Steam's refund window is ridiculously short - beware buying thinking you can get one.

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Scout6 Mar 29, 2020 @ 9:36am

I recently tried to get a refund for a game I owned for two days. I didn't even ask for money back, just refund to my Steam wallet. Too bad, they said. You played longer than two hours.

First of all, I finished a mission and then went off to do RL stuff for several hours...maybe as long as 5 or 6 hours. Apparently, since I didn't exit the game, that counted as "play" time.

Second, TWO HOURS? REALLY?

Anybody knows you can play a game more than that almost by accident, just trying to figure out game mechanics, etc. without even realizing it.

So don't count on Steam's so-called "refund" policy to save you from a crap game or a game you just don't like unless you set a timer for, say, 1 hour and 50 minutes when you start playing and EXIT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE GAME so it doesn't pretend you're playing when you're not even in the room.

I'm pretty sure Steam is aware of what they're doing here and they show ZERO empathy for the problem when you try to reason with them, so just FYI.

I'm not saying Steam sucks, or don't buy anything, just realize the refund opportunity is pretty much a joke.

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Showing 1-15 of 40 comments

cSg|mc-Hotsauce Mar 29, 2020 @ 9:37am

Again? https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/10/1489992080504543343/

Aachen Mar 29, 2020 @ 9:39am

You left the game running. Why shift the blame?

wuddih Mar 29, 2020 @ 9:41am

good luck buying your games elsewhere in the future.

Last edited by wuddih; Mar 29, 2020 @ 9:41am

Nx Machina Mar 29, 2020 @ 9:42am

Game playtime = Game.exe running > Not a Steam problem.

rawWwRrr Mar 29, 2020 @ 9:50am

Originally posted by Scout6:
Apparently, since I didn't exit the game, that counted as "play" time.

Correct. There's no one from Steam sitting at your computer to see you actually playing the game or not while it's running. Unless you want to allow Steam unprecedented levels of spying on your computer, they have no choice but to assume that if you are running the program then you are playing it.

Originally posted by Scout6:
So don't count on Steam's so-called "refund" policy to save you from a crap game or a game you just don't like unless you set a timer for, say, 1 hour and 50 minutes when you start playing and EXIT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE GAME so it doesn't pretend you're playing when you're not even in the room.

Again, if the engine in your car is running there is an assumption that it's being used even if it's not in gear and moving around. How much you actually decide to play the game doesn't negate your use of it while it's running.

Originally posted by Scout6:
I'm not saying Steam sucks, or don't buy anything, just realize the refund opportunity is pretty much a joke.

The fact that one exists in the first place is a testament to Steam more than you realize.

Yasahi Mar 29, 2020 @ 9:57am

So you posted about pretty much the same situation almost three years ago and did not learn anything back then?

Crazy Tiger Mar 29, 2020 @ 10:11am

Originally posted by Scout6:
EXIT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE GAME

What idiot doesn't completely exit out of a game when they stop playing and want to ask a refund?

J4MESOX4D Mar 29, 2020 @ 10:15am

Mark your calendars people; in 2023 the OP will make another thread about this again

Blargo Mar 29, 2020 @ 10:22am

Congratulations, this thread got me to literally eye-roll.
Well done.

Brian9824 Mar 29, 2020 @ 10:24am

Not to mention before steam and other sites offered a refund as soon as you opened a boxed PC game you couldn't get a refund at all.

#10

Fumbles Mar 29, 2020 @ 10:44am

I disagree, two hours is plenty. It gives enough time to test the combat, performance and overall optimization.

I've played plenty of games that I've finished in two hours or less, so increasing the time limit would severely hurt indie developers, as people would exploit the increased time limit to finish games and refund them.

Personally, I've never had the issue of leaving a game running, surpassing the two hour refund window, and I've refunded plenty of games.

#11

Drox Mar 29, 2020 @ 11:25am

You learned your lesson for a second time it seems. Two hours is plenty of time to figure out if you want a refund on most games, it should have been the first thing you did after closing the game if it was a big issue. Instead you chose not to refund and kept the game open. Pretty much your own fault.

#12