One of the good advantages of using Steam is that you can get a refund even if you have played a game for some time.
Steam has over 50,000 games and gets thousands of download requests daily. Every year millions of users buy games, so it is evident that many are going to face trouble with their games.
This can be sorted out from Steam support but Steam generally doesn’t control the game and how it works.
Every game is designed differently and uses different engines. So, if you are having trouble with any game, you can simply refund it.
Steam’s Conditions On Games Refund
Now although Steam has the option to allow a refund, it doesn’t work every time. Steam has some conditions on when you can apply for a refund.
If you purchased a game less than 14 days ago and have played it for less than 2 hours, you are eligible for a refund.
So, technically you shouldn’t have played the game long enough or your request will be simply denied. This is a rule made by Steam so that the publishers aren’t hurt with a lot of refunds.
When you apply for a refund and your request is denied, you get an email from Steam with a reason for disapproval.
Is It Possible To Get A Refund After 2 Hours?
The time frame of 14 days and 2 hours of total gameplay is Steam’s own policy to provide users the refunds. This is outside the capability of game publishers and even if the publishers don’t want to approve a refund, Steam will still approve the refund due to its policy.
However, when 14 days and 2 hours of gameplay exceeds, the refund process is now under the control of game publishers. They can choose to give or not give any refunds if you exceed Steam’s refund window.
Steam states that,
Hence, you can apply for a refund as the refund option will still be there even after you cross Steam’s refund time window.
So, yes, it is possible to get a refund after 2 hours and after 14 days after the purchase.How Much You Can Exceed Steam Refund Window?
There is no clear answer to this one. I have had good luck personally with more than 3 hours of gameplay on a game.
Similarly, there are others that got their refund after a total gameplay time of more than 5 hours. Some users even got a refund from the publishers after spending more than 30-40 hours.
This entirely depends on the problems you are facing and how much the publisher is willing to listen to your request. If the game is broken badly, explaining the problems in detail may convince the publisher to refund you your money.
If the reason is that you are simply not enjoying the game, your request won’t be entertained.
Also, it is a lot more difficult to get a refund if you bought a game on sale or a game bundle on sale. I have personally had a problem with Batman Arkham Knight and it won’t launch after trying all the troubleshooting methods.
It was played for more than 7 hours and the publisher denied my refund request.
Trying A Workaround
Sometimes providing a different reason than what you are facing also gets your refund approved. This should be only done if your refund is getting denied and your game is broken and not working, We respect and endorse publishers’ right to earn from their games and digital products rightfully.
The example I am showing you below may or may not work for everyone because each case is different. You can try different workarounds if the following doesn’t work.
When you apply for the refund, simply go to Steam Support and click on Purchases and select the game you want to get a refund for.
Steam will ask, “What problem are you having with this product?” with some options under it.
Select “It’s not what I expected”- “I’d like to request a refund”.
Under “Tell us why”, you need to select a reason.
Choose “The game didn’t match the videos and screenshots”.
From here you can explain why you do not think that the game isn’t what you expected by finding out the flaws which are most of the time obvious as the official game trailers and screenshots are generally a little different from the actual game.
Final Words
Steam and publishers have their own processes for providing a refund. Steam unconditionally approves the refund if the time doesn’t exceed 14 days and 2 hours. Publishers, on the other hand, can approve refunds even after several hours.
Let us know if you were successful in getting a refund after 2 hours in the polls and comments below.
