WARNING about Free Weekends invalidating refunds

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Predator 20 Mar @ 4:11pm

Just had a refund request denied because it states i have over 2 hours playtime, however i have less than 2 hours since purchasing the game. As the game in question was purchased 2 days ago and ive only played under an hour, i should therefore qualify for a refund.
But the request was denied because i have almost 9 hours playtime. 8 hours of this playtime was built up on two free weekends the game had back in 2023
As you probably know, you cant view the amount of hours playtime you may have used already prior to purchasing the game. If youve played over 2 hours on a free weekend in the past, you automatically will have your refund requests denied.
I think steam should make it more clear to users that taking part in playing games on a "free" weekend, will invalidate your right to a refund in future, as they consider this purchasing the game, even though its advertised as "free" and no money was exchanged.
I dont think anyone else would consider it purchasing the game though.

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Originally posted by Aluvard:

Manual refund:
Help > Purchases > click on game > "i've question about ..." > fill contact form

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Aluvard 20 Mar @ 4:13pm

Manual refund:
Help > Purchases > click on game > "i've question about ..." > fill contact form

Chompman 20 Mar @ 4:15pm

Steam already informs you here:

https://steamhost.cn/steam_refunds/

The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime

Predator 20 Mar @ 4:16pm

thank you Aluvard. i`ll give that a go.

Predator 20 Mar @ 4:20pm

Originally posted by Chompman:
Steam already informs you here:

https://steamhost.cn/steam_refunds/

The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime

They do and so the point is i have purchased it within 2 weeks and i have played less than 2 hours since purchasing the game,
The store page doesnt show your playtime either so i didn't even remember having previously playing it until i went to refund it and wondered why the playtime was so high and can see the previous free weekends from 2023. I wouldnt consider those purchasing the game and so if theres nothing to make you aware of this then IMO they need to factor it into the refund policy or show playtime on the storepage so you are aware going into it.

Chompman 20 Mar @ 4:25pm

Originally posted by Predator:
Originally posted by Chompman:
Steam already informs you here:

https://steamhost.cn/steam_refunds/

They do and so the point is i have purchased it within 2 weeks and i have played less than 2 hours since purchasing the game,
The store page doesnt show your playtime either so i didn't even remember having previously playing it until i went to refund it and wondered why the playtime was so high and can see the previous free weekends from 2023. I wouldnt consider those purchasing the game and so if theres nothing to make you aware of this then IMO they need to factor it into the refund policy or show playtime on the storepage so you are aware going into it.

It includes all playtime much like when you use the game in family share and that counts for your total playtime too.

It's about your total playtime and not just your most recent when you bought it like that if you have already played it.

HikariLight 20 Mar @ 4:35pm

Free weekends, family share play, previous ownership.
Those all count towards the refund time limit for played time.

Predator 20 Mar @ 4:53pm

The refund policy doesnt state this so wondering where you are getting this information?
I dont doubt your right, but they havent specified this anywhere that i can see so i`m having to interpret the wording that is there and can only assume they think free weekends are considered purchasing the game, since the legal info specifically refers to purchasing.
Also again, you have no way of seeing any previous playtime prior to purchasing, which again, is the point in the refund policy where your 2 weeks begins.
So as far as i can see, playing a free weekend HAS to be considered purchasing a game or the policy needs amending.

Predator 20 Mar @ 5:03pm

Originally posted by HikariLight:
Free weekends, family share play, previous ownership.
Those all count towards the refund time limit for played time.

Again free weekends not referred to in the refund policy at all, ive never previously owned the game, i bought it two days ago, the refund policy literally starts with:

Where Refunds Apply
The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase

i sound like a broken record but crucially "purchasing" a game is where you pay to own it. Having previously played on a free weekend is not purchasing the game. Someone has to exchange funds in order to purchase the ability to play it more than 72 hours later. Which would therefore enable family share play and qualify as ownership. That makes sense when the refund policy would take effect as prior to that, you had not purchased the game and there would be nothing to refund.

nullable 20 Mar @ 5:19pm

Originally posted by Predator:
The refund policy doesnt state this so wondering where you are getting this information?

The refund polucy states time played. Why doesn't previous time count, aside from it would be convenient for you? Where are you getting your "since purchase" assumptions from?

Predator 20 Mar @ 5:40pm

Originally posted by nullable:
Originally posted by Predator:
The refund policy doesnt state this so wondering where you are getting this information?

