The customer service on Steam is regularly praised by many players. It is all the more frustrating for many that they do not address a common issue that has already caused trouble for many customers.
What problem is being referred to? User JxckLines is frustrated about an unfortunate experience of a friend and asks the community on Reddit for advice. Following his recommendation, his friend decided to order an OLED Steam Deck, as he himself is so happy with the handheld device. However, when the delivery from Valve arrived and he opened the package, he found not the expected Steam Deck … but merely a wrapped power strip.
The author of the post is convinced that an employee of the courier service recognized the shipping package of the Steam Deck, swapped the contents, and then resealed the package, which was also indicated by two fresh pieces of tape.
As the device was purchased directly from Valve, the customer reported his issue. But Valve, a company that is often praised for its strong customer service, says: There is nothing they can do about it.
An unresolved problem that has existed for some time
Why can’t Valve do anything? According to the author, Valve communicated that the package was shipped correctly and marked as delivered, which is why they cannot help the frustrated customer.
Without another idea, he then decided to file a complaint, contact his bank, but also the courier service itself. Aside from the fact that Valve has been informed and the customer is ready to file a criminal complaint, he has not yet received any helpful responses – neither from Valve nor from the other mentioned parties.
His friend and the author of the post suggested he ask for advice on Reddit, as he himself does not have an account. And the community is just as frustrated as the two of them.
What does the community say about the situation? The players on Reddit absolutely cannot understand why Valve has not yet acted after multiple incidents of stolen Steam Decks. Because they believe to recognize what the problem is, and it is a problem that should not be so difficult to fix:
“Completely incomprehensible that they still ship in these ‘Steal Me’ boxes,” writes Biggman23, “They were constantly stolen when they came out. By now, it’s gross negligence.”
Competitive-Elk-5077 is also hoping for a quick resolution to this shipping problem: “Valve really needs to sell the [Steam Decks] in stores or make their packaging less conspicuous.”
User lynxblaine, who recognizes from the shape of the socket that the author and his friend must be living in the UK, offers a helpful hint: “Valve is wrong. Under British law, the responsibility for correct delivery of the goods lies with the sender (Valve). If the goods are missing or damaged upon arrival, it is their duty to rectify this. You are liable only once the goods have been delivered.”
This is also referred to by Soggy_Equipment with Section 27 of the “Sale of Goods Act 1979” on legislation.gov.uk. There it states: “It is the seller’s duty to deliver the goods and the buyer’s duty to accept and pay for them according to the terms of the contract.”
The community thus supports the author of the post and his friend, hoping that they will keep pressing Valve.
As the post by JxckLines was only 4 hours old at the time of publication of this article, it cannot yet be said whether the two friends had success with Valve. Until something develops, the customer will have to cope without a Steam Deck, unless his friend takes pity and shares his own device.
Whether a Steam Deck is generally worth it, or if one should rather upgrade their PC with the money, is what another potential customer wondered, who also received a clear answer from the community: User wants to gift her boyfriend a Steam Deck or a graphics card: The community immediately had a clear favorite
