Account locked, Consumer Rights Act refund (UK)

[🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷]

Just as a word of caution. Steam refused my request for a refund on a defective game, I'd tried for more than 2 hours, it crashed regularly, I thought I could live with it, turns out I couldn't.

I asked for a refund, Steam's rep basically said "no, our policy says ..."

Anyway, refund is a right for defective products under UK law. So, I requested a refund from PayPal.

PayPal acceded, according with their own policies, now Steam are trying to punish me by restricting my account (for 4 weeks). This must be unlawful action on Steam's behalf - it's extremely customer hostile in any case.

The money involved is very small, but I feel strongly that selling games you know are defective (many comments doing after the fact referencing the same/similar bug) and then refusing to adhere to the law on refunds should be punished quite harshly.

Anyone else has a similar situation (preferably in the UK) and investigated the potential legal redress?

[🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷]

Ursprungligen skrivet av eram:

the product wasnt defective

It wasn't of satisfactory quality or fit for purpose and those are the measures for a refund under the UK CRA.

[Brian9824]

OP will be in for a rude awakening at the end of those 4 weeks when he realizes his account is permanently banned.....

[🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷]

Ursprungligen skrivet av brian9824:

steam is also allowed to ban your account which is what they initiated.

I'm almost certain Steam isn't allow to ban take away my other games in retaliation for getting my money back on that entirely separate purchase when they failed to uphold my rights under the CRA. But I'd be interested to read any caselaw that you feel says otherwise.

[Mad Scientist]

Ursprungligen skrivet av 🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷:

If you read the Paypal rules then refusing a refund on defective goods is a reason for chargeback

The product isn't defective. Paypal can also terminate your account for abuse, especially when you agreed to the contract between yourself and another party.

Ursprungligen skrivet av 🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷:

and gave them time to make good (built in to the Paypal
process).

By "make good" you mean do what you strictly want, and being quick about it during a high volume time that is a Steam Sale which only recently ended. All you had to do was make a manual ticket, but your time is far past 2 hours, and you clearly have an issue with your PC, not the game.

Ursprungligen skrivet av 🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷:

I returned the game (removed it from my account).

Except that's moreover an "Advanced hide", you still have a license and can recover it; meaning you stole from Steam when you didn't like the outcome, so they reacted accordingly.

Ursprungligen skrivet av 🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷:

UK consumer laws are quite strong, a lot stronger than many people realise. I don't think Steam should be allowed to behave as if those laws don't apply -- it's a small amount of money, but the principle is that when I buy something I expect it to work as advertised and if it doesn't then I expect, as the law says, that the seller will make good.

You have no defective product; 30 minutes implies a system issue not a game issue. Therefore, you abused PayPals service to break a contract with Steam in which you waive certain rights, legally so, upon beginning a download let alone the purchase. "Defective" also implies no one can play it or everyone has the issue; the amount of people playing it with no issue, shows there's no mass-defect.

Additionally as stated; 30+ minutes when an issue replicates, indicates a system issue from unstable overclock, pulling too much power/overheating the psu, or overheating another component. You clearly didn't even attempt to resolve the issue; you kept trying to play (based upon your review), thus showing that your entire bit is in very bad faith, since you didn't try to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.

Did you try the Devs support?
Did you try asking the people in the Hardware & OS section about your replicating crashes within a specific time frame?

It appears by the review, that you only went for the review than fixing your systems issue; so again - No defect. Which moreover would apply to Physical goods, and is much harder to prove with digital goods, though the information provided shows a no-defect for the game.

https://steamcommunity.com/id/pbhj/recommended/220240/

Ursprungligen skrivet av 🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷:

Ursprungligen skrivet av brian9824:

steam is also allowed to ban your account which is what they initiated.

I'm almost certain Steam isn't allow to ban take away my other games in retaliation for getting my money back on that entirely separate purchase when they failed to uphold my rights under the CRA. But I'd be interested to read any caselaw that you feel says otherwise.

They can lock your entire account, any and all punishments accordingly, for breaking the agreement between them and you. Please do not try to e-law here, you did wrong, you got caught, and they may punish you within their rights in the agreement, which includes locking your account making it essentially banned.

[Brian9824]

Ursprungligen skrivet av 🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷:

Ursprungligen skrivet av brian9824:

steam is also allowed to ban your account which is what they initiated.

I'm almost certain Steam isn't allow to ban take away my other games in retaliation for getting my money back on that entirely separate purchase when they failed to uphold my rights under the CRA. But I'd be interested to read any caselaw that you feel says otherwise.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/777p6m/consequences_of_chargeback/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/1qxxtl/my_account_locked_over_chargebacks_need_help_with/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/7g9wx0/what_happens_if_i_chargeback_a_purchase/
etc

It happens all the time and its legal. You agreed to the steam terms and a chargeback against steam because they wouldn't give you a refund under the rules you agreed to is in violation of their laws. You didn't just get your money back, a chargeback initiates a large financial penalty which can be several hundred dollars on Steam and there are repercussions.

Your account will be permanently banned at the end of those 4 weeks and you will be unable to remove it at that point. You have until then to reverse it if you want to keep your account active.

Believe what you will and feel free to sue them if you think your breaking the law but that isn't changing anything.

[Ganger]

Ursprungligen skrivet av 🇮 🇻 🇴 🇷:

I'm almost certain Steam isn't allow to ban take away my other games in retaliation for getting my money back on that entirely separate purchase when they failed to uphold my rights under the CRA. But I'd be interested to read any caselaw that you feel says otherwise.

Im sure back in the day valve did lock your account completely but this changed many years back. If I stand correct, now you just won't be able to add games, use your payment card, trade or add CD keys (not sure what else).