The refund polucy states time played. Why doesn't previous time count, aside from it would be convenient for you? Where are you getting your "since purchase" assumptions from?

did you not see the last post. The policy literally starts with
Where Refunds Apply
The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase

You should probably read the policy first. There is a return period, that is two weeks from purchasing the game. So no assumptions, i just read the policy.

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Chompman 20 Mar @ 6:03pm

Originally posted by Predator:
Originally posted by nullable:

The refund polucy states time played. Why doesn't previous time count, aside from it would be convenient for you? Where are you getting your "since purchase" assumptions from?
did you not see the last post. The policy literally starts with
Where Refunds Apply
The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase

You should probably read the policy first. There is a return period, that is two weeks from purchasing the game. So no assumptions, i just read the policy.

It's two weeks and two hours played and you have over that amount of playtime.

Either of them will invalidate your refund if they choose to base it on your playtime.

Last edited by Chompman; 20 Mar @ 6:04pm

#11

nullable 20 Mar @ 6:26pm

Originally posted by Predator:
Originally posted by nullable:

The refund polucy states time played. Why doesn't previous time count, aside from it would be convenient for you? Where are you getting your "since purchase" assumptions from?
did you not see the last post. The policy literally starts with
Where Refunds Apply
The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase

You should probably read the policy first. There is a return period, that is two weeks from purchasing the game. So no assumptions, i just read the policy.

Oh we've got to the part of the process where you're cherry picking and ignoring the other parts.

So again, what about the two hours? Why doesn't time count in your estimation? Where does it suggest time played resets?

Last edited by nullable; 20 Mar @ 6:27pm

#12

Satoru 20 Mar @ 6:54pm

Originally posted by nullable:

Oh we've got to the part of the process where you're cherry picking and ignoring the other parts.

So again, what about the two hours? Why doesn't time count in your estimation? Where does it suggest time played resets?

People only see what they want to see, not what is actually there.

#13

rawWwRrr 20 Mar @ 7:24pm

Originally posted by Predator:
Originally posted by nullable:

The refund polucy states time played. Why doesn't previous time count, aside from it would be convenient for you? Where are you getting your "since purchase" assumptions from?
did you not see the last post. The policy literally starts with
Where Refunds Apply
The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase

You should probably read the policy first. There is a return period, that is two weeks from purchasing the game. So no assumptions, i just read the policy.

Correct. No assumptions. But you're omitting the 2 hours of playtime.

1. Buy game.
2. Play for 10 days.
3. Submit refund.
4. Get money.
5. Rebuy game.
6. Play for 10 days.
7. Submit refund.
8. Get money.
9. Rebuy game..... this is why there is a total playtime criteria. Without it, someone would just continue refunding just to keep playing until they finish the game and then refund it for good.

https://steamhost.cn/help_steampowered_com/en/faqs/view/784C-923B-A4A1-C825

Valve will, upon request via steamhost.cn/help_steampowered_com, issue a refund for any title that is requested within 14 days of purchase and has been played for less than 2 hours.

https://steamhost.cn/help_steampowered_com/en/faqs/view/5FDE-BA65-ACCE-A411

Valve will, upon request via steamhost.cn/help_steampowered_com, issue a refund for any title that is requested within 14 days of purchase and has been played for less than 2 hours (this includes online, offline and shared library playtime).

https://steamhost.cn/steam_refunds

The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime, applies to games and software applications on the Steam store.

It is always two specific criteria: 1) 14 days (2 weeks) of ownership; and 2) less than 2 hours of playtime.

There is no defining characteristic of those hours such as "played since purchase". It is 2 hours of playtime. 30 minutes on a free weekend, 45 minutes from a shared library, 60 minutes since ownership in the last 2 weeks, sorry... that's 2 hours 15 minutes of playtime and no longer qualifies for refund.

#14

76561198407601200 20 Mar @ 7:52pm

Originally posted by Predator:
Originally posted by nullable:

The refund polucy states time played. Why doesn't previous time count, aside from it would be convenient for you? Where are you getting your "since purchase" assumptions from?
did you not see the last post. The policy literally starts with
Where Refunds Apply
The Steam refund offer, within two weeks of purchase

You should probably read the policy first. There is a return period, that is two weeks from purchasing the game. So no assumptions, i just read the policy.

2 weeks and 2 hours, you've exceeded that by 7 hours from what your op states. Again, keyword is "and".

#15

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Date Posted: 20 Mar @ 4:11pm

Posts: 29

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