Refund Denial for Games in idle for more than 2 hours

[Nacho Supreme Being]

Pretty miffed about not being able to get a refund for Age of Wonders III:

1. Started the game to make sure it works
2. Had to run errands so left it in idle for more than 2 hours
3. Start one multiplayer game and discover that player actions are frozen during another player's manual combat
4. Immediately request refund so I can get Civ 6 instead
5. Refund denied for more than 2 hours of "playtime"

I mean I get it... but am super annoyed I'm stuck with a game I bought to play with friends, but isn't really designed to BE played with friends. I don't really have any intention of playing it singleplayer and none of my friends feel like waiting 20 minutes in between turns.

[Hodman]

Originally posted by RAID Nacho Supreme:

2. Had to run errands so left it in idle for more than 2 hours

Whose fault is that?

How much time you have in the game?

[Start_Running]

SO. WHat this is about is that you forgot to shut the game off (allegedly), and were away from your computer (allegedly). If you're going to be miffed. Be miffed at yourself for not taking the time to Alt+F4

[Zekiran]

Turn your game off, turn steam off, turn your computer off - in that order. Every time you are going away from your computer.

This is in no way Steam's problem or their fault.

Also:

How would it TELL?

Oh we've seen the suggestions. "It should detect keystroke and mouse activity!"

Do you have any idea how INVASIVE and potentially dangerous THAT is?

How about you learn how to turn off your game and computer, instead, as that's a far more controllable and non-invasive action.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by Hodman:

Originally posted by RAID Nacho Supreme:

2. Had to run errands so left it in idle for more than 2 hours

Whose fault is that?

How much time you have in the game?

Review indicates 5,2 hours.

And yeah, it's amusing that someone leaves the game on themselves and then is "miffed" that they don't get a refund.

[Taebrythn]

yeah 5.2 hrs is a bit longer then 2 hrs. that is your fault. should of turned it off.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

I mean could've just closed the game, or just press Alt + F4.

[Tito Shivan]

Originally posted by RAID Nacho Supreme:

2. Had to run errands so left it in idle for more than 2 hours

Unfortunately leaving the game idle for 2 hours and fully playing for 2 hours look the same from Steam's side.

[Getty]

I hope you learned a lesson today about how playtimes work on any platform

[eram]

A lot of users are in refund denial.

[aiusepsi]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

How would it TELL?

Oh we've seen the suggestions. "It should detect keystroke and mouse activity!"

Do you have any idea how INVASIVE and potentially dangerous THAT is?

Here's a fun experiment for you: leave your computer alone for a while, and notice that on Steam chat, your status will change to "Away" with some little "zzz" markings. It can do that because Steam already has the ability to check if you're actively using your computer, and it literally always has. Somehow, the sky has not yet fallen in.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by aiusepsi:

Originally posted by Zekiran:

How would it TELL?

Oh we've seen the suggestions. "It should detect keystroke and mouse activity!"

Do you have any idea how INVASIVE and potentially dangerous THAT is?

Here's a fun experiment for you: leave your computer alone for a while, and notice that on Steam chat, your status will change to "Away" with some little "zzz" markings. It can do that because Steam already has the ability to check if you're actively using your computer, and it literally always has. Somehow, the sky has not yet fallen in.

I've also noticed it putting a "zzz" marking even though I was actively using the computer. But apparently because I had Steam minimised and it didn't have front focus, it threw the away markings on it.

Difference is also that almost all games on Steam are not made by Valve, it doesn't have access to the code and it cannot determine whether a person who doesn't provide input in the game is actually away running errands. Quite some games can have periods that you don't do active things and people have the game on a second monitor while doing other things. Heck, some genres are even created around it.

[Drab]

Originally posted by RAID Nacho Supreme:

Pretty miffed about not being able to get a refund for Age of Wonders III:

1. Started the game to make sure it works
2. Had to run errands so left it in idle for more than 2 hours
3. Start one multiplayer game and discover that player actions are frozen during another player's manual combat
4. Immediately request refund so I can get Civ 6 instead
5. Refund denied for more than 2 hours of "playtime"

I mean I get it... but am super annoyed I'm stuck with a game I bought to play with friends, but isn't really designed to BE played with friends. I don't really have any intention of playing it singleplayer and none of my friends feel like waiting 20 minutes in between turns.

Refund requests are automatically denied if over the limits. Here's how to request a refund when you are over the limits.

Log in to the Steam client - click on help at the top of the screen - click on Steam Support - click on 'Purchases' - click on the game - "I have a question about this purchase" - explain the issue politely.

Don't play the game at all until you have received an answer.

Asking for the refund to go to your wallet seems to help.

[mac-fly]

I have the very same issue. However, I don't even see the option to explain the issue as stated above.

I clicked through all options I have and they always either end in "contact the support of the developer" or "request refund" - the latter is denied, of course.

Running in cicles here but its absolutely annoying.

Better not buy at Steam is my lessons learnt...

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by mac-fly:

I have the very same issue. However, I don't even see the option to explain the issue as stated above.

I clicked through all options I have and they always either end in "contact the support of the developer" or "request refund" - the latter is denied, of course.

Running in cicles here but its absolutely annoying.

Better not buy at Steam is my lessons learnt...

From your thread the issue is not the same. You have played the basegame for 84 hours before trying to refund a piece of DLC.

[mac-fly]

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:

From your thread the issue is not the same. You have played the basegame for 84 hours before trying to refund a piece of DLC.

Maybe not exactly the same, but similar. I bought he DLC and found out immediately that its not working. So the time between buying and requesting refund is < 84 hours. It is as simple as that. I bought the main game 1,5 years ago and in total (!) played it 84 hours over the time... I am not such a great gamer... so what?

However: The situation is simply absurd and wrong and should seriously be fixed. It would be best to contact a lawyer and force Steam to remove that clause. At least in my country I am pretty sure its not legal anyway...

But what the heck? I simply don't buy here anymore. Companies that treat customers like that will not get any money from me. Period. I have enough alternatives...

Just wanted to warn others before they step into the same trap.