Discussion on Steam Digital Gift Card system

[limeysoda]

Hello guys, limeysoda's first post here. Have you guys ever came across repeated failures when sending gift card to other steam friends? be it same country or others. Recently, I tried to send gift card to my friend in Turkey, the transaction was blocked. I can do so with no problem in the past. It seems like I am not the only one. I approached their support regarding the matter, no avail, they basically told me to take it or leave it by closing support ticket. This just further prove that Steam had been blocking it deliberately instead of technical difficulty judging off of their triggered reaction. This had me wonder if there are restrictions imposed on digital steam card, as per here and here, there are no restrictions other than being friends for 3 days at least, there are not even processing fee. Safe to say Steam is blatantly refusing to honor their own TOS, they make up as they go. Realising what they are up to, I feel like there's no point questioning them further, I resorted to lodging complaint via ftc to regarding Steam's denial to trade.

I doubt it will actually make a dent, better than doing nothing like a sitting duck then~

Share your story and your approach?

p.s. nice forum interface, I like it so much

 

[DXCHASE]

Welcome!

It could be something to do with laws in the country in which the person receiving the digital card is located. I have had no problems gifting cards to anyone, but the only person outside of the US that i did this with was someone in the UK and it gave me no problems.

 

[ZedClampet]

I can do so with no problem in the past. It seems like I am not the only one. I approached their support regarding the matter, no avail, they basically told me to take it or leave it by closing support ticket.

This is just a guess, but I suspect that the problem is region pricing. Game prices are incredibly cheap in Turkey, and at one time people were sending gift cards to players in Turkey (and other places), who would then buy a game cheap and gift it to the person who sent them the card. It almost became its own economy. Valve finally turned off gifting games from Turkey to other regions. Perhaps they also shut off the other side of it, gifting cards to people in Turkey.

 

[WoodenSaucer]

This is just a guess, but I suspect that the problem is region pricing. Game prices are incredibly cheap in Turkey, and at one time people were sending gift cards to players in Turkey (and other places), who would then buy a game cheap and gift it to the person who sent them the card. It almost became its own economy. Valve finally turned off gifting games from Turkey to other regions. Perhaps they also shut off the other side of it, gifting cards to people in Turkey.

Wow. And that was specifically for Turkey, and nowhere else?

 

[Zloth]

Uhhh, @limeysoda? Check your second "here" link. Click on the one about gift cards going to other countries. Turkey uses the lira for currency.

Or are you also in Turkey?

 

[limeysoda]

Uhhh, @limeysoda? Check your second "here" link. Click on the one about gift cards going to other countries. Turkey uses the lira for currency.

Or are you also in Turkey?

what about that? not a big deal, sender's currency would be converted into recipients one. A sends in his local currency, B receives in his respective currency if country is different.

thank you guys for sharing your story

 

[Zloth]

It's not an issue of "can they do it" - it's an issue of "should they do it." They were doing that before, and it got abused (see Zed's post). So now they don't.