FTC violations via False Advertising.

[[TLB]FlameHaze]

A few weeks ago, I was solicited by Steam via an e-mail for the two factor authentication. The e-mail included a list of 5 games and their prices.

I was interested in two of the titles however for some reason the Store price did not reflect the price advertised. I contacted support expecting them to resolve this and as the law requires honor the price advertised. However instead I was offered a series of excuses that never addressed the matter and have nothing to do with the issue. Basically pretending like it was a glitch which doesn't matter than when I insisted basically saying STEAM has no power to honor the deal. Which is frankly an insult to anyone intelligence.

What's worse is that after the first reply made it clear that the advertisement was not going to be honored, I repeated to have it fixed. However weeks later the same offers were still being attached.

Steam is no different to Amazon. You are representing your vendors to us the customers. It is your responsibility to handle transactions and compensate the customer regardless of the circumstances or who's responsible. Especially in this case as I presume STEAM initiates the advertisement not the developers.

What I would like to see is a couple of changes. First include a simple system call to the store to confirm prices listed are accurate. Second I would like support to be aware that this isn't something to excuse, instead work on fixing the problem rather than aggravating your customers.

Do better, you are the only platform I use due to your quality service, however to stay that way you must learn from your mistakes and improve rather than use your platform position to shoo away your customers when you screw up, as one customer isn't important.

Regards,
Flame

[mldb88]

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

Originally posted by Wayward:

This seems to all be a really roundabout way of saying you feel entitled to a sale for no reason other than you said so.

The financial side of the dispute is laughable. I would never invest so much time over $20 for the two games I wanted. I actually like Steam a lot and I was surprised at the response I got when I reached out. Steam didn't take this seriously, didn't take any responsibility. They also didn't care that more customers were receiving this fake AD and did nothing to stop it for an extended period of time.

It's not Steam's responsibility to police the internet for inaccurate information. If that were the case you could whip up a fake ad, email it to yourself and then complain to steam "why isn't this on sale".

Those with no clue how the real world of marketing works should best not threaten legal action, it's a case you'll very quickly be losing.

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

Remember the JOKE AD When Pepsi included a Fighter Jet as a prize for Pepsi points? They won their lawsuit, but even so it had sufficient merit for Pepsi to re shoot that AD.

They lost the lawsuit and it was rejected on appeal. Took mere seconds to find that in a search engine.

[Brian9824]

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

Originally posted by Brian9824:

They do not, false advertising only occurs if its PURPOSELY done, if an ad or price is a mistake they do not have to honor it. If you feel otherwise feel free to talk to a lawyer and they will tell you the same thing

That is factually inaccurate. Even if it's a mistake it has to be honored. Remember the JOKE AD When Pepsi included a Fighter Jet as a prize for Pepsi points?

That wasn't an ad, it was a promotion they ran and they PURPOSELY offered it. Again, if its a MISTAKE they don't have to honor it.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/if-something-is-advertised-at-the-wrong-price/

If you haven’t bought it yet
If you take an item to the till and are told the price on the tag or label is a mistake, you don’t have a right to buy the item at the lower price. You could still try asking the seller to honour the price.

It’s the same if you see an item advertised anywhere for a lower price than the one on the price tag.

https://www.localsolicitors.com/consumer-guides/advertising-the-wrong-price-do-stores-have-to-honour-pricing-mistakes

If upon taking the product to the till the price turns out to be different to that which was advertised, the customer is not obliged to purchase the item and has no legal right to be sold the item at the lower advertised price

Again, False advertising requires a business to PURPOSEFULLY offer a lower price or offer, such as the Pepsi fighter jet. It does not cover MISTAKES

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Valve doesn't sell ads about Steam sales, period.

[[TLB]FlameHaze]

Originally posted by Mad Scientist:

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

I disagree, whether it's Yahoo or Steam that's the cause of the false AD. It doesn't matter to me as a customer. Steam has to honor the deal, and then seek compensation from Yahoo for violating their deal agreement.

