Steam Refunds And inevitable Sales Thread

[BB]

The sale-themed trading cards have appeared, so it's time once again to block your accountant's phone number and organise your wishlist.

Valve have just announced that Steam will now support refunds for any reason as long as it's requested in 14 days of purchase and you have less than 2 hours of playtime. More pertinently, We do not consider it abuse to request a refund on a title that was purchased just before a sale and then immediately rebuying that title for the sale price.

The last voice of doubt, one Mssr. Buyer's Regret, has been slain. It's hog-wild time.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

In some areas at least, Valve knows what the public wants, even if their wallets protest

[Aerozord]

I'm not as big on Valve as others, mostly because I know an evil corporation with good PR when I see it. Still I must commend them for being smart enough to know one of the wisest business practices is to be fair to the consumer.

I do see one coin whose sides make this an issue. Things like DLC thats just shallow crap for 20 bucks that you burn through in half an hour will die. However legit short but fun games will struggle alot. If its a 1 dollar indy you can beat in two hours I suspect alot of people will just beat it and refund it.

Pros outweigh the cons, and I'm hoping there are enough honest consumers that this wont be an issue

[BB]

Things like DLC thats just shallow crap for 20 bucks that you burn through in half an hour will die. However legit short but fun games will struggle alot. If its a 1 dollar indy you can beat in two hours I suspect alot of people will just beat it and refund it.


The article (http://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds?snr=1_41_4__42), which I did not link to in the OP for some reason, states exceptions for DLC and consumable content, and by the way the Abuse section is worded I think these are dealt with on a case-by-case basis so they'll be able to figure out if you're requesting refunds on games you've finished and deny it.

[phil_]

The sale-themed trading cards have appearedWhere, and how do I get them so I can sell them?

[BB]

Where, and how do I get them so I can sell them?

Under your badges you should have a Mysterious badge with zero progress. Currently the only way to get them is to craft another badge- you'd usually get a voucher for this but during sales it's an event card instead. Once the event starts there'll likely be other ways to get them.

[mauve]

Ah, summer is truly on the way: Steam Summer Sale is on the horizon.

[Arcanum]

So is this gonna be the Steam Sales thread? Because I'm gonna use it as the Steam sale thread. Because it's summer sale time, and this year's gimmick is a clicker/idle game (look up Cookie Clicker if you don't know what that means).

Not sure how I feel about the gimmick, but I know how I feel about the sales.

Sad.

Because it's day 1 and I already spent $45.

[Bard The 5th LW]

There's not a lot I feel the need or desire to grab. Darksiders is the only one I think I'm going to go for. Maybe a few small indie things if they go down more than 50%.

[BB]

So is this gonna be the Steam Sales thread? Because I'm gonna use it as the Steam sale thread.

That was the plan. I'd update it, but I have to click on monsters.

[synkr0nized]

Because it's day 1 and I already spent $45.

lol

[Revising Ocelot]

Many games this year jack up their base price before providing a discount, either bringing it back to the original price or a tiny amount of saved money that's misrepresented by the -% of the new higher base price. Seems a lot of people learned from DayZ sales. Scummy.

GTA 5. Only package the game with ingame cash thingies that still make you pay the original price. Actually worse value than the stuff you'd get for preordering. Scummy.

Stupid concept game that doesn't even work and is an idle clicker thing. Scummy.

I spit on you, Steam sale. Give me a GMG sale instead.

[Aerozord]

I've kind of learned the Steam Sale isn't that big of a deal. It just hypes up alot of sales that were already going on like xcom

[mauve]

I feel the ancient power of greed welling up inside me. Rushing through my veins, whispering to my subconscious. How long can I resist its deadly allure?

Answer: Oh hey Tales from the Borderlands is in the daily sale. And Gemini Rue is 70% off? Well might as well throw that in there too.

Edit: SWEET, found a leftover giftcard from Christmas! That validates all my purchases!

