Can't permanently remove a game from my account

[Trevelyan]

I see a bundle that I want, but with one just one of the games in my account already, annoyingly I can't purchase the bundle for myself. The games are also discounted, but the bundle is significantly more discounted even when factoring in the cost of that one game.

So, even if I buy the game twice, it would still be cheaper. I have actually bought most of these games a few times already (plural!) for different platforms.. but I digress..

After a bit of searching, I find that I can remove that one game from my account. Success! I can now add the bundle to my basket.

However, it still won't let me buy it, and I am told:

"Your account already owns a removed copy of the above items, so you can’t purchase them again."

Ok, maybe I didn't do that right... so I checked the game's support page and I am told:

"You previously owned this product, but you asked us to permanently remove the package (game) which included it from your account ().

Right, what?? Is this something that just takes a couple of days to action, or is there something I am missing? Is my steam account stained permanently with this one purchase, precluding me from being able to buy bundles that include it? I should at least be able to say "Yes yes I already know I have it but I am happy to just pay for it anyway".

[Start_Running]

You can't really remove a license from your account. The remove from account feature is just a glorified hide feature.

[Trevelyan]

That seems hard to believe.. you can hide your games already in your library.. surely there must be something more that this does?

Its absolutely bonkers otherwise and I don't see a reason for that existing. If there was a stack of games tied together with string in a shop, I can buy it and not be prejudiced by my previous purchases, just like anybody else. Nobody behind the counter would say "hang on, you cant buy that because that little one at the bottom I saw you buy here five years ago.."

That just isn't a thing!

[Brian9824]

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

That seems hard to believe.. you can hide your games already in your library.. surely there must be something more that this does?

Its absolutely bonkers otherwise and I don't see a reason for that existing. If there was a stack of games tied together with string in a shop, I can buy it and not be prejudiced by my previous purchases, just like anybody else. Nobody behind the counter would say "hang on, you cant buy that because that little one at the bottom I saw you buy here five years ago.."

That just isn't a thing!

The dev's set it up that way, no idea why they use that bundle but they could have set it up so you could buy it even when you own some of the titles in it.

[Kargor]

Yes, these bundles used to work like that -- you'd just get what you didn't already have.

Then, Steam introduced a new type of bundle where the price would actually adjust based on what you already have. This type seems more useful, BUT you can't make keys for it, and you can't gift it. Also, publishers would need to select one type or the other, it's not an automatic thing.

Unfortunately, Steam also decided to change the old bundle type -- you can no longer get it if you already own something from it. Extremely dumb move, but that's how they wanted it :-(

[Trevelyan]

How can a publisher dictate what I can buy, based on something I bought before, especially when I have literally spent more money with them already!!

Take my example further - a publisher sending reps to stores to instruct sales staff to find out what their customers have bought previously, and deny any existing and loyal customers from buying a pile of games wrapped in a special ribbon.

[Trevelyan]

Ah this surely must be a bug that Steam intends to fix. Perhaps they aren't aware of it..

[Brian9824]

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

Ah this surely must be a bug that Steam intends to fix. Perhaps they aren't aware of it..

No its not a bug, steam offers several types of bundles and the dev choose to use that type
https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/store/application/bundles

There are two types of Bundles to handle common scenarios:

Complete The Set - Customers that purchase this type of Bundle will pay for, and receive, just the items in that bundle that they don't already have in their Steam library. This is most useful for bundles such as "Collector Pack" or "Franchise Pack" or "Developer Pack" that include two or more products (including games, software, or DLC). The customer can purchase one of these bundles as long as there is one or more item in the bundle they do not already have in their account. These types of Steam Bundles can only be purchased for the account making the transaction and cannot be sent or stored as gifts.

Purchase Together - this is useful for bundles such as "Soundtrack Edition" or "Deluxe Edition" that include just a base game and single piece of DLC or related application (such as a Soundtrack). The customer can purchase this bundle only if they do not already have any of the products in the bundle. These types of Steam Bundles may be purchased as gifts.

The dev screwed up and did the wrong bundle and did the Purchase Together bundle instead of the Complete the set bundle.

Again complain to the developer and ask them to fix their bundle.

[Kargor]

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

Ah this surely must be a bug that Steam intends to fix. Perhaps they aren't aware of it..

Steam doesn't communicate, and it can take a looooong time for them to fix a trivial bug, so it's impossible to tell whether it's an intentional change or not. However, we have to assume it was intentional, as that's simply a lot more common than unintentional breakage.

[Brian9824]

Originally posted by Kargor:

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

Ah this surely must be a bug that Steam intends to fix. Perhaps they aren't aware of it..

Steam doesn't communicate, and it can take a looooong time for them to fix a trivial bug, so it's impossible to tell whether it's an intentional change or not. However, we have to assume it was intentional, as that's simply a lot more common than unintentional breakage.

Its not a bug, the developer selected the wrong type of bundle.

[wuddih]

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

Ah this surely must be a bug that Steam intends to fix. Perhaps they aren't aware of it..

the trickery you tried worked a few years ago, that bug was fixed. it now works as intended.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

How can a publisher dictate what I can buy, based on something I bought before, especially when I have literally spent more money with them already!!

The publisher sets up what type of bundle it is. On Steam they are in full control of the products and how they get sold.

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

Ah this surely must be a bug that Steam intends to fix. Perhaps they aren't aware of it..

It's not a bug.

[Trevelyan]

Originally posted by wuddih:

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

Ah this surely must be a bug that Steam intends to fix. Perhaps they aren't aware of it..

the trickery you tried worked a few years ago, that bug was fixed. it now works as intended.

"Trickery" implies that there is some kind of ulterior motive. But I literally cannot see any reason for a feature being there to delete a game permanently other than for this purpose. Hiding a game, because you have too many, is possible in your library. Having to go to a support page to remove a game with warnings given, suggests that there would be some permanent consequence, as per the message..

I don't think this really can be considered "trickery" at all - it is entirely logical and there is no benefit that an existing customer of one of the games would have over new customers. I am really just buying one of the games again - so there is no "trick" at play..

(I also realise this is not a bug, and is intentional, but sarcasm has never entirely translated on forums..)

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

But I literally cannot see any reason for a feature being there to delete a game permanently other than for this purpose. Hiding a game, because you have too many, is possible in your library. Having to go to a support page to remove a game with warnings given, suggests that there would be some permanent consequence, as per the message..

Hiding the game in the library doesn't hide it from the profile games list and count. "Permanently" removing the game does. Most people I know that "permanently" remove games do so for that reason.

[Trevelyan]

Originally posted by brian9824:

Again complain to the developer and ask them to fix their bundle.

I mean, to be explicit here, this is EA games we are talking about..

(And I do already consider this some degree of punishment for having purchased some of the bundle multiple times already, over the years.. and whilst I accept that different platforms and releases are could be (tenuously in some cases) seen as some kind of "extra", it does feel a little harsh to now be excluded outright from a particular release..)

[Trevelyan]

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:

Originally posted by Trevelyan:

But I literally cannot see any reason for a feature being there to delete a game permanently other than for this purpose. Hiding a game, because you have too many, is possible in your library. Having to go to a support page to remove a game with warnings given, suggests that there would be some permanent consequence, as per the message..

Hiding the game in the library doesn't hide it from the profile games list and count. "Permanently" removing the game does. Most people I know that "permanently" remove games do so for that reason.

Actually a totally legitimate reason, though that shouldn't have to be a support related issue!