I did not write this but I wholly agree with it.
Feel free to spread it to other forums and people until Valve answers the questions in the email.
Oh, and if any one of you meet a Valve employee, feel free to ask them any of the questions below.
Almost 6 months since their EU price scam, and they have still not explained their actions.
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=770231&page=360
BIG WALL OF TEXT BELOW
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Gabe, and other Valve employees,
With this mail i'm sending on behalves of the EU community customers a series off questions.
As you probably know, the EU Steam Customer base is not all that happy about the price changes from the switch to the Euro currency, and other changes. As all attempts at direct contact has resulting in a no reply, we move to use the public known email addresses ( easy to find with google ) to contact the Gabe and other Valve employees. My apologies to any Valve staff not responsible / unable to answer these question, but its considered impossible to get a answer to these question. So extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary actions.
So, here are the questions the community will like to see answered:
1. Why is access forbidden to the UK ( pound currency ) store from people from the EU mainland?
2. Has the EU investigation, and the confirmation that a law will come in effect at the end off the year ( making it illegal to prevent people from accessing other stores in EU countries ), changed your position regarding the UK store, and will the store be opened to the general EU mainland customer base when the law takes effect.
3. Why is it that new released top titles carry the same price tag in Euro's as they do in Dollars. At this moment off writing, the Dollar is 1.40 vs one Euro.
4. Why are countries that have no tax on digital products having to pay the exact same price, like country's that do have a digital tax.
5. Why are countries who's currency is not in Euro's, being forced to pay in Euro's, instead off the cheaper Dollars like in the past.
6. Why is it, that after 6 months, not a single Valve employees has provided any answer to these questions. As there is ample off evidence that a lot off customers have contacted Valve, or employees.
7. Why is it, that many games sold in the US store, get frequent price drops, yet, the EU prices stay the same.
8. Is it considered a fair practice to see that between titles, the price difference between a US sold game, and the exact same game sold in the EU, results in a 200 to 300% price difference.
9. How do you respond to the criticism ( from EU Customers ) that Valve has become a company that does not care about its customers and i quote "is out to rip off its customers".
10. Many have been adding criticism to the way the Steam platforms protection works. Being the username, password, as being too insecure. Easy to gain by keyloggers, trojans, fake emails etc. More specifically, the fact that Steam account thefts are rampaging. This bringing grief to the customers, and more work to Valve to track and return accounts to its owners. How does Valve see the future off its Steam Platform, when people are having up to 1000, 2000, or 3000$ worth off digital games on there accounts.
11. Is Valve planning to introduce better security to its Steam Platform ( like dual level protection ( root / user ), keycard's, number generators ).
12. Is Valve planning to introduce recovery ability to allow the original owner to recover there account without the by many considered long delay. A delay that allows the thief to sell off the account to a unsuspecting customer.
13. Is Valve planning on compensating customers that buy a account that they do not know is stolen.
14. Is Valve planning in allowing games to be sold, or moved between accounts? A common criticism is the inflexibility ( forbidden ) off moving games on old account to there new accounts.
15. In the EULA Steam is considered a Subscription service, while this is nowhere stipulated on the frontpage, or the buying procedure. Only a customer that reads the EULA ( what has been scientifically proven that almost no customer do ), know that they buy a ticking time bom, as the customer is left under the impression that they buy a full product ( as is also charged at those prices ). How do you respond to this?
16. More and more EU based customers are blacklisting Steam from there sales, and consider retail buying cheaper. Is one of the mission statements from Valve from 2003 where the claim was that no middleman meaning cheaper prices. Yet, the exact opposite is shown by many customer. How do you respond to this?
17. Has the price increased had a impact off the amount off sales in the EU mainland region?
18. Some Eu customer consider the reputation off Valve as damaged, and put on a level like EA, in other words, very negatively in the eyes off some. Does this impact Valve in the future?
19. There has been a confirm responds from other digital game sellers, targeting the recent price changes, and resulting alienation off part of the customer base. Is this considered a dangerous development to the market share that Steam holds?
20. How do you respond to the 1$ != 1€ topic with 5390 posts, and 540.000 view in your Steams support forum ( http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...d.php?t=770231 ).
21. Do/did you condom the banning off ( paying ) users from your support forum, because they posted links to the www.steamunpowered.eu website ( noting that it did not break any forum rules )?
22. More and more customers have show a greater fear, that if Valve where to go under ( bankrupt ), that there accounts will become worthless. More specifically, as Valve stated that people do not own anything, and its service is listed as a subscription. How do you respond to this?