No, they don't.
They aren't responsible for 3rd party information. :smokeybear:

You pay the price as shown at the moment of checkout attempt based upon the current listed price, but if you wait until after it expires you do not get to keep the discount. Most deals expire at 10AM PST for the given day of expiration unless otherwise stated.

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

The financial side of the dispute is laughable. I would never invest so much time over $20 for the two games I wanted. I actually like Steam a lot and I was surprised at the response I got when I reached out. Steam didn't take this seriously, didn't take any responsibility. They also didn't care that more customers were receiving this fake AD and did nothing to stop it for an extended period of time.

Then you add it to the Wishlist and the Steam Client will notify you within the client that games you want are on sale, just like the Mobile authenticator app.

The point of this thread is to hold STEAM accountable for this small mistake so they fix the problem and provide better service. I'm not sure why this is so controversial unless you prefer worse service.

Good business can and do slip into ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ones. If you don't continuously hold them to the standard that make them excellent they slowly erode into crap.

[Crazy Tiger]

Steam has to honor the price on the checkout screen. That price will always show the correct one.

You can, of course, try your luck via reporting them. Just don't be surprised about the answer you'll end up with.

[FFL2and3rocks]

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

The point of this thread is to hold STEAM accountable for this small mistake so they fix the problem and provide better service. I'm not sure why this is so controversial unless you prefer worse service.

Accountable for what? I doubt whichever Steam Support agent you spoke to about Yahoo's ad had any insight about Yahoo's ad policy. Especially if you didn't know it was from Yahoo at the time, leaving him wondering what in the world you're talking about.

[mldb88]

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

Originally posted by Mad Scientist:

No, they don't.
They aren't responsible for 3rd party information. :smokeybear:

You pay the price as shown at the moment of checkout attempt based upon the current listed price, but if you wait until after it expires you do not get to keep the discount. Most deals expire at 10AM PST for the given day of expiration unless otherwise stated.


Then you add it to the Wishlist and the Steam Client will notify you within the client that games you want are on sale, just like the Mobile authenticator app.

The point of this thread is to hold STEAM accountable for this small mistake so they fix the problem and provide better service. I'm not sure why this is so controversial unless you prefer worse service.

Good business can and do slip into ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ones. If you don't continuously hold them to the standard that make them excellent they slowly erode into crap.

This wasn't Steam's mistake. There's nothing to hold them accountable for. End of discussion, regardless of you're 'feelings' on the matter. From a legal perspective they have zero obligation in this scenario to do ANYTHING.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

Originally posted by Mad Scientist:

No, they don't.
They aren't responsible for 3rd party information. :smokeybear:

You pay the price as shown at the moment of checkout attempt based upon the current listed price, but if you wait until after it expires you do not get to keep the discount. Most deals expire at 10AM PST for the given day of expiration unless otherwise stated.


Then you add it to the Wishlist and the Steam Client will notify you within the client that games you want are on sale, just like the Mobile authenticator app.

The point of this thread is to hold STEAM accountable for this small mistake so they fix the problem and provide better service. I'm not sure why this is so controversial unless you prefer worse service.

Except there was no mistake on Steam's part. This was all between you and your email provider.
Steam is not responsible for other people's mistakes.

[[TLB]FlameHaze]

Originally posted by Brian9824:

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

That is factually inaccurate. Even if it's a mistake it has to be honored. Remember the JOKE AD When Pepsi included a Fighter Jet as a prize for Pepsi points?

That wasn't an ad, it was a promotion they ran and they PURPOSELY offered it. Again, if its a MISTAKE they don't have to honor it.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/if-something-is-advertised-at-the-wrong-price/

If you haven’t bought it yet
If you take an item to the till and are told the price on the tag or label is a mistake, you don’t have a right to buy the item at the lower price. You could still try asking the seller to honour the price.

It’s the same if you see an item advertised anywhere for a lower price than the one on the price tag.

https://www.localsolicitors.com/consumer-guides/advertising-the-wrong-price-do-stores-have-to-honour-pricing-mistakes

If upon taking the product to the till the price turns out to be different to that which was advertised, the customer is not obliged to purchase the item and has no legal right to be sold the item at the lower advertised price

Again, False advertising requires a business to PURPOSEFULLY offer a lower price or offer, such as the Pepsi fighter jet. It does not cover MISTAKES

I am talking about FTC in the United States, I have no knowledge of UK laws.

