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Comment by shbooms | Hacker News Reader

Unfortunately, per Steam's TOS, you do not own anything you "purchase" on their platform. Instead you "subscribe" to access of whatever games/other content you've paid for:

...the rights to access and/or use any Content and Services accessible through Steam are referred to in this Agreement as "Subscriptions."

... The Content and Services are licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Content and Services.

https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement

To me, that's their business if they want to operate that way and folks can choose to accept that and be a customer if they so desire. I think what's really wrong is that nowhere on their store pages do they use the word "Subscription" and instead they use the word "Purchase". This should not be allowed and is false advertising, plain and simple.

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But also note that the limitation of liabilities section does not apply to UK, EU, Australian or New Zealand customers.

For example, the statement on Australia:

> FOR AUSTRALIAN SUBSCRIBERS, THIS SECTION 7 DOES NOT EXCLUDE, RESTRICT OR MODIFY THE APPLICATION OF ANY GUARANTEE, RIGHT OR REMEDY THAT CANNOT BE SO EXCLUDED, RESTRICTED OR MODIFIED, INCLUDING THOSE CONFERRED BY THE AUSTRALIAN CONSUMER LAW (ACL). UNDER THE ACL, GOODS COME WITH GUARANTEES INCLUDING A GUARANTEE THAT GOODS ARE OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY. IF THERE IS A FAILURE OF THIS GUARANTEE, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A REMEDY (WHICH MAY INCLUDE HAVING THE GOODS REPAIRED OR REPLACED OR A REFUND). IF A REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT CANNOT BE PROVIDED OR THERE IS A MAJOR FAILURE, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A REFUND.

Which means that removing access to the purchased item, does in fact entitle you to a refund.

> I think what's really wrong is that nowhere on their store pages do they use the word "Subscription" and instead they use the word "Purchase".

Perfect.

> This should not be allowed and is false advertising

The result of false advertising is theft.

I understand one does not own the game as that entitles the user to additional rights. But I feel like the user should own the license and they should not be able to revoke your ability to download/play it barring they go out of business or something.

the terms of service don't override the law

the consumer rights directive in the Uk/EU specifically states remedy (i.e.: refund) if vendors remove features from a purchased digital service

agreed, I didn't mean to imply that they did. merely that this is something that is inherent to Steam's platform meaning they as much a part of the problem as the publisher here

What, an unending subscription? If they want to end the subscription, then they can refund the person.

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