2017 https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/discussions/forum/1/2906376154320793429/
This practice continues for years. They also have trolls to defend it. https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/app/402310/discussions/0/3068614788761288997/?ctp=2#c3068614788761712019

You as a customer have a limited time for complaints.
But they can revoke the game at any time, even after 10 years. They have your money, you don't have a game.
This has been working for years! Valve knows about it, Valve doesn't do anything about it.
Valve is comfortable because it damages shops outside Valve (Steam is the only one secure games shop. All Steam codes can disappear at any time, but not games purchased directly through Steam).

That is steams answer to my report

" Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to Steam Support.

Unfortunately, the CD Key for this game has been revoked by the game publisher. This can happen when a batch of keys are stolen, or perhaps the key was for a beta game that has shipped and you'll need to purchase it.

You should contact whoever sold you the key for further assistance.

Thanks for using Steam,"

They do not care. Their stance is a violation of the EU consumer protection law. I will just contact them.

Originally posted by Brother PaciFist:

That is steams answer to my report

" Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out to Steam Support.

Unfortunately, the CD Key for this game has been revoked by the game publisher. This can happen when a batch of keys are stolen, or perhaps the key was for a beta game that has shipped and you'll need to purchase it.

You should contact whoever sold you the key for further assistance.

Thanks for using Steam,"

They do not care. Their stance is a violation of the EU consumer protection law. I will just contact them.

Good luck. It is best to contact your local consumer rights organization. I solved this problem in 2017, but I didn't finish it. I had other problems.

It's a tough situation to judge, honestly. I think there should at least be some justification and a plan to compensate legitimate customers (providing proof of purchase) required, and most importantly more information provided to affected customers.

In this particular case it's obvious that Fanatical as a legitimate Steam seller got screwed over by a shortsighted and angry dev.

Originally posted by Brother PaciFist:

They do not care. Their stance is a violation of the EU consumer protection law. I will just contact them.

Actually, they did not act as seller, Fanatical did, so Valve really carries no responsibility in this case. The only thing you *could* try and argue is that Valve were the ones actually revoking the copies in question on their platform, but that would probably be easy to brush off as they're doing so at the behest of the devs.

Right, it's a topic for customer rights and laws. Unfortunately, it's wasted time to discuss it on a platform which is anti-consumer developed.

It's a topic about own property and purchase and sale of used software licenses and lobby associations.

Last time there was a big talk with the developers of Descenders who have complained via social media and also on steam. Critism was banned, some users have received a lifetime ban and Valve is supporting this behaviour. Why? Because they make money from it, as well as providing the platform and opportunities for it.

And customers have to go against this behaviour at the whole thing. Not only seperated for each game/product in forums that are confusing, or even at the mercy of some moderators and developers

Also that you give up almost all rights with one click is not correct (during purchase or use with partly illegal terms of use)

Originally posted by TheFourteen:

Originally posted by Brother PaciFist:

They do not care. Their stance is a violation of the EU consumer protection law. I will just contact them.

Actually, they did not act as seller, Fanatical did, so Valve really carries no responsibility in this case. The only thing you *could* try and argue is that Valve were the ones actually revoking the copies in question on their platform, but that would probably be easy to brush off as they're doing so at the behest of the devs.

Valve Steam gives the developers/publishers the option to revoke my key, without the holder of the key to question this or to hear the story of the customer. That is just against consumer laws in my country. I bought a product/service and i have no right to object against this decision. It IS their responsibility if they want to sell products in my country. They have to follow the laws in my country. They are not above the law.

Whoever has the energy, write to the European Commission.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_170
Valve would rather pay ridiculous fines than change anything.
Just a simple thing, limit the revocation of codes. For example, for 180 days from their generation. But even Valve is not willing to do it!

Originally posted by fukot.sk > hidden bored gamer:

Whoever has the energy, write to the European Commission.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_170
Valve would rather pay ridiculous fines than change anything.
Just a simple thing, limit the revocation of codes. For example, for 180 days from their generation. But even Valve is not willing to do it!

i did it. If they want to support the EU with millions of fines, have it their way.

