A warning about Steam bait and switch tactics

Totality · 20 Mar 2014 at 05:57

I feel like a bit of an idiot. I promised myself after crap releases last year I would never pre-order again, but low and behold I did and have now been burned... Not by a bad game, but by a new tactic I haven't seen before in the PC games industry.

The game I am talking about is "Men of War: Assault Squad 2". I own all the previous titles and love them so had no reason to suspect pre-ordering would be an issue.

Here's what happened and a warning about Steam:

1. Pre-order was live ages ago and originally due for release 20th Feb 2014 then last minute put back by a month - no probs only a month

2. No update from devs until the last day and on 19th March a day before release, they suddenly CHANGE the game to "Early access" instead of "Pre-order"

3. By changing to early access, the refund option is now removed from Steam and you are stuck with a title that now has no actual release date...

4. Steam refuse to refund the title as it is a "Early access title" now instead of a "Pre-order"

Just a heads up as I think this is completely shocking company practice. A developer can advertise a pre-order, get a load of orders and the day before release change the title to early access and Steam refuses to refund...

Here is the steam thread about this particular game - so be warned if you have not had this sort of bait and switch happen to you as of yet!

Surely this is illegal? http://steamcommunity.com/app/244450/discussions/0/540736587364123620/#p1

And of course being Steam, you cannot charge back via credit card or they ban your account.

Antar Bolaeisk · 20 Mar 2014 at 06:28

I think you should get in contact with the developers rather than Steam. Steam have always been a bit crappy when it comes to refunds and in this case I can see it as being a bit of a gray area as you now have access to the game you paid for which means that Steam have fulfilled their end of the service.

MrMoonX · 20 Mar 2014 at 07:09

Demand a refund from steam, you bought a preorder not early access so could argue under consumer laws it's not as described

Omaeka · 20 Mar 2014 at 08:04

Demand all you want, nothing short of a pistol to the side of the head will get you a refund with Steam. They're pro-consumer like that.

MrMoonX · 20 Mar 2014 at 08:27

Omaeka said:
Demand all you want, nothing short of a pistol to the side of the head will get you a refund with Steam. They're pro-consumer like that.

Yet everyone is so fanboy about them lol

FrenchTart · 20 Mar 2014 at 08:52

Omaeka really loves Steam.

Raise it with support again and then drop an email to Gabe. In the past he has sorted out crappy situations with Steam support who are generally really good. (Lol, just kidding. They're awful.)

Sleepery · 20 Mar 2014 at 09:02

Omaeka · 20 Mar 2014 at 09:03

Not as much as I love fanboys who for some unfathomable reason believe a company they give their money to can do no wrong. Don't think it even falls under buyers remorse, it's just utterly bizarre.

FrenchTart · 20 Mar 2014 at 09:15

Omaeka said:
Not as much as I love fanboys who for some unfathomable reason believe a company they give their money to can do no wrong. Don't think it even falls under buyers remorse, it's just utterly bizarre.

People who are rabid about a subject are often quite tiresome. Be they fanbois or 'haters'.

Steam aren't perfect - anybody that thinks they are is indeed a fanboi.

merrick · 20 Mar 2014 at 11:44

steam refunded me my preorder for castlevania 2 after I saw the reviews and wanted to cancel it the day before release.

FrenchTart · 20 Mar 2014 at 11:54

merrick said:
steam refunded me my preorder for castlevania 2 after I saw the reviews and wanted to cancel it the day before release.

That's a completely different situation to the OP.

rwm24 · 20 Mar 2014 at 11:55

merrick said:
steam refunded me my preorder for castlevania 2 after I saw the reviews and wanted to cancel it the day before release.

That's not what the OP is talking about.

Getting a refund for a pre-order isn't the problem. Getting a refund for an early access game is the problem... apparently even if you paid when it was a pre-order.

jubei · 20 Mar 2014 at 11:57

If you didn't play the game you should be entitled to the refund. If you installed early access and had a go then no.

I am pro steam myself just be arise it works so well and has my collection on there. I don't buy games if they require origin or uplay.

James J · 20 Mar 2014 at 11:58

I got a refund on metro last light that I preordered and played for 4 hours on release. Refunded as it was a pure buggy piece of ****. They didn't have to refund me but they did, so I can't complain about their CS tbh.

Totality · 20 Mar 2014 at 12:32

James J said:
I got a refund on metro last light that I preordered and played for 4 hours on release. Refunded as it was a pure buggy piece of ****. They didn't have to refund me but they did, so I can't complain about their CS tbh.

The problem is that the customer service isn't the same for everyone - it depends who you get hold of. Sometimes my tickets are just completely ignored!

The problem I have with this situation is that the game was up for sale as a pre-order but was switched the day before release to early access and those people that pre-ordered were not given the OPTION to convert to early access or cancel the pre-order.

I have no problem if the game is delayed, but never buy early access stuff as I do not agree with no release dates. I would much rather just wait and purchase a title that has a firm release date - not one they trickle out and it never gets released such as "Prison Architect".

The point of this thread is to make people aware that this can happen. I really hope more devs don't realise this loop hole exists and start turning their game into early access last minute locking people into a purchase with no firm release date anymore.

Arthur Hucksake · 20 Mar 2014 at 12:43

A nice email to the likes of IGN, Giant Bomb etc would do wonders here.

They like to report on these things and soon as it's out there, Steam will do something.

Komedy · 20 Mar 2014 at 12:45

Have you tried the might of the DSRs

tom_e · 20 Mar 2014 at 12:53

The DSR does not apply to intangible goods such as digital downloads so you got lucky.

Aedus · 20 Mar 2014 at 13:00

^Indeed, DSR doesn't apply.

But changing a game from pre-order to Early Access and then refusing a refund is ridiculous.

I believe their terms state so long as the game is not yet released and you haven't played said game, they will refund you. So keep on at them.

Totality · 20 Mar 2014 at 14:06

Aedus said:
^Indeed, DSR doesn't apply.

But changing a game from pre-order to Early Access and then refusing a refund is ridiculous.

I believe their terms state so long as the game is not yet released and you haven't played said game, they will refund you. So keep on at them.

I'm not sure whether to blame the developers or Steam as a platform for sales (it is Steam after all that is refusing refunds). The devs have the power to change it last minute to early access and with less than 24 hours notice they obviously knew what they were doing, but then you have to look at how Steam handles the people that pre-ordered through them. Amazon, for example, have put the release date further back but you still have the option to simply cancel the order whereas that option with Steam dissapears when it moves over to early access.

In that regard, ordering through Amazon allows cancellation of the order - so maybe it is just Steam that has a messed up view on how the real world works?

Steam really shouldn't convert pre-orders to early access without confirming with the end-user first in my opinion.