[Bard The 5th LW]

I got Darksiders. I might buy some other game as like, a gift or something for someone but I doubt I'll buy much more for myself.

[Gregness]

Valkyria Chronicles is up for $5. It's honestly worth it's full price even now, so this is a steal. The Homeworld Remaster is also down to like $14, I'm just debating with myself how much room I have in my budget.

[Arcanum]

I mean, I've been eyeing Styx: Master of Shadows, Sniper Elite 3, and Hotline Miami 2 for several months now, and was just waiting for them to inevitably go on sale. It just so happened they all went on sale on the first day.

The only other games I'll be buying are Apotheon, Valdis Story, and Toren if they get good enough discounts. If Axiom Verge goes on sale then I'll buy that too but it's still pretty new so I doubt it will get a decent discount.

[Aerozord]

So anyone else think the new refund policy was intentionally released right before the sale?

[Loyal]

Valkyria Chronicles is up for $5. It's honestly worth it's full price even now, so this is a steal. The Homeworld Remaster is also down to like $14, I'm just debating with myself how much room I have in my budget.

Bought VC. Pretty ace, even if the tank controls are absolute ass from time to time.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

So anyone else think the new refund policy was intentionally released right before the sale?

Sure, Valve does tend to do multiple things at the same time so what better time to roll out the new return policy than summer sale time? There are a lot of folk out there with poor impulse control, life shit happens and that money dumped on games could be really handy to have right now, didn't research if the game was as good as the discount, etc.

Yeah Valve is kinda late to the digital returns party. But hey still better late than never.

[Aerozord]

Sure, Valve does tend to do multiple things at the same time so what better time to roll out the new return policy than summer sale time? There are a lot of folk out there with poor impulse control, life shit happens and that money dumped on games could be really handy to have right now, didn't research if the game was as good as the discount, etc.

Yeah Valve is kinda late to the digital returns party. But hey still better late than never.

I see it as the opposite. Knowing they can make returns people are more likely to buy even more because they have a sense of security. One thing that holds people up on buying things during the summer sale is worry a bigger sale might come up. Now they'd feel they have no reason not to get it instantly. Also concerns about minimum specs or specific features. They wont hesitate because if they are wrong they "can just return it"

I've worked retail for awhile and trust me return policies encourage people with poor impulse control, not discourage them. Once they have the item they are unlikely to return it even if they regret the purchase.

[edit]I'm not saying a refund policy is by any means bad, its a long time coming. Just I'm sure the timing was just savvy business

[BB]

I've taken one minor hit so far (Escape Machines for 11p... and it drops trading cards so I'll even earn it back) but I also spent some of my fiancee's money by hard-selling Sonic Racing Transformers Stupid Title Racing to her.

[mauve]

OH MY GOSH TALES FROM THE BORDERLANDS IS AMAZING. Best purchase.

---------- Post added at 04:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:00 AM ----------

Transistor is $4.99 today. I highly recommend it to those who haven't played it yet. Same with Grim Fandango, which is also on sale today.

[Solid Snake]

Revolving Ocelot: You're getting Divinity later this afternoon once I make it home to gift to you.

On the one hand, I was hoping for a higher percentage there for the discount but, on the other hand, sure can't gripe about effectively getting Witcher 3 for that price point.

[Revising Ocelot]

Thanks Snake!

I still have that Arkham Knight key for anyone interested. I don't think Kim has the money to spend on trades at the moment.

[Doc ock rokc]

Grumble-mumble Stupid hijacker making valve lock my account for this week...

[Aerozord]

Got block n load for 4 bucks, got the second copy so my brother/nephew can play too

[shiney]

Grumble-mumble Stupid hijacker making valve lock my account for this week...

Can't you just get another account and then gift all your purchases to your main? Or do they frown on that?

[Solid Snake]

Meanwhile, I can't believe that we don't have an E3 thread.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Meanwhile, I can't believe that we don't have an E3 thread.

