After appealing the $3million fine levied by The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Valve has been ordered to pay.
The ACCC announced the decision yesterday, over a case against Steam’s refund policy:
“The High Court of Australia has dismissed a special leave application by one of the world’s largest online gaming companies, US-based Valve Corporation (Valve), which operates the Steam game distribution platform. Federal Court found that Valve had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct and made false or misleading representations.”
ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said:
“This important precedent confirms the ACCC’s view that overseas-based companies selling to Australian consumers must abide by our laws. If customers buy a product online that is faulty, they are entitled to the same right to a repair, replacement or refund as if they’d walked in to a store.”
The appeal was made on the grounds that it never properly conducted business in Australia. As such, Steam doesn’t fall under the definition of “goods.”
This didn’t hold up in court. The ACCC has it that Valve has 2.2 million users in Australia. Valve has yet to comment on the appeal.
