why does Steam refuse the 14 days refund right on every purchase?

[Turuk Makto]

I often see players saying they have given back the game for a refund but everytime I would like to buy a game I am getting a prompt that says that I have to waive my right for a refund.

What is that all about? Online purchases have to have a 14 days refund period. How is it that Steam can just force me to waive my rights?

How do people buy games on steam without getting forced to waive theyr rights for refund?

[Washell]

You're waiving your official refund rights granted by the European Union in order to have the game delivered to your account immediately. Valve can force that because it's enshrined in the digital content distance selling laws.

You're not waiving the (courtesy) two weeks/two hours Valve offers on top of that.

[Ogami]

You waive your legal right to a refund but Steam has a courtesy refund policy.
That is you can refund a game if the purchase is not older then 14 days and you did not play it for more then 2 hours.

Basically you replace the legally required refund with the Steam refund policy.
Which is 100% legal.

[Crazy Tiger]

Read this: https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/369C-3E9F-76FD-DEDA

[Turuk Makto]

Guess lobbying makes everything legal for corporations nowadays...

It should mention that part where it says that I have to waive my rights!

Thanks for the quick clarification!

[Reggaejunkiedrew]

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/index_en.htm#shortcut-3

In the EU you have the right to return purchases made online or through other types of distance selling, such as by phone, mail order or from a door-to-door salesperson, within 14 days for a full refund.

The 14-day cooling off period does not apply to all purchases. Some of the exemptions are:

online digital content, if you have already started downloading or streaming it and you agreed that you would lose your right of withdrawal by starting the performance

This doesn't mean you can't request a refund through Steams normal refund system, it's about something in EU which digital goods are exempt from.

Theres a bunch of threads I found about this through a quick Google search if you want to read more about it

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/2270320616963318415/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/2zi4d2/valve_restricts_14day_eu_refund_law/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/jo4b3l/by_clicking_the_button_below_to_proceed_you_agree/

[Turuk Makto]

Two hours is a joke though, I have spent more time than that on demo's already.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by Fred_VIE:

Two hours is a joke though, I have spent more time than that on demo's already.

Well, Valve could, of course, simply follow the EU principle and use the 0 hours required.

Keep in mind it's not meant as a way to try out games, a refund policy isn't a substitute for demos.

[Bee🐝]

Originally posted by Fred_VIE:

Two hours is a joke though, I have spent more time than that on demo's already.

It’s the right amount of time to see if your rig can run the game - it’s not a demo system.

Some indie games are shorter and a longer refund period would essentially make those games free.

[Turuk Makto]

Yea the EU... the lobby for corporations fk'ing over customers whenever they can!

I grew tired of those facists a long time ago already.

[davidb11]

Why are you over-exaggerating this issue?
It makes no sense.

The EU isn't even the problem.
This was all Valve's doing.
All of it.

This isn't even something people can complain about.
No Business has ever been forced to always have refunds for everything.
Any company is 100% legally allowed to say, "NO REFUNDS."

Don't know why this is even ever a complaint.

[Judgmental Amaterasu]

Originally posted by Fred_VIE:

Guess lobbying makes everything legal for corporations nowadays...

It should mention that part where it says that I have to waive my rights!

Thanks for the quick clarification!

The Steam refund policy is actually quite generous compared to that actual EU refund policy. The instant a product is provided to the end user starts the clock for EU with 0 leeway for things such as time played which the Steam 2 hour policy is quite a courtesy comparatively

[Washell]

Originally posted by Fred_VIE:

Yea the EU... the lobby for corporations fk'ing over customers whenever they can!

I grew tired of those facists a long time ago already.

The EU refund directives happened in spite of corporate lobbying, not because of them.

The no refund on digital content was really the only option to not turn every online service into a free download provider.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Fred_VIE:

Yea the EU... the lobby for corporations fk'ing over customers whenever they can!

I grew tired of those facists a long time ago already.

You could have no refund for a game before the eu was a thing.
If your box was not sealed anymore.

Now you can play the game for 2 hours and still give it back.
Oh this lobby.......