Valve’s $2.4 Million Australian Lawsuit Finally Over
Valve’s $2.4 Million Australian Lawsuit Finally Over
It’s been four years since this Valve-Australia saga started, but the case is finally over, once and for all.
Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission filed suit against Valve back in 2014 for the company’s lack of an explicit return policy. The proceedings initially wrapped up back in 2016 when the courts ruled in favor of the ACCC and fined Valve $3 million AUD, approximately $2.3 million USD. Valve appealed the ruling and has been working towards getting the decision reversed ever since.
Some of the company’s tactics during the trial included trying to convince the court that they didn’t actually do business in Australia and arguing that the “goods” they sold weren’t actually “goods” at all. Neither argument won them favor and this week, The High Court of Australia finally put the case to rest by denying Valve’s final appeal.
The court cited Australia’s Consumer Law, which mandates that every business who sells goods in Australia must provide their customers with a return policy.
“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 into a store.”
— ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court
Valve implemented a new and comprehensive return policy in 2015, less than a year after the suit in Australia was filed. The new policy abided by all of Australia’s consumer protection laws and likely spared Valve an even bigger fine and possibly more lawsuits from other countries.
Being on the wrong side of the law and the court of public opinion is a somewhat unusual place for Valve. The company is one of the more well-liked entities in the gaming industry and their CEO, Gabe Newell, is known for being a positive force in gaming.
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