Steam user wants to return a game, is rejected by Valve, but then starts begging
And let anyone say that writing “please, please” doesn’t work. A Steam user pushes through his interests even against initial resistance.
Customer support is one of those things. In theory, you can clearly define what is and isn’t allowed in your terms and conditions. This is how Steam and Valve handle complaints, for example: you can return a game within the first 14 days after purchase, provided you haven’t played it for more than two hours. A rule as clear as day.
But good customer service can also mean allowing exceptions to ensure customer satisfaction.
Amazon, for example, can be extremely accommodating when it comes to refunds. And Valve also sometimes shows itself to be lenient.
A generous refund
This is what happened on October 17, 2025.
A Steam user named BabaYodaTheFirst wants to return a Yakuza game that he has already spent more than two hours playing. The reason: Immediately after the purchase, the entire Yakuza series went on sale, and with the same money, the person could now also buy Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – two games for the price of one. The message reads:
I know I’ve passed the two-hour mark, but then I found out that the game has now gone on sale, and that feels so devastating. I love this series and would like to refund the game so that I can use the same money to buy Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii from the sale. I beg you, please help me with this.
If possible, please refund the money to my Steam Wallet. Thank you very much and sorry for the trouble.
Initially, Valve responds with the typical pre-written standard response, because the refund criteria have officially been exceeded with more than two hours of playtime:
Hello,
We have carefully reviewed your request. Unfortunately, your purchase does not qualify for a refund. To qualify in the future, please submit your refund request within 14 days of purchase and with less than two hours of playtime.
Steam Support
Seto
But Steam user BabaYodaTheFirst is far from done with his or her rhetorical tricks and fires off a classic adolescent argument that we probably all know from our teenage years. He/she writes:
Please, pleeease!
And lo and behold, Valve gives in:
Hello,
As a gesture of goodwill, we can refund the purchase price to your Steam Wallet. However, the wallet credit will remove the game from your account. Please reply to this ticket if you wish to proceed.
