account so according to valve your not the owner

Valve doesn't check to make sure it's attached to the same account that originally bought it. They check to make sure it's still within warranty. As long as it's less than a year old, you can still send a 2nd hand Deck in for RMA services as long as you're in a region that is serviced. Earlier this year I got a good deal on a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop, and it's technically still within warranty, but since it was originally purchased in Singapore and I'm in the US, I couldn't send it out for repair if I wanted to. Something to consider if you're outside the service area.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

this is what im trying to find out i have asked steam and all they said was ask the previous owner to transfer the points but i don't want the points i want the serial number linked to my account and not some one else's so im the legal owner because if not whats to stop the previous owner reporting it stolen for insurance claims like with phones

If you have physical possession of the Deck and you didn't steal it, you are the legal owner. This is the same as with any other piece of hardware. What's to stop the original purchasers of a laptop, or a smartphone, or an Xbox from reporting it as stolen after they sell it to you? Nothing, really, except for the potential for a civil fraud case to be brought against them. Same with the Deck.

It sounds to me like you're giving yourself unhelpful anxiety over imagining an unlikely scenario that's not exclusive to the Steam Deck. If you don't feel like you can trust the person you're buying the Deck from not to screw you over, don't buy it from them.

[LeviathanWon]

Originally posted by Haruspex:

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

is there a way to transfer ownership or serial number to a new owner?
if not once you've brought it you can not sell it as it will always be linked to one account

It's just another PC. You can reimage it and someone else can log in with their own account with no problems.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

because when you earn rewards it will not let you have them as the deck is registered to someone else's account and steam says you have to ask the previous owner to transfer the point but the deck is still registered to someone else

What, you mean the neon-looking profile picture and background? Yes, that's only redeemable once per Deck, but I think most people place the value of the Deck on the Deck itself, not on the digital tchotchkes it comes with.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

the decks serial number is automatically registered to the account that purchases it from valve

Just for the purposes of redeeming the profile stuff that I previously mentioned don't matter. You can still activate it on a different account.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

ive also read that you can not send it to valve for repairs if its not linked to you account so according to valve your not the owner

Valve doesn't check to make sure it's attached to the same account that originally bought it. They check to make sure it's still within warranty. As long as it's less than a year old, you can still send a 2nd hand Deck in for RMA services as long as you're in a region that is serviced. Earlier this year I got a good deal on a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop, and it's technically still within warranty, but since it was originally purchased in Singapore and I'm in the US, I couldn't send it out for repair if I wanted to. Something to consider if you're outside the service area.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

this is what im trying to find out i have asked steam and all they said was ask the previous owner to transfer the points but i don't want the points i want the serial number linked to my account and not some one else's so im the legal owner because if not whats to stop the previous owner reporting it stolen for insurance claims like with phones

If you have physical possession of the Deck and you didn't steal it, you are the legal owner. This is the same as with any other piece of hardware. What's to stop the original purchasers of a laptop, or a smartphone, or an Xbox from reporting it as stolen after they sell it to you? Nothing, really, except for the potential for a civil fraud case to be brought against them. Same with the Deck.

It sounds to me like you're giving yourself unhelpful anxiety over imagining an unlikely scenario that's not exclusive to the Steam Deck. If you don't feel like you can trust the person you're buying the Deck from not to screw you over, don't buy it from them.

Select this answer and get on with your life.

[-= Old-Man =-]

Originally posted by WarnerCK:

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

the decks serial number is automatically registered to the account that purchases it from valve

Of course it is. That account bought a Deck, and they record which Deck they sent out in response (which is useful should the Deck be stolen instead of delivered). That account also gets a big chunk of (worthless) Steam points for making a big purchase on Steam.

The rewards (keyboard themes and suchlike) go to the Steam account that first claims them on a particular Deck. There's no reason that that has to be the same account that bought the Deck.

None of that means that the Deck is tied to any account. It's yours: do what you want with it.

If someone sells you a second-hand Deck and then reports it stolen to mess with you (which I guess is what you're concerned about?), that's just common-or-garden fraud. Nothing to do with the Deck itself.

so you dont think it can be locked out

Originally posted by Haruspex:

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

is there a way to transfer ownership or serial number to a new owner?
if not once you've brought it you can not sell it as it will always be linked to one account

It's just another PC. You can reimage it and someone else can log in with their own account with no problems.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

because when you earn rewards it will not let you have them as the deck is registered to someone else's account and steam says you have to ask the previous owner to transfer the point but the deck is still registered to someone else

What, you mean the neon-looking profile picture and background? Yes, that's only redeemable once per Deck, but I think most people place the value of the Deck on the Deck itself, not on the digital tchotchkes it comes with.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

the decks serial number is automatically registered to the account that purchases it from valve

Just for the purposes of redeeming the profile stuff that I previously mentioned don't matter. You can still activate it on a different account.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

ive also read that you can not send it to valve for repairs if its not linked to you account so according to valve your not the owner

Valve doesn't check to make sure it's attached to the same account that originally bought it. They check to make sure it's still within warranty. As long as it's less than a year old, you can still send a 2nd hand Deck in for RMA services as long as you're in a region that is serviced. Earlier this year I got a good deal on a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop, and it's technically still within warranty, but since it was originally purchased in Singapore and I'm in the US, I couldn't send it out for repair if I wanted to. Something to consider if you're outside the service area.

Originally posted by -= Old-Man =-:

this is what im trying to find out i have asked steam and all they said was ask the previous owner to transfer the points but i don't want the points i want the serial number linked to my account and not some one else's so im the legal owner because if not whats to stop the previous owner reporting it stolen for insurance claims like with phones

If you have physical possession of the Deck and you didn't steal it, you are the legal owner. This is the same as with any other piece of hardware. What's to stop the original purchasers of a laptop, or a smartphone, or an Xbox from reporting it as stolen after they sell it to you? Nothing, really, except for the potential for a civil fraud case to be brought against them. Same with the Deck.

It sounds to me like you're giving yourself unhelpful anxiety over imagining an unlikely scenario that's not exclusive to the Steam Deck. If you don't feel like you can trust the person you're buying the Deck from not to screw you over, don't buy it from them.

thank you all for this i was just concerned after reading on reddit and wanted to confirm this as i dont want to spend money and get stung as its happened to me before with an iphone from ebay if all it is is reward points and i cant get locked out in like a months time im all good just new to all this lol

and thanks for the advice i do actually suffer from anxiety so you have helped and its appreciated so thank you