FTC defines it as such:

What exactly counts as false advertising? According to truth in advertising laws (more on those in a minute), deceptive marketing is any that includes misleading, incorrect, or fraudulent information, whether the business does it intentionally or not.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by mldb88:

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

The point of this thread is to hold STEAM accountable for this small mistake so they fix the problem and provide better service. I'm not sure why this is so controversial unless you prefer worse service.

Good business can and do slip into ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ones. If you don't continuously hold them to the standard that make them excellent they slowly erode into crap.

This wasn't Steam's mistake. There's nothing to hold them accountable for. End of discussion, regardless of you're 'feelings' on the matter. From a legal perspective they have zero obligation in this scenario to do ANYTHING.

Entirely correct. But OP won't listen to people in that regard, so let him simply report it so that the FTC can explain to OP that you cannot hold Steam responsible for a screenshot or link on a 3rd party site.

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

The point of this thread is to hold STEAM accountable for this small mistake so they fix the problem and provide better service. I'm not sure why this is so controversial unless you prefer worse service.

Good business can and do slip into ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ones. If you don't continuously hold them to the standard that make them excellent they slowly erode into crap.

The consensus here is not is not a Valve mistake, nor are discount/code/deal sites accurate as again, they quite often do not put a start date, end date, and tend to crop out important things like;

Specific pricing and discounts may be subject to change. Please check the Steam store page for details

If you want to wait for a sale;
-Add it to your wishlist
-Wait for an in-client notification of games you want being on sale
OR
-Wait for a notification from your actively running Steam App that games you want are on sale.
ELSE
-Go to the Store Page and look for any current deal, pay attention to the days/hours remaining or listed end time and time zone.

[Tito Shivan]

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

I am talking about FTC in the United States, I have no knowledge of UK laws.

FTC defines it as such:

But Steam didn't make that advertising. That's the part you're missing in all of this.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

I am talking about FTC in the United States, I have no knowledge of UK laws.

FTC defines it as such:

What exactly counts as false advertising? According to truth in advertising laws (more on those in a minute), deceptive marketing is any that includes misleading, incorrect, or fraudulent information, whether the business does it intentionally or not.

Yes so basically if the description of the product, it's features, etc, etc
It ghas to be a misrepresentation on the businesses' part. Ie On The STeam Website. Not in something that was parsed from the website by a third party and then passed on to you.

This is the cruzx of the matter.

The irony in all this is that as Steamdb shows, Most all of those games go on discount frequently. Wiat a couple weeks and you can get the deal again. Preferably directly from the store and not the third party.

Originally posted by Mad Scientist:

Originally posted by TLBFlameHaze:

The point of this thread is to hold STEAM accountable for this small mistake so they fix the problem and provide better service. I'm not sure why this is so controversial unless you prefer worse service.

Good business can and do slip into ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ones. If you don't continuously hold them to the standard that make them excellent they slowly erode into crap.

The consensus here is not is not a Valve mistake, nor are discount/code/deal sites accurate as again, they quite often do not put a start date, end date, and tend to crop out important things like;

Specific pricing and discounts may be subject to change. Please check the Steam store page for details

If you want to wait for a sale;
-Add it to your wishlist
-Wait for an in-client notification of games you want being on sale
OR
-Wait for a notification from your actively running Steam App that games you want are on sale.
ELSE
-Go to the Store Page and look for any current deal, pay attention to the days/hours remaining or listed end time and time zone.

Any source that is not one of those is not from steam.

[[TLB]FlameHaze]

What would you like to see as the OUTCOME of this discussion from STEAM.

1. Steam deals with false ADs
2. Steam does nothing and considers it acceptable to send customers false ADs

This isn't about who's ultimately responsible for causing the issue.
This is about STEAMS response to it.

SONY PlayStation network went down because of Hackers, would it be appropriate for SONY to say that and not compensate their customers?