STEAMED
Steam closes refund loophole meaning less people can get their money back on games
The change in rules means that fewer people will be able to get a refund on their games
IN the past few years there has been a change in the way that games are sold.
Big triple-A games now offer a Premium version of some kind that allows you to play a game a few days early for around £30 / $30 extra.
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Many publishers call this period ‘Early Access’, which has caused a loophole in Steam’s refund policy.
This is because the term Early Access already exists with a completely different meaning.
Originally Early Access meant that a game was not complete and usually sold at a lower price while still under development.
There will still be bugs in the game or missing content, and the team is looking for feedback on how to improve it.
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Most Steam games have a 2-hour refund policy, meaning that if you play less than 2 hours of a game you are guaranteed a full refund.
However, Early Access games do not have this loophole and you can grab a full refund at any point while the game is still in this Early Access period.
This is why the new Premium Editions, which claim they allow “Early Access”, are so confusing.
These games are complete, and simply let players access the full game a few days earlier.
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Steam has now called this period Advanced Access, and players using this premium edition perk will no longer be able to claim a refund if they have more than 2 hours of playtime.
Before the change, people could complete a game in what is now called Advanced Access and then refund it.
Some of these games require 40+ hours to complete, and you could still play the entire thing completely free.
Steam is putting an end to this, and the hours played during Advanced Access will count towards your eligibility for a refund.
You can still refund a game in Advanced Access if you have played for less than two hours.
If you want to read more about Steam, check out how you can grab a free upgrade for Fallout 4.
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