At the beginning of June 2015, the most famous digital store Steam introduced the possibility of a refund for a game you didn't like. It is worth saying that earlier this was the only difference between Steam and another game store - Origin.

Many fans took the news with a bang. After all, for many years, players bought games almost blindly (especially at sales). However, for this kind of manipulation, several conditions must be met. So let's take a look how to get money back for a game on steam!

What can be refunded?

The funds spent can be returned for the following products:

• the game itself;
• addition to it;
• in-game items (if they have not been spent, changed or transferred);
• pre-ordered game;
• sets (should also remain intact);
• gift (if it is not activated).

Money spent in other stores (for example, for bonus keys for Steam) will not be returned to the user.

Refund instructions

For refund for the game in Steam several steps are required:

1. Log in with your Steam account.
2. Go to: help.steampowered.com.
3. Select "Purchase".
4. Specify the game for which you want to return the money.
5. Then click on the "Product did not meet expectations" button.
6. Select "Request a refund.

After that, certain information about the game will appear (its cost, when it was bought, the time spent in the game, etc.). As a reason, you can indicate what exactly the game did not like (did not live up to expectations, bought by mistake, PC does not meet system requirements, etc.). Specifying a reason is not a prerequisite for a return. Additional information can be written in the "Note" field. Refund will be sent to your email inbox.

Steam Terms

The most important point for a refund is the term of circulation and the time spent in the game. So, for a game you don’t like, funds can be returned within 2 weeks after purchase. In this case, it is necessary to spend no more than 2 hours in it. If cheats were used in the game, then the money is not returned.

The money for the addition to the game can also be returned within 2 weeks. Refunds will only be accepted if the time spent in the main game since the purchase of the add-on is less than 2 hours. In some cases return the money for the game add-on in Steam will not work (for example, when the add-on has managed to perform some action - a lifetime increase in the level of a game character, etc.).

They checked the return system!

A little lower, before updating this article, I said that the new rules for returning games on Steam are still worth checking out. Here are my results and thoughts on the matter.

How to return the game if you honestly did not play it for any reason:

First of all, do not worry about the age of your purchase. I purchased the game about seven months ago and received a positive response.

I can’t say anything about the prohibition of returns if you have played more than two hours. In my case, the simulated was about forty minutes.

The return process itself is quite simple and takes no more than five minutes:

1- We are compiling a letter with a request to return the game, honestly describing the reason in Russian and English (not sure about the need for English, but, just in case, I did so).
2- We send the finished text to a special field after clicking on the link to those. support: help.steampowered.com (the easiest way, as the user noted: "select the desired game in the library and click on the Support button on the right").
3- We are waiting for an answer to the mail (an example of the answer is below).

[Added: June 03, 2015 at 23:15]
Dear friends, Steam has finally introduced an adequate refund system.
(however, it is still worth checking).

Now, you can get a refund for any purchased game if:
- No more than fourteen days have passed.
- No more than two hours spent in the game.

But! Even if your situation does not meet the described rules, you can still request a refund and your application will be considered.

Read below for full details on the updated return policy:

You can request a refund on almost all Steam purchases for any reason. Your computer may not meet the system requirements for the game. Or you bought the game by mistake. Maybe you spent an hour in the game and you just didn't like it.

It does not matter. Valve will refund under any circumstances if the refund was requested through help.steampowered.com no later than fourteen days after purchase and if you played the game for less than two hours. You can find more information below, but even if your situation does not meet the described rules, you can still request a refund, and we will consider your request.

Your purchase will be fully refunded within a week of the return being approved. The funds will be transferred to your Steam Wallet or back to the payment method you used to make the purchase. If, for any reason, Steam is unable to return the money to the payment method, then your Steam Wallet will be replenished with the appropriate amount. (Some payment methods available on the Steam store in your country may not support refunds. See full list.)

In what cases can you return the money

The ability to return within two weeks of purchase for products in which you have spent less than two hours, applies to games and software in the Steam store. See below for information on returns for other types of purchases.