Do we even need one? Outside of Fallout 4 I don't think anything of actual substance or quality has been discussed

[Revising Ocelot]

Regardless of other Sony details today (pffft Shenmue 3 KICKSTARTER?!?), MGSV trailer is by far my favourite simply because I worked out that Zero is voiced by David Bowie. I just can't handle this.

[Solid Snake]

Do we even need one? Outside of Fallout 4 I don't think anything of actual substance or quality has been discussed

LAST GUARDIAN
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE
IT'S THE TWO THINGS I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS FOR

[mauve]

All the base Batman Arkham games are $4.99 (except Knight, obviously). Asylum and City are steals at that price; Origins is barely worth that if you've played the others and are super bored and don't want to wait till the 23rd for more Batman. (I did not like Origins.)

[Aerozord]

Hey guys, how is Vampire: bloodlines?

I've heard good things and while it is date I do love wRPGs

I'm also iffy on Freedom Planet, I said I'd get it if it dropped some more but I haven't really been in a platformer mood lately

[Flarecobra]

It's quite fun.

[Aerozord]

It's quite fun.

which one?

[Solid Snake]

Can't say anything about Vampires, but Freedom Planet is the best 2D Sonic game I've played since Sonic 2 on the Genesis.

[Flarecobra]

VtMB, Aero.

[mauve]

So far I have only made purchases on two days of this sale; day one because I've been waiting for Tales from the Borderlands to go on sale, and yesterday because I bribed myself with videogames to go get some medical bloodwork done (I was supposed to do it last week but chickened out because needles scare me).

The damages thus far:
Tales from the Borderlands
Gemini Rue
Primordia
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel: Claptastic Voyage DLC
Battleblock Theater
Rayman Origins

Total:$29. Actual cost to me, post gift card and trading card sale money: $2.50.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I bought "The Long Dark" since it was half off. Think I'm done for the summer now though.

[BB]

I got Escape Machines, Gunpoint and Hatoful Boyfriend. I was a good child this summer and didn't buy stuff just because it was there. Got enough to play already and I don't even play that!

Although... there's still time to get Neptunia...

[Gregness]

I picked up the Legacy of Kain games, the first episode of Life is Strange, One Finger Death Punch, the Homeworld HD remaster, and I bought Valkyria Chronicles for a friend of mine. Oh, and The Wolf Among Us.

[Doc ock rokc]

I picked up the Legacy of Kain games

Sometimes a coin....can land on its edge...

[Arcanum]

Damage report:

Styx
Sniper Elite 3
Hotline Miami 2
Apotheon
Freedom Planet
Duck Game (gift, but I'll probably end up buying that friend a $7.50 game eventually)
Space Hulk Ascension
Killing Floor 2
Borderlands Presequel + Season Pass bundle

Total cost: ~$100 give or take a few dollars/cents

[Aerozord]

I only got
block n load
tales from borderlands
freedom planet

think I may return freedom planet though, my controler (xbox wired controler) isn't being recognized and I'm not playing a platformer with a keyboard

[mauve]

I love steam sales, but three days of encore sales of the same few games confuses me. I wish they'd encore some of the flash sales instead of the same few dailies.

[BB]

I just want to share the music that plays when you reach level 100,000,000 (http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/assets/minigame/towerattack/sfx/backgroundtrack2.ogg) of the monster clicker, because it's a really neat track that a lot of people didn't get to hear.

100m was the maximum level, by the way- after that, you get a kill-screen (http://i.imgur.com/7DS8yXW.png?1).

[mauve]

Chapter 3 of Tales from the Borderlands supposedly releases today. I am excite.

Also Battleblock Theater is quite fun, hilariously narrated, has great music, and was probably the best $2.50 for a two pack of games I've ever spent. Except now I have to fight the urge to use Stamper's lines in everyday conversations.