On Steam, there are countless games and regular discount promotions for them – sometimes even without much prior announcement. But what happens if you return a game because it is on sale shortly after purchase and then buy it again? Steam has a clear stance on this.
How are refunds managed on Steam? If you want to request a refund for a game on Steam, two conditions must be met:
- You can only refund games that were purchased no more than 14 days ago
- Only games in which you have played for no more than 2 hours can be refunded
Steam accepts a variety of reasons that you provide for a refund. For example, Valve mentions that your computer may not meet the system requirements or you may have accidentally purchased the title. It is also an accepted reason to say that you simply did not enjoy the game after an hour of gameplay.
However, Steam also makes it clear that you should expect consequences and might not be offered refunds if you attempt to exploit the system. The system is not intended for playing games for free.
Valve is also still developing games. The company is currently working on the MOBA shooter Deadlock:
Returning games and buying again at a discount – Is that possible?
This is how Steam handles repurchasing discounted games: Steam clearly states in its refund guidelines that refunding a game that is offered at a lower price shortly after your purchase is not considered abuse of the refund system. You will also not be penalized for purchasing the game again at the reduced price.
The exact wording in the guidelines is:
“If you request a refund for a title that was purchased shortly before a sale and then immediately repurchased at the sale price, this will not be considered abuse.” – via Steam
For example, if you bought the currently 75% off Devil May Cry 5 for 29.99 Euros and have played it for less than 2 hours, you can return it without hesitation and buy it again with the discount for now 9.99 Euros.
Gamers love Steam for its refund policy
This is what players say about the regulations: A Steam user shared a screenshot of the guidelines on Reddit and praised Valve for this rule. The post accumulated over 35,000 upvotes and almost 600 comments. Many gamers speak very positively about Steam and Valve CEO Gabe Newell. For some, it is even the only company they fully trust.
Other players remember that Steam was not always so positive regarding refunds. While many players express praise for the company, Valve is not free from criticism either. Especially in the Counter-Strike 2 community, not everyone is satisfied: Valve is making a fortune with Counter-Strike 2 on Steam, while players are constantly complaining