23. Does the increased fear from customers there account future status, with the increased value off those accounts, become a problem for Steam? Customers with fear about a service might be considered reluctant to buy / add value to that account. How do you respond to this?
24. More and more customer have show a greater awareness about the EULA, indicating problems with local laws ( like second hand resale ). Is the EULA checked against common laws? Does the fact that the EULA breaks ( local ) laws not invalidate the contract between customer & Valve?
25. How do you respond to the rather thriving market off second hand account sales ( fueled with increased price on lower id's ). Is it not in Valve's interest to provide the ability for customers to trade, sell there account with easy, and security? One can argue that a bad sale, might result in a customer not using the Steam service anymore as it has no resell value, unlike a physical product that a customer can buy in the store.
26. With prices going up to 320% difference between US and EU customers ( example: Mass Effect 19.99 Dollar vs 44.49 Euro ( 63 Dollar with the latest currency conversion ). Does Valve consider those price difference normal for the same digital product, with the same costs?
27. The EU prices show that each country pays the same amount for a game title. Yet, every country has a different tax. Many customers seem to find it strange, that a country that provides lower taxes to its citizens, still is charged the same amount as the other EU countries.
28. Many have argued that because Valve's games are on the high end price range, with the included tax ( 0 to 21% ), that Valve is taking the tax difference, and pocketing it. While not illegal, it creates a resentment among its customers that Valve is pocketing there money. Does Valve feel that this resentment is justified?
29. A other point off criticism invoked by the customers is the fact that customers are not informed about the tax level they are paying. This is factual law in many Eu countries, that every product where tax is payed upon, the amount ( in percentage and in Euro's ) needs to be shown. Is Valve going to change Steam to indicate the correct amounts?
30. Customers have been criticism that prices drop less frequently for the EU prices, then for the US prices. Why is this?
31. A extension to question 30, is that customers also notice that retail products there prices drop faster. Why is this?
32. There has been some amusement about the fact that you Gabe, gave a presentation indicating that games are too expensive. Only a month & half after a sudden price increase for its Eu customer base. Do you consider that presentation a PR error?
33. If this presentation is a clear indicator about your own oppositions, then why has there been a total communications blackout from Valve to its EU customers, who are criticizing Valve & u Gabe, for the price increase.
34. The UK store price difference vs the EU store has also not gone unnoticed. Can you explain why this large difference was created in the first place. Especially when the UK is a member off said EU.
35. There has been a increased talk ( before there accounts have been deleted from the Steam Support Forum ) about customers going back to game Piracy in responds to the increased prices. Do you consider the fact that the increased game price changes pushing some people back to piracy, a defeat?
36. Customer report a decrease in service, more specifically games with critical bugs, or even unplayable, where patches are available from the developers, do not getting implemented. Even when those developers confirm that those patches are in Valves hands.
37. There is also criticism that some "weekend" deals are bias towards the EU customer base, and in favor off the US customer base. Do you consider the EU customers as less, aka deserving less good deals? Noting how some deals gave US customers a higher discount, then EU customers?
38. Did the decision to make almost all the games ( 95%+ ) on Steam 1$ = 1€ come from Valve? We have testimony from several developers indicated they had no hand in the decision, and that it was all Valve work.
39. Is it normal that a developer/publisher needs to explicitly state that the customers need to get the correct euro-dollar price, instead off the 1$-1€?
40. Not only EU customers but also those in other countries point a finger to Valve as being discriminatory towards people that do not live in the US. Resulting in the known increased prices. Does Valve discriminate customers based on there geographic location?
41. If not, why does Valve seem to be reluctant to answer any mails regarding its pricing policy towards EU, AU, ... customers?
42. Many countries in the world have a 7 day or more return right for a product ( no questions asked ). Yet it seems that in order for customers not satisfied with a product, there is no other option then run a lengthy support procedure, in most cases not resulting in a refund, unless they can claim technical incompatibility.
43. Customers seem to be taken in more about the inclusion off double DRM on more & more titles. One off the reasons that many claim why they liked Steam, is the fact that it had a none intrusive DRM. Yet, more & more games are including Steams DRM, and specific DRM. But, this is not indicated on many games, and some its more or less hidden in the description. Is it not considered the duty to point these details out to the customer in advance before they buy it?
44. Why is it not possible for the customer when they buy a double DRM protected game, to refund the game directly ( or not without without running the lengthy support procedure ).
