Accidentally applied Retail Key of a game i already have

[senz]

So i accidentally applied the retail key of a game i already have in the library, originally i wanted to apply another key but brainfart. so i asked valve to unlink the key and they closed the ticket without comment.

Now, i think the client should warn you if you are about to apply a retail key of a game you already have in the library, or flatout not accept it. Now im stuck with it being linked to my account, having wasted the money, and the original plan was to give this key to a friend so we can play the game in questions together in MP (Stellaris).

Anyone an idea how i can get Steam to help me?

[Ogami]

You cant add a game you already own. You will get a message " The product associated with this key is already in your library".
That will NOT use up the key. Its still valid.

It only redeems the key if you own a version of the game that is missing something in comparsion to the new key, for example if you own the normal version of the game and you activate the GOTY edition with DLC. Then those DLC get added and the key is no longer valid.
But in that case the message after using the key is " activation succesful! " with the name of the game.

[senz]

that makes sense, but its actually the other way around. i preordered the collectors edition before it came out on steam and now applied the normal retail key.

and the key is definately linked to my account now, i see that when i go to the refund option, which obviously wont work with retail keys.

[Ogami]

Hmm, that should not be possible unless the Standard version contains something that is missing in the Collectors edition.

[shiel]

İlk olarak Ogami tarafından gönderildi:

Hmm, that should not be possible unless the Standard version contains something that is missing in the Collectors edition.

Preorder bonus by chance...

[ReBoot]

İlk olarak Ogami tarafından gönderildi:

Hmm, that should not be possible unless the Standard version contains something that is missing in the Collectors edition.

It is possible, had the same happening to me. Not that I cared about that key, but it is possible.

Anyway, a redeemed CD key is burnt. Don't know if asking Steam support will help, but you can try.

[senz]

the key was this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013G4R504?ref_=pe_1871410_140945350 - and i already had the pre-order nova edition in my library, the key certainly did not bring anything i didnt already have.

[sHR00m]

lol? Granted, those technically are different licenses but one would expect that a support ticket should solve this problem. Just closing it without even given an answer seems unacceptable imho.

[senz]

well i opened another ticket, maybe this time they at least give an answer, the last ticket i could tell they didnt even look at it. I also opened a ticket with Amazon, even though they dont refund retail keys either, but one of these two companies needs to do the right thing here. This key did not give me anything. The Steam client shouldnt even have allowed me to redeem it.

[Forcen]

You say made a mistake and that they should probably make that more clear and you are probably right.

In the end they won't remove the key from your account, no need to contact them since they already answered your question.

If you want them to change how stuff works make a thread in the suggestion forum.

You can check what licenses you own here: https://store.steampowered.com/account/licenses/
Check if you have two stellaris there and what their names are.

[senz]

They actually did not answer anything. I wasnt able to open a ticket for refunding the retail key, so i opened it for the pre-order licence, since i bought that a while ago they just closed the ticket with it being obvious they did not read my notes in the ticket.

[Forcen]

And you found the right license now? one of these? https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithGame?text=stellaris

Still, even if they read it they won't remove the key. They won't fix your mistake, sorry.

[senz]

I obviously did, read what i wrote a few posts before.
Its as much my mistake as its theirs, the client should never have acccepted the key.

You a Valve spokesman? Raising issues like these is how you change policy by the way. You agree that the Steam client shouldnt have safeguards for scenarios like these? Considering that im not the first person this happened too.

[Forcen]

İlk olarak senz tarafından gönderildi:

Its as much my mistake as its theirs, the client should never have acccepted the key.

This is why I asked you to check the license link to see if you have two different licenses for the game. Maybe the new one had some dlc you didn't own and that would make it a reason for the key to work.

If you added that key and got nothing that you didn't own before then it should not have accepted it and a ticket might be good.

I'm just curious if there is some difference between the stellaris you had before and the one you have now, if you post the name of the two things then we would know.

I agree that they should have some warning, I'm just saying that they are more likely to see your opinion in the suggestion forum.

[senz]

The Retail Key was the plain retail version, i posted the amazon link from where i got it further up. Whereass i had a pre-order more expensive version with all kinds of goodies. The key definately did not give me a single thing.

I posted in here because this forum sees the most traffic, so that it at least can serve as a warning to another user. Im told this issue is old and well known, Valve just doesnt do anything about it. Its just one of these things that just should not happen in the first place, Steam is, what, 13 years old? Why in all these years no one bothered to code a sanity check in is beyond me. Maybe because they dont get a cut from retail keys?

I work in IT myself for 20+ years, so i know things sometimes just fall under the cracks, but this is mature, polished software were dealing with here. That is the reason im posting here, to raise awareness. I can afford to loose the money, others might not. And really, its about the principle.

As soon i get an answer in my ticket i will post it here, unless there is some rule im not aware off that forbids doing that. (I know MMORPG's tend to have such policies)

[BossGalaga]

İlk olarak sHR00m tarafından gönderildi:

lol? Granted, those technically are different licenses but one would expect that a support ticket should solve this problem. Just closing it without even given an answer seems unacceptable imho.

Steam cannot refund you for a key that you purchased from Amazon in the same way that McDonalds will not give you a refund for a burger that you got at Burger King.