Is this refund abuse?

[VenomBlade]

I'm trying to be as scarce with using this refund function as I can. But I'd like to know, say I want to try out the online multiplayer game "Verdun". I have no way of really knowing how it is without buying it and trying it. If I find it isn't for me after playing like 30 mins of the game and return it, is that considered abuse? Especially if i'd want to do a similar procedure with similar multiplayer online games?

[Diarrhea Blaster]

Well you shouldn't treat steam as a free game rental service. The refunds should be only for games that you think you'd enjoy only to find out the game is absolutely terrible.

Trying a genre you never play and not liking it shouldn't mean you go and ask for a refund.

If you like FPS, think Verdun looks good and then try it out and it's absolutely terrible then sure, ask for a refund.

[Insanity Claus]

The refund policy, AFAIK, is not meant to be a "try before you buy" feature. If you go and do this with tons of other titles, you will likely get flagged as abusing the system.

IMO, you should only use the refund policy for games that you know you want to get and they turn out to be either terrible or not properly functional. I would use caution and use this as a "once every now and then" kind of thing and not merely as a way to test out games.

[Ganger]

You can refund a game for any reason, be the game doesn't work or you find the game rubbish. This is not abuse of the system, valve even state this in their policy.

The abuse comes in when someone keeps doing it time and time again. But I believe the system is totally up for abuse by some people using multiply accounts with different credit cards. Single player games are most at risk, buy, download, go offline and ask for a refund but contiune to play until the game is finished.

[Zefar]

Originally posted by VenomBlade:

I'm trying to be as scarce with using this refund function as I can. But I'd like to know, say I want to try out the online multiplayer game "Verdun". I have no way of really knowing how it is without buying it and trying it. If I find it isn't for me after playing like 30 mins of the game and return it, is that considered abuse? Especially if i'd want to do a similar procedure with similar multiplayer online games?

I'd go with yes that would be abuse. Refunds should be used for a good reason, not because you want to test out games.

[John34404]

That is abuse. Unfrotonately a lot of online games do not have demo modes. Hopefully similar games will have more of an tryout for the weekend spotlight like i have seen some games do.

[ KARR™]

How is this abuse? They even say on the refund page

maybe you bought a game by mistake; maybe you played the title for an hour and just didn't like it.

They can't say they'll refund you if you buy something and you don't like it and then say "you didn't like too many games!".

[eram]

Abuse

Refunds are designed to remove the risk from purchasing titles on Steam—not as a way to get free games. If it appears to us that you are abusing refunds, we may stop offering them to you. We do not consider it abuse to request a refund on a title that was purchased just before a sale and then immediately rebuying that title for the sale price.

http://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/

[76561193857876471]

I took "not a way to get free games" to mean buying the game, powering through as much of it as you can, then refunding it (thus playing for free.) But that was just my interpretation.

[Ruffle]

Your case doesn't seem like abuse. The game is online and there are alot of unknowns such as server quality and server distance from your home. They can't refuse a refund if you provide evidence of dissatisfaction within 2 hours of game play.

I think abuse would be playing to get cards and returning before 2 hours played. I'm sure there is an undisclosed amount of refunds per time period that will flag users though.

[Necrosinner]

Most probably you should provide a screenshot of your ping or whatever if the game lags for you or anything, makes it much more credible since now is the time of abuse

[Bad 💀 Motha]

I would just continue to make buying decisions as if such a policy doesn't exist. Just because Steam has this refund option now, don't go blindly buying, in the hopes of just returning. You're already dishonest at heart if u think that's how things should work.

[Fly Guy]

Originally posted by VenomBlade:

I'm trying to be as scarce with using this refund function as I can. But I'd like to know, say I want to try out the online multiplayer game "Verdun". I have no way of really knowing how it is without buying it and trying it. If I find it isn't for me after playing like 30 mins of the game and return it, is that considered abuse? Especially if i'd want to do a similar procedure with similar multiplayer online games?

I haven't read their return policy but I wouln't be concerned with what is abuse or not unless it is written in the return policy. If you feel that you are doing is unethical, something that is not written in their return policy, that's all on you.

And I don't care to return anything. I always run high end computer hardware and secondly I almost never buy games full price. I wait until the game's retail price is around $19.99-$29.99 and wait for a sale on top of that, not just any sale, but a sale that is higher than 65% off. A game is a game regardless of when you play it. In matter of fact, playing it later is probably even better since bug issues or such might be resolved.

Some people may say they buy games full price for multiplayer before the community dies out. This is what I say, playing with random people online isn't fun. When online games came out a long time ago, it was new and fun but now it's not. The innovation has worn out and I only enjoy playing with real life people that I know.

[Niddian]

Originally posted by Zefar:

Originally posted by VenomBlade:

I'm trying to be as scarce with using this refund function as I can. But I'd like to know, say I want to try out the online multiplayer game "Verdun". I have no way of really knowing how it is without buying it and trying it. If I find it isn't for me after playing like 30 mins of the game and return it, is that considered abuse? Especially if i'd want to do a similar procedure with similar multiplayer online games?

I'd go with yes that would be abuse. Refunds should be used for a good reason, not because you want to test out games.

Originally posted by erλm:

Abuse

Refunds are designed to remove the risk from purchasing titles on Steam—not as a way to get free games. If it appears to us that you are abusing refunds, we may stop offering them to you. We do not consider it abuse to request a refund on a title that was purchased just before a sale and then immediately rebuying that title for the sale price.

http://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/

Gotta love getting false information from community moderators that should know what they're talking about before posting a response. The beginning paragraph of the refund policy states, "You can request a refund for nearly any purchase on Steam—for any reason. Maybe your PC doesn't meet the hardware requirements; maybe you bought a game by mistake; maybe you played the title for an hour and just didn't like it."

The only thing I can see in the refund policy, http://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/ , that is stated as abuse would be "...not as a way to get free games.". Meaning purchasing a short indie game that can be completed in less than 2 hours, beating the game, and then claiming a refund to have beaten the game for free.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

It's only really abuse if your intention is to make a habbit of it; like a means of trial. Do it enough and Steam may flag u for abusing the feature and deny your claim. Do it once or twice, shouldn't be an issue really. But yea I would say avoid doing it as much as u can. Due to the content out there by others, there is no reason u shouldn't be able to make up your mind about the purchase based on that. Now if u run into major issues, that's another story, and then refund is justified.

[Niddian]

Originally posted by Bad-Motha:

It's only really abuse if your intention is to make a habbit of it; like a means of trial. Do it enough and Steam may flag u for abusing the feature and deny your claim. Do it once or twice, shouldn't be an issue really. But yea I would say avoid doing it as much as u can. Due to the content out there by others, there is no reason u shouldn't be able to make up your mind about the purchase based on that. Now if u run into major issues, that's another story, and then refund is justified.

It's not, though. It's abuse in your own moral standard. It's not abuse to Steam. Please read the Refund Policy before making these claims.

http://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/