45. Users in Germany why it is, that they can buy physical products from shops outside Germany with no censorship, yet, Valve actively prevents them from getting the uncensored version off the game?
46. Going back to the pricing problem. Some users see a conspiracy with the times when the new dollar / euro price system was introduced and the arrival off EA.
47. Why is it that it took months for the US prices for EA games to drop, after it was announced by EA. And reflected in shop store prices.
48. A extension on the question above, why is it that those same price drops for the EU market, never happened for the EU customers, yet, the shops did lower there prices.
49. Questions send by email to other Valve developers, employees, or using PM's from the support Forum, resulting in a no answer. Has Valve issued a Nondisclosure form to there employees preventing them from discussing the mentioned price, and other problems?
50. Does Valve consider the mentioned problems, and the increased frequency a indication a responds to the loss in market share? Aka a overreaction to secure profits?
51. Recent changes to the moderators responses in the mention "Looks like $1 = €1 after all" topic, indicate that Valve has step in, resulting in less deletion off posts, and banning ( for people staying on topic ). Are the people who have been unrighteously banned ( like the Original Poster ) going to be unbanned?
52. There has also been a lot off discussion about that fact that the moderators seem to moderate without any supervision. Banned people or people with deleted posts have no independent oversight to question any moderation misuse.
53. Do you consider the overactive ( and even misuse ) moderation a negative pr reflecting back on Valve?
54. Do you consider giving the EU customers back the ability to buy from the US store ( with the correct! tax prices )?
55. With the mentioned problems, and the loss off reputation, and trust amongst a growing number off EU customers, does Valve still thinks it deserves the trust off its customers in the future?
56. Does Valve consider the growing worth-to-mouth campaign that more & more EU customers are waging a possible negative point or a positive point. As any political will say, any publicity is good publicity even negative?
We do appreciate that our email is answered As many customers will attest, none have been provided with a answer to any off these questions.
Prices, and other claims are backup up on the Steam Support Forum. Please look em up. You may find almost all this information in the what many consider tar pit topic ( "Looks like $1 = €1 after all" ), as its designed to eat most off the responses, instead off allowing people to respond to the separate points.
I hope you find time to answer these question, and that actions are taken to rectify these mentioned problems. I as a customer, foresee that if Valve persists in this Silent Treatment game, and does not solve the problem, it will only drive more and more customers to other digital services ( who are cheaper ), and back to the retail stores ( who are a lot cheaper ). A damaged reputation , and a loss off trust is not something that can be repaired...
With kind regards,
With this mail i'm sending on behalves of the EU community customers a series off questions.
As you probably know, the EU Steam Customer base is not all that happy about the price changes from the switch to the Euro currency, and other changes. As all attempts at direct contact has resulting in a no reply, we move to use the public known email addresses ( easy to find with google ) to contact the Gabe and other Valve employees. My apologies to any Valve staff not responsible / unable to answer these question, but its considered impossible to get a answer to these question. So extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary actions.
So, here are the questions the community will like to see answered:
1. Why is access forbidden to the UK ( pound currency ) store from people from the EU mainland?
2. Has the EU investigation, and the confirmation that a law will come in effect at the end off the year ( making it illegal to prevent people from accessing other stores in EU countries ), changed your position regarding the UK store, and will the store be opened to the general EU mainland customer base when the law takes effect.
3. Why is it that new released top titles carry the same price tag in Euro's as they do in Dollars. At this moment off writing, the Dollar is 1.40 vs one Euro.
4. Why are countries that have no tax on digital products having to pay the exact same price, like country's that do have a digital tax.
5. Why are countries who's currency is not in Euro's, being forced to pay in Euro's, instead off the cheaper Dollars like in the past.
6. Why is it, that after 6 months, not a single Valve employees has provided any answer to these questions. As there is ample off evidence that a lot off customers have contacted Valve, or employees.
7. Why is it, that many games sold in the US store, get frequent price drops, yet, the EU prices stay the same.
8. Is it considered a fair practice to see that between titles, the price difference between a US sold game, and the exact same game sold in the EU, results in a 200 to 300% price difference.
9. How do you respond to the criticism ( from EU Customers ) that Valve has become a company that does not care about its customers and i quote "is out to rip off its customers".
10. Many have been adding criticism to the way the Steam platforms protection works. Being the username, password, as being too insecure. Easy to gain by keyloggers, trojans, fake emails etc. More specifically, the fact that Steam account thefts are rampaging. This bringing grief to the customers, and more work to Valve to track and return accounts to its owners. How does Valve see the future off its Steam Platform, when people are having up to 1000, 2000, or 3000$ worth off digital games on there accounts.
