Steam return policy: 2-hours ingame requirement - Get rid of it.

[DooM]

I think it is not obvious that there is a 2 hour limit to the maximum play-time - this is not common practice. If I think of how long people usually spend on playing a demo (or used to do so when it was more common), then this typically exeeded 2 hours by far. In order to judge if a game really brings you enjoyment or frustrates you, you probably simply need a bit more time!

I would suggest - if you at Steam want to keep your 2 hour deadline policy, to introduce a pop-up after 1:50 hours of playtime, that the return deadline timer is about to expire. I mean... at least be fully transparent about it. If you want to, you can add the option to disable this feature.

I think in general, as this is in my view a essential part of good service, you should throw this requirement over board completely. Look at Amazon or any other company that excels in the service department. They even accept all the storage-, shipment-, and supportrelated costs that come with it. On the other hand, you just have to click an accept button and thats it!

Think about it.

Best regards,
Daniel

[Mad Scientist]

Refund system is not to demo games, it's if you don't like it, there's an issue with it even being able to run on your system etc; that you can refund it. 2 Hours is plenty of time within 2 Weeks, to determine if you should refund.

You can watch livestreams, gameplay videos, read reviews in advance to see if you may like it or not.

[Brian9824]

Originally posted by DooM:

I think it is not obvious that there is a 2 hour limit to the maximum play-time - this is not common practice.

It's extremely transparent and equal to or exceeds most other platforms and is very common.

https://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/

Spelled out as clear as day.

If you bought a PC game in a store there are no refunds at all.

Originally posted by DooM:

If I think of how long people usually spend on playing a demo (or used to do so when it was more common), then this typically exeeded 2 hours by far. In order to judge if a game really brings you enjoyment or frustrates you, you probably simply need a bit more time!

Steam refunds are NOT for demoing games as every refund costs steam money.

Originally posted by DooM:

I think in general, as this is in my view a essential part of good service, you should throw this requirement over board completely. Look at Amazon or any other company that excels in the service department. They even accept all the storage-, shipment-, and supportrelated costs that come with it. On the other hand, you just have to click an accept button and thats it!

Think about it.

Best regards,
Daniel

It helps if you actually LOOK at a companies refund policy before trying to claim they are a good example. once used you can't easily get a refund on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=GMZNGRA9B5PCJB5F

[rawWwRrr]

Originally posted by DooM:

Look at Amazon or any other company that excels in the service department.

Direct from Amazon's website:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=GMZNGRA9B5PCJB5F

Items that Can't be Returned
There are some items that you can't return to Amazon.com or can only return to a third-party seller.

Amazon.com doesn't accept returns of the following items:

...

Downloadable software products

[Aachen]

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

....

Items that Can't be Returned
There are some items that you can't return to Amazon.com or can only return to a third-party seller.

Amazon.com doesn't accept returns of the following items:

...

Downloadable software products

Yeah, following Amazon’s lead would seem to be a step backward for users.

[Nx Machina]

Refund policies - Take your pick.

1) Steam - The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime

2) Epic - Games and products are eligible for refund within 14 days of purchase. However, you must have less than 2 hours of runtime on record.

3) Origin - Whichever comes first.

Within 24 hours after you first launch the game.
Within 14 days from the day you bought it, if you have not launched the game.
Within 14 days from the release date if you pre-ordered the game, if you haven't launched it yet.

4) Uplay - You can request a refund for a digital order within 14 days of your purchase, as long as the content has not been launched.

5) Blizzard - The game is newly purchased within the last 3 days. You haven't started the game; if the game has been played at all it won't qualify for a refund.

6) GOG - starting now, you can get a full refund up to 30 days after purchasing a product, even if you downloaded, launched, and played it. That's it. (Open to abuse, they monitor for abuse as do all PC stores).

[Nx Machina]

Why does Steam need to give you a pop up?

Set a countdown timer for 1.5 hours on your phone.

[J4MESOX4D]

People would soon be pissed off if every new game they bought had a countdown timer appear mid-game warning them that their refund window was due to expire.

[nullable]

I don't think OP did a lot of research when he started making claims.

And from there it's garbage in, garbage out.

[Tito Shivan]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Why does Steam need to give you a pop up?

Not trivial either. What if the game is family shared, for example?

[Judgmental Amaterasu]

The refund policy isn't to "demo" games.

[Nx Machina]

Originally posted by Tito Shivan:

Not trivial either. What if the game is family shared, for example?

Good point. Had not thought of it in terms of Family Sharing and it's non relevance to refunds.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Why does Steam need to give you a pop up?

Set a countdown timer for 1.5 hours on your phone.

It would also be extremely disruptive in the middle of a game or a cutscene or something ot get a "HEY ARE YOU SURE YOU DONT WANNA REFUND THIS" popup box for every game imaginable

Like this would be insanely annoying if every game I bought on steam did this

[DooM]

Hi guys. Thanks for your replies so far. Having your posts as reflection of what I wrote, I see where you are coming from and agree to a lot of what you have written.

1) Yes, I was frustrated because my ingame time in Elden Ring was a bit over 4 hours on the day after purchase when I threw my keyboard out of the window (well... almost) and decided that I do not want to play this game anymore. Then I saw the refund policy.

2) Yes, it is transparent as you can find it easily. Also, it useful, if you search for it, before your desire to get a refund comes to existence.

3) Yes, I bought the game without even looking if there is something like a demo. I watches 2 videos and read a couple of reviews/tests. And I agree, its not Valves job to compensate for a (potential) lack of playable demo material.

4) One option when going through the refund process is "was no fun to me". Doesnt this somehow imply that it is okay from Valves point of view to actually try it out then? (But with this defined 2 hour window).

5) When talking about Amazon, from my experience (maybe I was lucky), the service department was always a lot more generous than they had to be. That being said, I did not even wait for the Steam supports reply on my request. In that context,

6) Thanks for the comparison to the other game vending platforms. It seems like Steam is on the more liberal end there! However, I think GOGs policy is the way to go. Yes, it does cost more money to provide customer service for the additional clicks of refunding (and whatever may happen behind the scenes). But I think that it does tell you something about the platform if they trust the users enough to losen the refund requirements a bit. And I appreciate that a lot.

[Overseer]

Reading all these complaints about the refunds i just think that Valve has to be more clear about what it is for and what it is not. But i don't think they should code a reminder for a few people that intend to use games as demos.
I also see a false equivalence in the argument because a demo is not a full version you payed money for. So what you do for how long with one product cannot be taken 1:1 to a different product.
If you want a demo play a demo. And if the game does not offer a demo that is not Valves doing, so go and communicate that to the publisher.
And Amazon is an awful company that behaves very anti-consumer that doesn't even shy away from being anti-competitive on its own platform with products like "Amazon Basics."
Look at DRM-free GOG for example. They guarantee a refund, but require you to make an informed purchase with a focus on technical difficulties that actually prevent you from playing.

[DooM]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Originally posted by Nx Machina:

Why does Steam need to give you a pop up?

Set a countdown timer for 1.5 hours on your phone.

It would also be extremely disruptive in the middle of a game or a cutscene or something ot get a "HEY ARE YOU SURE YOU DONT WANNA REFUND THIS" popup box for every game imaginable

Like this would be insanely annoying if every game I bought on steam did this

Hm yes, I admit it has downsides. A potential soultion would be a checkbox with "do not display this warning in the future". But yeah, in any case, I understand the reason behind your complaint^^