return games Physical games have always turned out to be a simple process, but when it comes to digital games sold on different platforms, things can get a bit complicated. Luckily, on Valve’s platform, Steam, you have the ability to return your games if you’re not happy with it or run into technical issues that prevent you from enjoying the optimal experience.
Of course, that return implies recovering the money invested in the product in question, something that happens thanks to Steam’s refund policy. However, you should keep in mind that you can only return it if the title was purchased from the Valve store and not from other video game key sites.
If you have doubts about how to return a game in Stream, in this TecVideos article we tell you the steps to follow to refund a steam game on your Steam credit card or wallet, as well as how to return gift cards.
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Steam Refund Policies
Steam’s refund policies are not very complex and can be found on Valve’s own platform, where you can check them out at any time. Even so, we are going to leave you the most important ones here, so that you take them into account when you want to buy a game, but you are not sure if you will really like it. To apply for the refund, you must:
- Have purchased the game no more than 14 days ago.
- Haven’t played the game you want to return for more than 2 hours.
- If it’s a DLC, it must not have been transferred.
Once you are clear about these characteristics, or the entire refund policy as a whole, you are ready to start the process of return of a game on Steam.
Can Steam gifts be returned?
If you have bought a gift set For someone else, Steam also offers return options if the gift hasn’t been exchanged yet. In the event that it has been exchanged, it will be the recipient of the gift who must start the refund process and, in both circumstances, it must be done within the first 14 days from the purchase and without having played the game for more than 2 hours.
What about Steam wallet funds?
If you have added funds to your wallet and you have done it directly from Steam, you will also be able to request a refund to your card during the first 14 days after adding them to your portfolio.
How to request a refund on Steam
Requesting a refund through Steam is quite simple if you know where the options are to do so. Follow the steps below and you will be able to return games that you don’t like or that you bought by mistake:
- To get started, open Steam and access your library. Once inside, find the game you want to return and click on it.
- In the same section where it appears Store Page, Meeting Points, Find Groups, Discussions and Guides, you will find the Support tabwhere you have to go to continue with the process.
- Normally, if you decide refund a product on Steam, it is usually linked to a brief and bad experience or a malfunction, or your PC is not compatible with the requirements of the game. Therefore, you will have to click on the Technical or gameplay problem section, which will take you to another menu in which you will have to provide more details of the reason that leads you to request a refund for said game.
- In the form that you will find you can specify the reasons that have led you to return the game.
- You will also need to indicate the payment method you used to purchase the product on Steam, be it Visa, MasterCard, or PayPal, for example.
How long does it take to refund the money?
Once the entire process is finished, you will have to wait for Steam to study the case and notify you of the decision they have made. Surely, you are wondering how long the process takes. If your refund request is accepted, it will take between 4 days and a week to execute your request. Although if you have not started the game at any time or you have not given it away, you will receive the refund in less than 48 hours.
Always remember to keep Steam’s refund policies in mind when you buy a game so you know what your options are if you regret it.
If you are looking for new games to try, we advise you to take a look at our list of most anticipated games for 2021 and 2022, so you can keep an eye on the next releases!
How to refund Steam wallet funds
Some people add funds to their Steam wallet to have them available every time they go to buy a new game. In this way, they do not have the need to use the credit card or other payment methods. There are two ways to add funds to your Steam wallet: through funds cards purchased from third parties, or directly from Steam.
Wallet funds can only be refunded if purchased directly from Steam. If this is your case and you want the money you have assigned to the wallet to be returned to youyou just have to follow these steps:
- Go to the View My Portfolio option in your profile dropdown in the top right corner of the screen.
- Once inside, click on the option See my account details on the right side.
- In the Shop and Purchase History section, select the View Purchase History option. You will see all the income and expenses of your portfolio.
- Select the deposit you made and if the funds have not been spent yet, Steam should give you the option to refund the amount deposited.
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