11. Is Valve planning to introduce better security to its Steam Platform ( like dual level protection ( root / user ), keycard's, number generators ).
12. Is Valve planning to introduce recovery ability to allow the original owner to recover there account without the by many considered long delay. A delay that allows the thief to sell off the account to a unsuspecting customer.
13. Is Valve planning on compensating customers that buy a account that they do not know is stolen.
14. Is Valve planning in allowing games to be sold, or moved between accounts? A common criticism is the inflexibility ( forbidden ) off moving games on old account to there new accounts.
15. In the EULA Steam is considered a Subscription service, while this is nowhere stipulated on the frontpage, or the buying procedure. Only a customer that reads the EULA ( what has been scientifically proven that almost no customer do ), know that they buy a ticking time bom, as the customer is left under the impression that they buy a full product ( as is also charged at those prices ). How do you respond to this?
16. More and more EU based customers are blacklisting Steam from there sales, and consider retail buying cheaper. Is one of the mission statements from Valve from 2003 where the claim was that no middleman meaning cheaper prices. Yet, the exact opposite is shown by many customer. How do you respond to this?
17. Has the price increased had a impact off the amount off sales in the EU mainland region?
18. Some Eu customer consider the reputation off Valve as damaged, and put on a level like EA, in other words, very negatively in the eyes off some. Does this impact Valve in the future?
19. There has been a confirm responds from other digital game sellers, targeting the recent price changes, and resulting alienation off part of the customer base. Is this considered a dangerous development to the market share that Steam holds?
20. How do you respond to the 1$ != 1€ topic with 5390 posts, and 540.000 view in your Steams support forum ( http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...d.php?t=770231 ).
21. Do/did you condom the banning off ( paying ) users from your support forum, because they posted links to the www.steamunpowered.eu website ( noting that it did not break any forum rules )?
22. More and more customers have show a greater fear, that if Valve where to go under ( bankrupt ), that there accounts will become worthless. More specifically, as Valve stated that people do not own anything, and its service is listed as a subscription. How do you respond to this?
23. Does the increased fear from customers there account future status, with the increased value off those accounts, become a problem for Steam? Customers with fear about a service might be considered reluctant to buy / add value to that account. How do you respond to this?
24. More and more customer have show a greater awareness about the EULA, indicating problems with local laws ( like second hand resale ). Is the EULA checked against common laws? Does the fact that the EULA breaks ( local ) laws not invalidate the contract between customer & Valve?
25. How do you respond to the rather thriving market off second hand account sales ( fueled with increased price on lower id's ). Is it not in Valve's interest to provide the ability for customers to trade, sell there account with easy, and security? One can argue that a bad sale, might result in a customer not using the Steam service anymore as it has no resell value, unlike a physical product that a customer can buy in the store.
26. With prices going up to 320% difference between US and EU customers ( example: Mass Effect 19.99 Dollar vs 44.49 Euro ( 63 Dollar with the latest currency conversion ). Does Valve consider those price difference normal for the same digital product, with the same costs?
27. The EU prices show that each country pays the same amount for a game title. Yet, every country has a different tax. Many customers seem to find it strange, that a country that provides lower taxes to its citizens, still is charged the same amount as the other EU countries.
28. Many have argued that because Valve's games are on the high end price range, with the included tax ( 0 to 21% ), that Valve is taking the tax difference, and pocketing it. While not illegal, it creates a resentment among its customers that Valve is pocketing there money. Does Valve feel that this resentment is justified?
29. A other point off criticism invoked by the customers is the fact that customers are not informed about the tax level they are paying. This is factual law in many Eu countries, that every product where tax is payed upon, the amount ( in percentage and in Euro's ) needs to be shown. Is Valve going to change Steam to indicate the correct amounts?
30. Customers have been criticism that prices drop less frequently for the EU prices, then for the US prices. Why is this?
31. A extension to question 30, is that customers also notice that retail products there prices drop faster. Why is this?
32. There has been some amusement about the fact that you Gabe, gave a presentation indicating that games are too expensive. Only a month & half after a sudden price increase for its Eu customer base. Do you consider that presentation a PR error?
33. If this presentation is a clear indicator about your own oppositions, then why has there been a total communications blackout from Valve to its EU customers, who are criticizing Valve & u Gabe, for the price increase.
34. The UK store price difference vs the EU store has also not gone unnoticed. Can you explain why this large difference was created in the first place. Especially when the UK is a member off said EU.
