Valve May Need to Pay up to 3 Million in Fines

Valve may end up paying fines of 3 million AUS

There are very few people who weren’t happy when Steam received a refund system. They weren’t non-entities, some were concerned the system could be abused, but the reaction was generally positive. Although, it was quite a struggle to get Steam in this position in the first place. Valve took quite a bit of time to implement the refund policy, and legal issues may have been a motivator. They ran into quite a bit of trouble for not having a means to seek a refund in the first place. Because of how long it took them, Valve will have to pay a fine  that could range up to 3 million AUS.

Back in 2014, Valve was sued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for not providing refunds. This was eventually found to be in violation of Australian consumer rights, despite protests to the contrary. Because Steam’s products could be bought in Australia, the store had to meet Australian laws, which it failed to do. The ACCC has recently proposed the 3 million figure as punishment for the transgressions.

This number is not yet set in stone. Valve has counter proposal a much smaller number of 250,000 AUS. The trial is not yet over, although it may very well be soon. The justice heading the case aims for it to be done by mid-December or January. By then, we will know the results, as well as what the number on the fine will be.