Quick vent, just need to get off my chest!
Got the email earlier in the week to get my reserved Steam Controller, placed the order and watched the tracking. Of course it got delivered just as I left my apartment to visit family. I tried repeatedly to set the UPS shipping for pickup, but the option wasn’t available. Asked a friend to swing by, they couldn’t make it on Friday but went yesterday…
Of course there is no package, someone clearly nabbed it and now I’m $100 down. Can’t refuse the charge because it’s tied to my Steam account and UPS will tell me to check with my neighbors and open a case with them!
Feels like Valve created this scarcity with the stupid ordering process, if it’s anything like my Steam Deck, the packaging wasn’t discrete and they wouldn’t allow me to adjust the shipping.
Feels like I have no options and just need to accept that I’ve lost the money.
Rant over
This is a UPS problem. It’s their system that doesn’t allow you to set up the necessary protocols to pick up or delay delivery or whatever.
And you should make the complaint with them anyway and maybe talk to steam support because at least then there’s a paper trail.
I’ve tried repeatedly with several different shipping company’s to set up the delivery options and all of them are equally bad.
Are you sure about that?
DHLGLS (the shipping company Valve uses in the EU) has an app to move your delivery time or reroute the package, but it wouldn’t allow me to delay my SC package because “the sender” blocked it. So it sounds like a Valve problem to me here in EU.Mine was also shipped by GLS (before the entire system fell apart) and it allowed me to change both the delivery date and address.
Am I sure it’s the shipping company and not Valve? Yeah, I’m pretty sure.
I’ll break down what happens for me with the shipping companies that service my area.
USPS - can’t have informed delivery (I tried) because the person who previously lived here had it and hasn’t removed their claim to it.
Its a toss up whether or not I can actually have them physically hold my mail (I have been told my mail will be held and then continued to received mail regardless).
UPS - Hit or miss whether you can get their app or web page to allow you to hold for pickup. I have managed it but it was for an item that required a signature. I’ve also had them claim to have delivered a package and not actually delivered it. I attempted to file a claim and their website kept kicking me back out to the FAQ page. Eventually after about a week of trying I gave up.
DHL - Has just straight up refused to deliver a package to me and returned it to sender no matter what I did. Phone calls, website, etc.
Fedex - I used to be able to schedule deliveries and hold them for pickup. Haven’t been able to do that since COVID.
Theres just not that many options that an entity using a shipping company can control. One of the main ones is signature at delivery. Everything else is pretty much up to the shipping company.
UPS asking you to open a case with Valve is normal. You didn’t pay to ship it, Valve did. Even if it is a line item on your invoice it was a contract between Valve and UPS, so you can’t call up UPS demanding investigation/money because it is Valve that gets the money not you (who in turn refunds it to you).
If Valve gives you the money back they are likely taking a loss on it to keep you happy. As far as UPS is concerned they delivered it (presumably with photographic evidence), so why would they pay up on insurance. Unless Valve pays for the higher level of insurance UPS won’t cover for porch pirates.
It is unlikely that Valve paid to have that level of coverage, but that is because they know only a small number of packages will be stolen. It ends up being cheaper to just give a few refunds than it is to pay for the higher level coverage on thousands of packages.
Hopefully that is the case on how Valve handles this and you get a replacement or at least your money back. Good luck!
Valve is also the only party that has the size to put pressure on the logistics companies. A couple hundred dissatisfied individual customers hardly amount to a rounding error for the likes of UPS and GLS. Pissing off Valve, especially before the major release of hardware, is not something they can afford to do.
The mental gymnastics you are doing to blame Valve for your inability to have any forethought about receiving your purchase is at an Olympic level.
10s across the board.
Well they did try to schedule delivery and apparently UPS wouldn’t let them do that, but yeah certainly not anything to do with Valve.
If this were pre-covid UPS likely wouldn’t have left a note and reattempted delivery the next day. But all of the shippers took the COVID no-contact rules to mean that they could just leave packages at the door, snap a pic, and be done with it. Saves them a huge amount on redelivery attempts, and they get to pass the blame on to their customers for not being there.
