Since 2014, the Australian Competition and Consumption Commission (ACCC) has waged a legal battle with Valve over what they considered violations of the Australian Consumer Law made by the company's online PC market, Steam.
Now, the High Court of Australia upheld its December 2017 decision on the matter, denying the company's appeal since then, and Valve Corporation will have to pay AU $ 3 million for "misleading or deceptive conduct".
Without financial swaps
Although Valve introduced a legitimate refund policy for Steam games in mid-2015, its previous official policy was "unless required by local law, we do not offer refunds or exchanges," and this is what the ACCC had trouble with.
The Australian Consumer Law (which in this case is simply "local law") requires that reimbursements be made available to customers with defective products, and although it was known that Valve offered refunds on a case-by-case basis, it is official. was to offer them at all.
With the years that the trial took place, Valve defended his position stating that he did not really do business in Australia, and that his games were not technically "assets", but this did not work with the court.
ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court sees this as an "important precedent" for local Australian consumer rights that apply to products purchased from foreign companies.