* Refunds for downloadable content (Content distributed through the Steam store and used in other games and programs, "Add-ons")

An add-on purchased from the Steam Store is eligible for a refund within fourteen days of purchase if the respective main program has been used within two hours or less of the add-on purchase, and only if the add-on has not been irrevocably used, modified, or ported. Please note that in some cases Steam may not be able to refund money for add-ons created by third parties. For example, if the add-on permanently increases the level of the character in the game. On the pages of such add-ons, you will see a notice that the funds cannot be returned.

* Refunds for in-app purchases

Refunds for in-game items in Valve games are refundable within forty-eight hours of purchase, but only if the items in question have not been irrevocably used up, modified, or transferred. Other developers will also be able to implement this kind of refunds in their games. If the developer allows refunds for these items, Steam will notify you at the time of purchase. Otherwise, Steam does not allow refunds for in-game purchases made on third-party games.

* Refunds for pre-orders

If you have pre-ordered an item on Steam and paid the price, you can request a refund at any time while the item is still available. The standard return policy (14 days / 2 hours) will take effect as soon as the release takes place.

* Refund of funds transferred to the wallet

Steam You can request a refund of funds transferred to your Steam Wallet within fourteen days of the transfer if the funds were paid through the Steam store and you have not yet redeemed them.

* Refunds for sets

You can receive a full refund for any bundle purchased from the Steam store, but only if all the contents of the bundle are on your account and the total amount of time you use the items in the bundle does not exceed two hours. If a set comes with an in-game item or add-on that is non-refundable, you will be informed at checkout if the entire set is eligible for a refund.

* Shopping in other stores

Valve cannot offer refunds for purchases made outside of Steam (such as digital keys or Steam Wallet codes purchased from other stores).

* System lock

VAC If you receive a VAC ban for using cheats, then you forfeit the right to return the blocked game.

* Movies

We cannot offer refunds for movies on Steam.

* Gift Refunds

It is impossible to return funds for gifts if they have already been activated.

* Abuse

The ability to make returns was added so that when you buy products on Steam you are risk-free, and not as a way to enjoy games for free. If we suspect that you are abusing this system, we may block your access to refunds. Refunding a game purchased shortly before the start of the sale in order to buy it again at a discount does not count as abusing our system.

Unfortunately, in recent years, computer game developers have almost completely stopped releasing demo versions (DEMO) for their products, which would allow people to test a particular project before buying it.
Therefore, honest gamers who prefer to purchase licensed products often have to put up with various problems:

• Bad performance. Often the system requirements stated on the game page do not correspond to the real state of affairs. Players may experience low FPS, stuttering, and freezes.
• Bugs and bugs, broken features. Even with a whole staff of testers, some developers manage to release absolutely unplayable products. For example, the same Arkham Knight.
  Even powerful configurations did not pull the game on release - we had to wait for several patches before the situation improved.
• The game doesn't live up to expectations. Gameplay videos are a deceiving thing (especially given the experience of Ubisoft and similar companies, whose videos usually embellish reality significantly). You might not like what you bought.
• High price. Yes, it also happens that a person buys a game for a tidy sum, and the next day the service starts a sale with a 75% discount.
  The desire to return the money in this situation is quite logical - even Valve themselves consider this reason to be valid and do not consider such a return an abuse.

One way or another, whichever of these reasons prevented a pleasant pastime while playing, any buyer will regret the wasted funds and want to return them.
Fortunately, the Steam store allows you to do this, if you follow some rules.

Under what conditions can I return the money for the game on Steam

To prevent service users from abusing the refund function, the administration has imposed some restrictions on it. Now you can get money back for a game or additional content only if:

The game was purchased directly from Steam, and not activated with a key purchased on third-party sites;
. No more than two weeks (14 days) have passed from the date of the payment;
. The person spent no more than two hours in the game;
. Purchased content has not been irrevocably used up (for example, if a player bought a permanent character level increase, such DLC will not be returned);
. Purchased content is not an in-game purchase in a non-Valve game, movie, or other video material.