The sender can set some options for delivery… idk if that includes not allowing rerouting
Feels like Valve created this scarcity with the stupid ordering process
No, Valve did not create this on purpose. The ordering process is done to fight scalpers. In fact the first batch of Steam Controller did not have any special ordering process and that’s when scalpers and bots purchased all controllers in short amount of time. That is why Valve made it more complicated and limited to order. Yes your situation is frustrating. But you can’t fault Valve for you not being able to pick the controller up or how UPS handles the situation of what is possibly be a theft. Don’t blame Valve for this.
I was referring to the first batch… when an abundance of scalpers forced me to press the order button for 45 minutes and then told me it’s sold out.
Valve simply underestimated the demand for the controller, and that scalpers would buy it for that price. I don’t think they did that with the purpose to scarcity. Why would Valve do that, what is the reason in your opinion? And why would even Valve give free games by choice (even expensive games) for anyone who did not get the controller?
To be fair, it was really stupid of Valve not to anticipate a massive interest from both customers and scalpers. The internet collectively went crazy like a hamster on coke when the hardware announcement dropped. They should’ve had the reservation system and per-account ordering limit in place from the first moment. Not that it would’ve prevented the unmitigated clusterfuck of logistics companies.
I agree with you and do not dispute this claim. It was wrong from Valve to not do the pre-order dance and special ordering process they already did before. All I am saying is, that Valve did not create this with the intention of scarcity. Instead getting mad at Valve, one should be mad at scalpers and UPS.
Instead getting mad at Valve, one should be mad at scalpers and UPS.
¿Por qué no los dos?
Your comment admits that Valve fucked up the first wave, then circle back and say people shouldn’t be mad at Valve. You can be mad at more than one thing.
You seem to not realize that Valve didn’t “fuck up” (or created scarcity). It is the scalpers and only scalpers to blame.
Edit: As an analogy (don’t take it literal, its just an analogy) would you blame a shop owner for getting robbed, because he did not stop the robbery and now you can’t buy your milk? It is not the shop owners fault that you can’t get your milk now.
Valve didn’t “fuck up” […] It is the scalpers and only scalpers to blame.
This you?
It was wrong from Valve to not do the pre-order dance and special ordering process they already did before.
Make up your mind. You said you agreed with the commenter above, said Valve was in the wrong, and then when I suggest it’s okay to be mad at multiple parties, you switched your tune about Valve being in the wrong.
To counter your analogy, it would be a like a shop owner had been robbed before and knows the method by which they have been robbed. They also have, in the past, successfully combated the robbers. Then, the shop owner announced a highly sought after new product and… took no precautions against the robbers. In fact, this is less of an analogy and just… what Valve did.
You can be mad at the robbers and also be pretty annoyed with the shopkeeper for not doing the thing they had done in the past to successfully counteract robbers.
Edited to add, I also kinda hate that analogy because in your analogy you’re painting Valve as a victim (having been robbed). Valve isn’t a victim here; they made bank.
I don’t remember what it was like with the Deck but Index and now Steam Controller both went straight to shops to pick up without option for home delivery. Is this not something that is usually done in your conuntry? I can only wonder why Valve would prefer to leave the packages outside over them being in a safe place if it’s available
if it’s anything like my Steam Deck, the packaging wasn’t discrete
No it’s much better this time. The shipping label still says Valve Corporation of course, but otherwise there’s no indication of the contents.
[fixed typo]
It was the same for my Steam deck. Plain brown box with a UN label for the battery.
Can confirm, mine came in a plain brown box. Obviously Valve as the sender and a battery warning label, but no other obvious hint to its contents.
After opening the first box, I found a second one that’s way more telling inside, but nothing on the outside.
I’m not sure where you live, but in many places it is the legal responsibility of the seller to ensure that the goods you purchased arrived safely into your hands. You do have options.
And if they have half a brain they will insure it through the courier so they are responsible for it being delivered safely. Depends where you live but I think most places it’s the seller you contact as they sent the package and are paying for the shipment.
Yeah and the delivery will tell you to wait three buisness day. Id get a refund from valve and try again.
I feel your frustration
