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Steam Fined $3 Million For Refusing Refunds (smh.com.au)

Gaming company Valve Corporation has been hit with a $3 million fine after the Federal Court found its online games site Steam breached Australian Consumer Laws. From a report: The court imposed the maximum fine requested by Australia's competition regulator because of Valve's disregard for Australian law and lack of contrition. Valve's general counsel, Karl Quackenbush, told the court the company did not obtain legal advice when it set up in Australia, and did not check its obligations until the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission got involved in April 2014. It only provided staff verbal instructions. This lack of interest in Australian laws and lack of cooperation encouraged Justice James Edelman to impose a pentaly 12 times more than Valve Corporation suggested it pay.

5 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. "did not obtain legal advice when it set up" by Nutria · · Score: 4, Funny

    What kind of idiots are the people running this company? Do they actually think they're running a Mom and Pop store?

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  2. Australian "conservatives" don't understand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    This is just more government meddling in the affairs of a business. For a country lead by supposed conservatives I'm surprised they would take such an anti-free market stance here. It should be Valve's choice on how it deals with refunds, and consumers are free to decide whether or not they can live with it. Gaming is not a necessity nor a right.

  3. Hillary's fault by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Hillary told Steam that when she was elected, they didn't have to refund any money, ever. She also said they could replace all their staff with H1B's.

    Steam forgot to adjust their refund policy when Trump won. Hopefully they haven't started replacing their staff yet.

  4. Re:Proof read by queazocotal · · Score: 4, Funny

    It is a penalty, which is divisible by five.

  5. Re:Proof read by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 3, Funny

    Seriously editors, what's a "pentaly"?

    It's when you get screwed over five different ways.