Originally posted by Alchemist43:

I submitted a refund request for a game tagged as early access. I've played only 11 minutes of this game. That purchase was over 14 days old but the game is not released as 1.0 version yet and still has an early access flag on it. Steam's own refund policy states that I would be eligible for a refund but it keeps getting auto-denied by robots and then immediately the ticket is closed and I can't respond.

The refund policy is:

WITHIN 2 weeks of purchase AND with LESS than 2 hours of playtime.

Both conditions must be met as the refund process is automated and it's checks those two parameters.

You are over the 2 week limit. Your playtime of 11 minutes is irrelevant.

You can try a manual refund via "I have a question about this purchase" and a human will check your request but it is discretionary and you are not guaranteed a refund.

And finally the game was released in Early Access. The game not being 1.0 has zero relevance as you got it pre 1.0.

The 14 days old is only excluded for game's that are NOT playable before release. Early Access are playable before the official release date of 1.0.

Also....

Are Early Access games eligible for refunds?
Early Access games qualify for refunds the same as other purchases - playtime and date of purchase are both considered.

https://steamhost.cn/help_steampowered_com/en/faqs/view/6554-ED29-FBDB-1612

Originally posted by Alchemist43:

I submitted a refund request for a game tagged as early access. I've played only 11 minutes of this game. That purchase was over 14 days old but the game is not released as 1.0 version yet and still has an early access flag on it. Steam's own refund policy states that I would be eligible for a refund but it keeps getting auto-denied by robots and then immediately the ticket is closed and I can't respond.

Early Access doesn't excuse it from the refund rules of 2HR/2WK. You might be thinking of pre-ordering where you can obtain a refund at any time prior to release no matter how old the purchase is. An Early Access game is a released title, therefore the 2 week limitation applies.

The best you can hope for is to file for an exception as outlined above via the "I have a question route" but that is not a guaranteed approval. It will be seen by a human who will determine whether or not to provide one. If they still deny you, then that will be the final answer.

Good luck.

What is the exact message you're getting when it is denied?


Let me be clear. when I say "exact", I'm not asking you to paraphrase it. I'm not asking you to say something like "It says I don't qualify". I am asking you to quote the message here as it appears when you read it so we can read the message you see. You'll want to use copy/paste for this.