As far as video game companies go, Valve is usually seen in a more positive light compared to others. It’s not perfect and it has had plenty of issues in the past. But, more often than not, gamers will side with the company that’s co-founded by the one and only, Gabe Newell, who’s often meme’d about and referred to by PC gamers as Lord Gaben. However, as they say, even the best fall down sometimes, and in this particular case, there’s really no excusing Valve for what appears to be an ongoing issue with FedEx “stealing” Steam Decks from consumers.
A Reddit thread posted by u/sexipanda is going viral online for what many are describing as a “scummy” move on the part of Valve for not stepping in when the said user complained about not having received their Steam Deck. To make matters worse, Valve acknowledges that FedEx had delivered the Steam Deck to the wrong address, but, as per the title, Valve “can’t refund or send a replacement”, or to be more accurate, the usually generous company isn’t offering to do so.
So, basically, u/sexipanda is now left with a bill for a Steam Deck that they didn’t receive.
Upon further inspection, this is an ongoing issue with the Steam Deck, dating all the way back to when it was first released last February. In a separate Reddit thread posted by u/Defenex from soon after Valve started shipping out the Steam Deck, the user details what he describes as his “Fedex Nightmare” after the courier service labeled his package as delivered even though they never got it. The only difference is that u/Defenex’s story has a happy ending.
After a few days of raising the issue with Valve, customer service offered him a refund. But, at the time, this wasn’t an ideal scenario because this meant that they’d have to return to the back of the line and wait for months to get their Steam Deck. Luckily, FedEx decided to investigate the matter (they believe Valve’s refund sent alarm bells over at the company) and they later found the package, delivering it to the rightful owner nearly two weeks after FedEx originally claimed it was shipped.
Unfortunately, this positive outcome appears to be an outlier. In most cases, Valve is washing its hands clean, leaving it to the customer and FedEx to duke it out, effectively telling customers to take a hike because they can’t do anything about it because the package left their warehouse as it should.
If you look for other similar situations online, you’ll find many horror stories of FedEx trying to “steal” Steam Deck units by labeling them as delivered even though the package never left their warehouse. Some speculate that there’s an “inside job” going on over at FedEx, leading to calls for Valve to make the package more discreet so it’s not as obvious that it contains a highly sought-after and valuable piece of electronic gadget. Others suggest reporting the issue to the police and getting back to Valve with the police report, but, so far, all these measures have had mixed results.
Apparently, the best way to make either Valve or FedEx listen is to ask your bank and/or credit card company to refund the purchase, which doesn’t always work either.
These aren’t ideal solutions to a problem that Valve can solve simply by stepping in and asking FedEx where the customer’s packages are going. Even though this isn’t a prevalent issue – Valve is believed to have shipped more than 3 million units in over a year – it’s big enough that multiple users have complained over the past year. But, the thing that makes this situation more infuriating is Valve’s lackadaisical approach to the ordeal.
From scanning through the “resolved” issues, or at least those that bothered to post an update, the only way for FedEx to backtrack and double-check is for a refund to happen or for Valve to step in. In the case of u/sexipanda, Valve told them to kick rocks and that the issue is between them and FedEx, effectively distancing itself from a problem it could help solve. It’s unclear if u/sexipanda’s next ticket will resolve things, but we’re hoping for a positive update.
For now, those who eventually got their Steam Deck after a slight hiccup suggest demanding FedEx send proof of the box in the environment of the delivery address. So, your house or your office should definitely be in the background, with the package clear and visible. The photo shouldn’t just be zoomed in on the box or of the box itself.
Luckily, it’s not all bad news for Valve. After years of hiatus, Lord Gaben has finally woken up and put his minions to work on new games, including Counter-Strike 2, a new VR headset, a successor to the Steam Deck, and a bunch of other secret projects.
