Adding my son to my steam friends so I can buy him games should not be hard......

[mayviir]

Hello, forgive me I am little frustrated having to reach out to the community for assistance instead of to steam directly.

Anyway, My son got a computer and downloaded steam. I have been a steam customer for forever, spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the years. All I want to do is buy him games so we can play together. I do not want to apply my payment info to his account.

It is so frustrated that I cant add him to my friends, but not being able to get in touch with Steam directly to do it for me is ridiculous.

[B-o-B]

This will explain why
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3330-IAGK-7663&l=

[Winged One]

and why can't you add him? you aren't providing a whole lot of info here..


if you can't find him (as it can take a bit after accounts are created before they show up on the user search), copy down his profile URL (you will see it when he looks at his profile on his PC), and input it on yours.. you will be brought to his profile page and should be able to add him from there

[B-o-B]

Yes or, i dont know if its frowned upon but he can find you with this post.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Go to Friends > Add a Friend > Create and Invite Link

Copy and paste link and send it how ever you want.

To remove limited, you can simply buy a Steam Wallet Code at a store and have in redeem it on his account, if you do not want to use your card to add funds. Even if you do use your card, you do not have to save the information so it can't be used again.

[Forcen]

You're not being very specific here, I assume you mean you can't find his profile? Or do you not know how to add him? Maybe he tried to add your account and it didn't work?

First of all, the easiest way for you to add him is if he uses his account, clicks his username at the top or goes to this link: https://steamcommunity.com/my/friends/add
On that page click the "Create an invite link", copy that link and you use it in a browser, logs in and then you should send him a friend request.

The intended way to do this is you visit his profile and click the add button but I assume you had problems doing that.

The other problem you maybe had was that he tried to add you using his new steam account, this is not possible if he has a limited account. This is explained in the link above.
While it's true that he can't add you, you can still add him because you don't have a limited account.

[mayviir]

Thanks all for the replies.

So what i have tried was searching him, he does not show up. I did try emailing him the invite link but he is not permitted to add me because he has a new account. He searched and found me but is not allowed to add friends.

I get the frustration over bots, but why punish paying customers? If my account is in good standing I should be able to add who I choose. Keep his chat muted, fine by me.... limit his ability to seek out friends...... fine by me..... However why not let me add my son...... or some sort of help desk that has the power to enable him as a friend..... or let me email customer service, anything. edit - (please note that my frustration is no way aimed at the community)

[Forcen]

Originally posted by mayviir:

I did try emailing him the invite link but he is not permitted to add me because he has a new account.

If this is done the opposite way then you're all good.
He could also have visited his profile in the client, right clicked the page and copied the URL and sent it you. Or visited steam using a browser and just sent you the link that way.

They aren't punishing paying customers since you can add anyone.

[Winged One]

Originally posted by mayviir:

Thanks all for the replies.

So what i have tried was searching him, he does not show up. I did try emailing him the invite link but he is not permitted to add me because he has a new account. He searched and found me but is not allowed to add friends.

I get the frustration over bots, but why punish paying customers? If my account is in good standing I should be able to add who I choose. Keep his chat muted, fine by me.... limit his ability to seek out friends...... fine by me..... However why not let me add my son...... or some sort of help desk that has the power to enable him as a friend..... or let me email customer service, anything. edit - (please note that my frustration is no way aimed at the community)

YOU can add him, he just can't add you.. as long as his account is limited, you have to initiate the action, not him..

when a person makes an account, it takes a bit before they will show up on a user search.. as such, you should use any of the methods listed above..

[mayviir]

Originally posted by theseraph1:

YOU can add him, he just can't add you.. as long as his account is limited, you have to initiate the action, not him..

when a person makes an account, it takes a bit before they will show up on a user search.. as such, you should use any of the methods listed above..

Ok, so I tried this before reaching out and another two times since your reply. If this worked, I would be set. The link works, he is given the option to accept, however when he clicks accept (ive tried both the button at the top, and the button at the side) it goes to his friends list without adding me.

[Forcen]

What if your son goes to this link in a normal web browser like firefox: https://steamcommunity.com/my/friends/pending (he might need to log in and then visit the link again)
Can he accept it there?

[mayviir]

I've only tried through chrome.... let me try IE. I'll try pending invites through the client as well.

[Forcen]

Chrome incognito mode might be better than IE.. (ctrl+shift+n)
Yes, try client if you didn't.

[mayviir]

Thanks all who have tried to help


ok tried all the above twice..... the only thing that helped was throwing the cat into the neighbors pool. The thing to do I guess is try again tomorrow.......however, is there a number a guy could call or sombody with "keys" to the system that can help? is there anyway to actually make contact with them?

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by mayviir:

Thanks all who have tried to help


ok tried all the above twice..... the only thing that helped was throwing the cat into the neighbors pool. The thing to do I guess is try again tomorrow.......however, is there a number a guy could call or sombody with "keys" to the system that can help? is there anyway to actually make contact with them?

A support ticket is the only way, but this isn't a support issue as they only deal with account and billing issues.

Do you have a link to your son's account?

If you do not want to post it here, I can send a private message instead.

[Forcen]

Contacting through this page might help? https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithCommunityContactSupport

If your son can't accept friend requests that sounds like a possible account issue, contact through his account.