Originally posted by Brother PaciFist:

Originally posted by fukot.sk > hidden bored gamer:

Whoever has the energy, write to the European Commission.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_170
Valve would rather pay ridiculous fines than change anything.
Just a simple thing, limit the revocation of codes. For example, for 180 days from their generation. But even Valve is not willing to do it!

i did it. If they want to support the EU with millions of fines, have it their way.

Thanks. You can also send my link there when I dealt with 2017 too. Valve is a private company, the profit is in billions dollars per year (or few years). Fines in millions are ridiculous.

Originally posted by Brother PaciFist:

Originally posted by TheFourteen:

Actually, they did not act as seller, Fanatical did, so Valve really carries no responsibility in this case. The only thing you *could* try and argue is that Valve were the ones actually revoking the copies in question on their platform, but that would probably be easy to brush off as they're doing so at the behest of the devs.

Valve Steam gives the developers/publishers the option to revoke my key, without the holder of the key to question this or to hear the story of the customer. That is just against consumer laws in my country. I bought a product/service and i have no right to object against this decision. It IS their responsibility if they want to sell products in my country.

The problem is that Valve only acts as middleman for keys sold off-site. They don't earn a penny from those keys, they merely provide the developer with the infrastructure, which also includes those tools to create or disable keys.

The ones directly in the line of fire of consumer law is the seller, who is in this case Fanatical, who you paid for the product. Valve has no influence on this matter either which way. Revokations aren't something to use lightly, and the developer/publisher is also bound by agreements with Valve which include those tools.

The question relevant to Valve is merely whether the use of that tool by the dev was made in good faith or constitutes a breach of contract / is grounds for breaking off working relations with them. They're not liable to the customer, so long as the customer did not buy the game directly through them.... where the hurdles for revoking the game would be much higher since Valve has actual, direct oversight over the transaction.

It's not just that Fanatical heavily advertised the game too on their website. If you look at the picture for the game. You will recognise it. It was advertised for ages. This is such an awful move from the dev. Even if I got the game back I wouldn't play it. Given their attitude. And I won't play any of their games.

Originally posted by DarkChaplain:

Originally posted by Brother PaciFist:

Valve Steam gives the developers/publishers the option to revoke my key, without the holder of the key to question this or to hear the story of the customer. That is just against consumer laws in my country. I bought a product/service and i have no right to object against this decision. It IS their responsibility if they want to sell products in my country.

The problem is that Valve only acts as middleman for keys sold off-site. They don't earn a penny from those keys, they merely provide the developer with the infrastructure, which also includes those tools to create or disable keys.

The ones directly in the line of fire of consumer law is the seller, who is in this case Fanatical, who you paid for the product. Valve has no influence on this matter either which way. Revokations aren't something to use lightly, and the developer/publisher is also bound by agreements with Valve which include those tools.

The question relevant to Valve is merely whether the use of that tool by the dev was made in good faith or constitutes a breach of contract / is grounds for breaking off working relations with them. They're not liable to the customer, so long as the customer did not buy the game directly through them.... where the hurdles for revoking the game would be much higher since Valve has actual, direct oversight over the transaction.

They are partly responsible. They give the publisher the rights to revoke the keys but not the consumer to object the revokation. So they are violating consumer rights in my country.

Originally posted by Brother PaciFist:

Originally posted by TheFourteen:

Actually, they did not act as seller, Fanatical did, so Valve really carries no responsibility in this case. The only thing you *could* try and argue is that Valve were the ones actually revoking the copies in question on their platform, but that would probably be easy to brush off as they're doing so at the behest of the devs.

Valve Steam gives the developers/publishers the option to revoke my key, without the holder of the key to question this or to hear the story of the customer. That is just against consumer laws in my country. I bought a product/service and i have no right to object against this decision. It IS their responsibility if they want to sell products in my country. They have to follow the laws in my country. They are not above the law.

Steam has to do that by the law...

They have a branch in Germany and are subject to EU law, specifically Germany.

European representative for data protection questions:
Valve GmbH
Att. Legal
Rödingsmarkt 9
D-20459 Hamburg
Germany
https://store.steampowered.com/privacy_agreement/