How do you escalate a refund request?

[HumbleSage]

Like the title says. I'm clearly getting stone-walled by the 2hr playtime rule. Put in 3 separate tickets, the last 2 requesting escalation. Same ridiculous response. I'm done being reasonable with systems that are clearly *not* reasonable.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by HumbleSage:

How do you escalate a refund request?

Like the title says. I'm clearly getting stone-walled by the 2hr playtime rule. Put in 3 separate tickets, the last 2 requesting escalation. Same ridiculous response. I'm done being reasonable with systems that are clearly *not* reasonable.

Make a manual ticket.

Find the purchase... https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithPurchase

Choose "I still have a question..."

Explain the entire issue carefully.

And hope for the best.

[HumbleSage]

"Hope" being the operative word. I submitted another 4th ticket. I think what bothers me most, is how quick they are to dismiss players that have invested so much on their platform. There is a principle matter here and it's upsetting that something that could be identified so easily they just ignore.

Appreciate your response nonetheless.

[Brian9824]

Originally posted by HumbleSage:

"Hope" being the operative word. I submitted another 4th ticket. I think what bothers me most, is how quick they are to dismiss players that have invested so much on their platform. There is a principle matter here and it's upsetting that something that could be identified so easily they just ignore.

Appreciate your response nonetheless.

You are more then 6 times over the refund limit, so the odds are highly against you getting a refund. it doesn't matter if you've invested $1, or $1,000,000 on their platform. Everyone on Steam is treated equally.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Originally posted by HumbleSage:

"Hope" being the operative word. I submitted another 4th ticket. I think what bothers me most, is how quick they are to dismiss players that have invested so much on their platform. There is a principle matter here and it's upsetting that something that could be identified so easily they just ignore.

Appreciate your response nonetheless.

You are a customer like everyone else regardless of how much you've spent.

You have 12 hours in the game. You can attempt a manual refund but you most likely won't get one. That will also be their final answer.

[sfnhltb]

I doubt spamming support requests increases your chance of getting a refund, it could even do the opposite as it suggests you are trying to abuse the system to me.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by HumbleSage:

"Hope" being the operative word. I submitted another 4th ticket. I think what bothers me most, is how quick they are to dismiss players that have invested so much on their platform. There is a principle matter here and it's upsetting that something that could be identified so easily they just ignore.

Appreciate your response nonetheless.

I just saw the review you posted after you made this thread. The other users are correct that 12+ hours is highly unlikely to allow a refund.

You may get a courtesy refund but don't hold your breath.

[nullable]

Originally posted by HumbleSage:

Like the title says. I'm clearly getting stone-walled by the 2hr playtime rule. Put in 3 separate tickets, the last 2 requesting escalation. Same ridiculous response. I'm done being reasonable with systems that are clearly *not* reasonable.

Sometimes no is a complete answer. And fishing for some hapless customer service person you think you can hassle into siding with you so you'll go away isn't always going to happen. And your ability to pitch a fit or rationalize why you should get an extreme exception isn't going to change anything.

Good luck, but don't think your entitled bluster is going to get much much sympathy from Valve or most other users.

[J4MESOX4D]

Originally posted by HumbleSage:

I think what bothers me most, is how quick they are to dismiss players that have invested so much on their platform

So what you are basically saying is you've spent a lot of money on other people's games so the developers of the one you are trying to refund should be punished? That sounds really unfair and would set a woeful precedent if Valve starting granting refunds way outside of the policy and allowed users to use their previous spend as justification against innocent developer's products.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by HumbleSage:

There is a principle matter here

That's your problem right there. Do away with principle and you'll feel better.

[Satoru]

You’re not getting a refund on a game you played 12 hours in. Considering millions of people have played xcom without issue it’s obviously not an issue with the game

[Anonymous Helper]

Originally posted by HumbleSage:

Like the title says. I'm clearly getting stone-walled by the 2hr playtime rule. Put in 3 separate tickets, the last 2 requesting escalation. Same ridiculous response. I'm done being reasonable with systems that are clearly *not* reasonable.

Refund system is automated. It only checks if you've played less than 2 hours and if it's been less than 14 days since you bought the game. If you've gone over either, refund request is rejected and if you're under both, refund is granted. Everything else is irrelevant to the system.

[lukaself]

If you're in Europe or Australia and your product does not work how expected, you're entitled to a refund under the warranty of conformity regardless of your gameplay time. Any other countries, you're basically SOL.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Originally posted by lukaself:

If you're in Europe or Australia and your product does not work how expected, you're entitled to a refund under the warranty of conformity regardless of your gameplay time. Any other countries, you're basically SOL. :clickbutton:

Except in this case, it wouldn't matter. The game works fine for a great majority and even OP has stated it works outside of a bug, which is to be expected with software.

[Kargor]

Originally posted by lukaself:

If you're in Europe or Australia and your product does not work how expected, you're entitled to a refund under the warranty of conformity regardless of your gameplay time.

I don't know anything about Australia, but good luck trying to argue that a game that works fine for countless other people "doesn't work".

There's a distinct difference compared to individual products like a TV, where you can have 999 perfectly working TVs and 1 that's messed up coming from the same assembly line. In contrast, each copy of a software sold is 100% identical, bit by bit. You don't get a defective software unless it's defective for everyone.

That's why, around here, every shop that sells physical goods has a way to deal with returns. Software-shops such as Steam, on the other hand, can offer a voluntary refund policy -- or none at all.

[lukaself]

Originally posted by Kargor:

Originally posted by lukaself:

If you're in Europe or Australia and your product does not work how expected, you're entitled to a refund under the warranty of conformity regardless of your gameplay time.

I don't know anything about Australia, but good luck trying to argue that a game that works fine for countless other people "doesn't work".

There's a distinct difference compared to individual products like a TV, where you can have 999 perfectly working TVs and 1 that's messed up coming from the same assembly line. In contrast, each copy of a software sold is 100% identical, bit by bit. You don't get a defective software unless it's defective for everyone.

That's why, around here, every shop that sells physical goods has a way to deal with returns. Software-shops such as Steam, on the other hand, can offer a voluntary refund policy -- or none at all.

Originally posted by SlowMango:

Except in this case, it wouldn't matter. The game works fine for a great majority and even OP has stated it works outside of a bug, which is to be expected with software.

Starting 2019 in Europe, the burden of proof that the digital product works as advertised in on the seller. Any digital content is considered as goods (i.e. not a service) and if it doesn't work as advertised and the seller can't patch it in a reasonable timeframe, you're entitled to a partial or full refund until two years counting from the date of purchase. Be it a TV, a refrigerator, or the latest Bethesda game.

I already got a full refund before invoking that law for a game that stopped working even past 20 hours of gameplay after a patch broke the sound for some customers and I managed to show the developer couldn't or wouldn't fix it. Took a bit of back and forth but if you do everything as you're supposed to, it's simply the law and Valve cannot do anything but comply. Of course, it's not in their best interest to inform you and as many corporations, they count on people not knowing their rights.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/index_en.htm
https://blog.intigriti.com/2022/06/27/new-eu-law-changing-game-digital-goods-producers/

Now I don't know if OP is in this situation but I expect this information to be useful to someone at some point. Take care!