How To Get Your Money Back On Steam Games You Don't Like

Bought a game through Steam that you didn’t quite like? No worries, Valve Corp.'s software download service will now give you your money back -- if you ask.

This applies for nearly anything on Steam and for any reason, as detailed on Steam’s website. Though there are a few rules. Steam will only issue the refund if a request for one has been made within 14 days of purchase and the title has only been played for less than two hours. This also applies to downloadable (DLC) content, bundles and Steam Wallet funds. Customers can also get refunds on in-game purchases, but only within 48-hours of purchase.

Customers that pre-purchase a title ahead of its release can request a refund at any time before its launch. After it releases, standard rules apply.

But cheaters and scammers beware; Steam will not issue refunds on a game where a user was banned by the Valve Anti-Cheat System (VAC). The service can also bar customers from requesting refunds in the future if it finds they are using it to obtain games for free. This doesn’t apply to situations where customers get a refund to a title to purchase it again after finding it on sale at a later date.

It's a complete change from Steam’s previous policy where no refunds were issued, unless required by local law. And it comes two years after EA Origin, a competing online software store, began offering users refunds for titles within seven days of purchase or 24 hours after a game is released. First launched in 2003 for PCs, Steam has grown to support Mac OS X, Linux and SteamOS, its own operating system.