If the product was purchased at the pre-order stage, you can return the money at any time before the release. After the release date, the usual requirements (2 hours / 2 weeks) already apply.
Similarly, funds for gift copies are returned, but the money does not come to the recipient’s account, but to the details of the person who paid for the gift (done in order to protect users from possible theft of “gifts” stored in the inventory).

Steam refund process

Step No1. Select "Help" from the top menu. At the top of the drop-down list there will be a support section - click on it.

Step #2. On the page that appears at the top, there will be a list of recently purchased games. Select the product and option you are interested in from the "Item did not meet expectations" list.


Step #3. Request a refund by clicking on the menu item of the same name. On the next page, you will be prompted to choose one of several reasons or write your own note. Do it.

Everything, now it remains only to wait for the consideration of the application and its subsequent execution. After a couple of days, next to the numbers displaying the balance on the account, the blocked amount will be displayed.
You will have to wait another 3-5 days, after which the money will be returned.

Prices for games can reach up to several thousand rubles, while users are not always satisfied with the quality of the goods. If necessary, you can return the money for the game on Steam, but for this you need to meet specific requirements. The return is carried out according to the standard scheme, and it will be useful for new users to learn it. Because it is important to demand a refund in a timely manner, otherwise it will be impossible to cancel the purchase.

Is it possible to return the money for the game on Steam

It should already be clear that you can return the money spent on Steam. It is the company's policy to provide a guarantee for the goods. After all, people want to acquire quality content that will be worth the money spent. But you still may not like the game, and then you can demand your money back.

Of course, there are some nuances that should not be forgotten. After all, the company is not obliged to return the money to everyone in a row, because many scammers will divorce because of this. There are conditions, in particular, regarding the terms of circulation. Specific restrictions make it possible to make sure that the person was really not satisfied with the game. After all, if he spent many hours in it, and then decided to refuse, then such a decision can be considered suspicious. Another thing is when the user just tried out the purchase and immediately made a return request.

The positive side of Steam is that you can refuse not only the games themselves, but also some in-game purchases, as well as additional content. But it is worth looking in advance to see if there is a clause that mentions reimbursement. Because not all materials can be cancelled.

Steam refund policy

You can get money back for a game you don't like, subject to the conditions. The company has set specific requirements that you need to familiarize yourself with before returning funds. If the conditions are not met, then asking for the money back will be pointless. Therefore, everything must be done correctly and in a timely manner.

Primary requirements:

1. Less than two weeks have passed since the purchase. If the period is longer, then it will not be possible to cancel the purchase.
2. A person must play no more than two hours. This time will be enough to understand whether the game suits or not. Note that the time that the user will play is always fixed in the system.
3. The user must buy the game on Steam. If he purchased the key on the Internet, then he will not be able to request a refund.
4. Pre-orders can be canceled at any time prior to release. However, if it has already taken place, then the standard rules will apply.
5. The game can be received as a gift, and in the absence of activation, the donor has the right to request a return according to the general rules. If the recipient managed to activate, then the task of returning the funds falls on him. However, it should be understood that the money will be returned to the donor.

If the user makes a large number of returns, then he may be suspected of fraud. Because it will be suspicious that the user did not like any game out of the many options. Therefore, you should not abuse the return function and constantly refuse in order to try out more games.

Important! If all conditions are met, then in almost all cases it is possible to return the purchase back. It does not even matter why a person wants to refuse the product.

The money will be returned even if the user simply did not like the gameplay. Therefore, it does not have to be technical problems in order to claim your funds.

Step-by-step instructions for the return of funds

Refunds for the game in Steam must be made according to a certain scheme. In general, the procedure will not take much time, the main thing is not to wait until the last. It is recommended to follow a specific procedure in order to quickly refuse the goods.

Steam is the largest online gaming platform selling various video games ranging from children's arcade games to horror projects. The online store from Valve has a convenient user interface, as well as graphs of the success of games. Over the years of its existence, the site has acquired thematic communities for each video game. Steam has evolved from a virtual store into a gaming social network. Among its features, it is worth noting the return of money for the game if the gamer did not like it or did not fit.