35. There has been a increased talk ( before there accounts have been deleted from the Steam Support Forum ) about customers going back to game Piracy in responds to the increased prices. Do you consider the fact that the increased game price changes pushing some people back to piracy, a defeat?
36. Customer report a decrease in service, more specifically games with critical bugs, or even unplayable, where patches are available from the developers, do not getting implemented. Even when those developers confirm that those patches are in Valves hands.
37. There is also criticism that some "weekend" deals are bias towards the EU customer base, and in favor off the US customer base. Do you consider the EU customers as less, aka deserving less good deals? Noting how some deals gave US customers a higher discount, then EU customers?
38. Did the decision to make almost all the games ( 95%+ ) on Steam 1$ = 1€ come from Valve? We have testimony from several developers indicated they had no hand in the decision, and that it was all Valve work.
39. Is it normal that a developer/publisher needs to explicitly state that the customers need to get the correct euro-dollar price, instead off the 1$-1€?
40. Not only EU customers but also those in other countries point a finger to Valve as being discriminatory towards people that do not live in the US. Resulting in the known increased prices. Does Valve discriminate customers based on there geographic location?
41. If not, why does Valve seem to be reluctant to answer any mails regarding its pricing policy towards EU, AU, ... customers?
42. Many countries in the world have a 7 day or more return right for a product ( no questions asked ). Yet it seems that in order for customers not satisfied with a product, there is no other option then run a lengthy support procedure, in most cases not resulting in a refund, unless they can claim technical incompatibility.
43. Customers seem to be taken in more about the inclusion off double DRM on more & more titles. One off the reasons that many claim why they liked Steam, is the fact that it had a none intrusive DRM. Yet, more & more games are including Steams DRM, and specific DRM. But, this is not indicated on many games, and some its more or less hidden in the description. Is it not considered the duty to point these details out to the customer in advance before they buy it?
44. Why is it not possible for the customer when they buy a double DRM protected game, to refund the game directly ( or not without without running the lengthy support procedure ).
45. Users in Germany why it is, that they can buy physical products from shops outside Germany with no censorship, yet, Valve actively prevents them from getting the uncensored version off the game?
46. Going back to the pricing problem. Some users see a conspiracy with the times when the new dollar / euro price system was introduced and the arrival off EA.
47. Why is it that it took months for the US prices for EA games to drop, after it was announced by EA. And reflected in shop store prices.
48. A extension on the question above, why is it that those same price drops for the EU market, never happened for the EU customers, yet, the shops did lower there prices.
49. Questions send by email to other Valve developers, employees, or using PM's from the support Forum, resulting in a no answer. Has Valve issued a Nondisclosure form to there employees preventing them from discussing the mentioned price, and other problems?
50. Does Valve consider the mentioned problems, and the increased frequency a indication a responds to the loss in market share? Aka a overreaction to secure profits?
51. Recent changes to the moderators responses in the mention "Looks like $1 = €1 after all" topic, indicate that Valve has step in, resulting in less deletion off posts, and banning ( for people staying on topic ). Are the people who have been unrighteously banned ( like the Original Poster ) going to be unbanned?
52. There has also been a lot off discussion about that fact that the moderators seem to moderate without any supervision. Banned people or people with deleted posts have no independent oversight to question any moderation misuse.
53. Do you consider the overactive ( and even misuse ) moderation a negative pr reflecting back on Valve?
54. Do you consider giving the EU customers back the ability to buy from the US store ( with the correct! tax prices )?
55. With the mentioned problems, and the loss off reputation, and trust amongst a growing number off EU customers, does Valve still thinks it deserves the trust off its customers in the future?
56. Does Valve consider the growing worth-to-mouth campaign that more & more EU customers are waging a possible negative point or a positive point. As any political will say, any publicity is good publicity even negative?
We do appreciate that our email is answered As many customers will attest, none have been provided with a answer to any off these questions.
Prices, and other claims are backup up on the Steam Support Forum. Please look em up. You may find almost all this information in the what many consider tar pit topic ( "Looks like $1 = €1 after all" ), as its designed to eat most off the responses, instead off allowing people to respond to the separate points.
I hope you find time to answer these question, and that actions are taken to rectify these mentioned problems. I as a customer, foresee that if Valve persists in this Silent Treatment game, and does not solve the problem, it will only drive more and more customers to other digital services ( who are cheaper ), and back to the retail stores ( who are a lot cheaper ). A damaged reputation , and a loss off trust is not something that can be repaired...
With kind regards,
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