In what cases will Valve return the money

In some cases, the money will be returned guaranteed:

1. The first rule of the site: the game can be returned if from the moment of purchase 14 days have not passed, and the user did not have time to play 2 hours.
2. In some cases, refundable additional content. Upon purchase, the user will see if the product is "returnable".
3. Refund for purchased sets provided that the total time spent in all video games is less than 2 hours.
4. In-app purchases within 48 hours if they remain in their original form.
5. At transfer to wallet Steam, you can return the funds back to the payment system within 14 days, provided that the gamer did not use them.
6. At pre-order purchase during the entire trial period + 14 days from the date of the official release.

note that with frequent use of the function, the company may suspect the client of abuse. There is a possibility of blocking the return option for an individual user.

How to get a refund for a game on Steam

Client or browser

In this case, you can use the client or browser application:

Through the library

In general, the method is practically no different from the first option. The only difference is that in this case only the proprietary Steam client is used. To return the money in this way, you must do the following:

How to cancel a refund

If you need to cancel the return, you will have to contact support again.

Select the game for which the refund was issued. A window should appear cancel refund". Unlike a request for a refund, a request to cancel an action is processed an order of magnitude faster. The main thing is to have time to process the cancellation before a decision is made by a Valve employee, since in this case it will be impossible to cancel the operation.

Can I get a refund if I played more than 2 hours

Steam offers a wide range of video games, including toys from independent development studios (India projects). To prevent unscrupulous publishers from profiting from players with marketing tricks, Valve allows you to request a refund for the purchased toy, provided that the gamer spent no more than two hours in it. If more than two hours have been played, then a refund will not work.

Game return in 2 weeks

Here the standard law "On the protection of consumer rights" applies. Almost any product, including the game, can be returned within 14 days from the date of purchase. Valve abide by this policy, but if you want to return the product after this period, then technical support (steam support) will simply send the rules, which will indicate that the refund is denied because more than two weeks have passed since the purchase.

Exceptions

Despite the strict and prescribed rules, it is worth writing to the support service. Perhaps it is this complaint that will attract the attention of Valve. In 2014, the video game " Earth: Year 2066” and all users who bought it could get their money back, despite not meeting the 14 days/2 hours rules. A similar situation happened with large projects where there was no fraud. Sometimes there were unjustified complaints about the quality of the content, in some cases minor inconsistencies (one of the video games was removed because the multiplayer supported 50 people, and the developers promised 100). Of course, in all these cases, the standard rule does not apply.

How to return the money for the gift of the game

In this matter, there are two options for the development of events (both positive):

1. Money for a non-activated gift copy of a video game or program can be returned by standard site rules: within two weeks of purchase and less than 2 hours spent in the game.
2. Funds for an activated copy of the game are returned according to the same rules. However, the return request must be written by the recipient of the gift. If the result is positive, the money will be returned to the account of the user who purchased the content.

Is it possible to return the money if the game was activated with a key

Based on the rules of the site, the company does not refund money for purchases that were made outside the Valve brand store. If the purchase of a Steam key is made on a third-party site, then a refund is not possible. Before buying, we advise you to test the game with friends or by downloading the demo version. If you like the video game, you can support the developer by buying their products.

Valve controversy

The Russian gaming community may experience some difficulties when returning funds to domestic payment systems: WebMoney, Yandex.Money and QIWI. In such cases, payment for the video game will be refunded to the Steam wallet from which it is impossible to withdraw money. In order not to encounter such problems, we recommend using the following payment systems:

It is impossible to dispute the decision. Formally, the user has the right to submit an application, but in most cases it will not be approved. For other controversial issues, Valve is guided by the rules of the trading platform, which are in the public domain.

Money back deadlines

According to the signed agreement between Valve and the player, the company undertakes to return the money within a week from the date of successful processing of the request for a refund. From personal experience, it has been noticed that no system can be traced. Money was sometimes returned the next day, and in other cases a week later. If, after the expiration of the period, the money has not been credited to the account, then you need to write to the support service again.