Why I hate Steam(or any other similar service)

[Lightwysh]

So I found Goat simulator at a local retail store and impulse bought it. Try to install and basically the disc is just a Steam installer and a product key to enter into Steam. I haven't logged into steam since Feb of this year, I have since moved states and purchased a new computer. So after Steam installs via disc(no big deal), I enter my account info and some Steam Guard shit pops up. It sends an email to my old email that I no longer have access to since it was through my old ISP. I try to recover my account via the option on the Steam log in portal and again it sends a password reset to my OLD EMAIL. So basically if support cannot/will not help me via email ticket, I'm out my 20-30+ games I have on there, plus I wont be able to play my new PHYSICAL COPY of a game without making a new Steam account. I've had my steam account since steam launched.

It seems like EVERY time I've tried to log into Steam in the last 3-4 years it ALWAYS asks for me to reset my password. Now this Steam Guard shit may have effectively killed my Steam account.

Origin is not much better, but at least their support site let me change my email without access to my old email address.

And with Blizzard I have an authenticator to help if I ever have account issues.

Yeah yeah, I know I should have thought about this before I lost my old email account, but people make mistakes. I should not be at risk of loosing out on close to 15 years worth of game purchases because they put some random new security in place, especially when I put in my accurate account info.

[barackopala]

That's not steams fault but the developers fault... actually it should be yours as the user is the one who seems to be on the side of the problem.

Now let's all be honest here, steam is shitty in terms of customer service.

[Tierbook]

So I found Goat simulator at a local retail store and impulse bought it. Try to install and basically the disc is just a Steam installer and a product key to enter into Steam. I haven't logged into steam since Feb of this year, I have since moved states and purchased a new computer. So after Steam installs via disc(no big deal), I enter my account info and some Steam Guard shit pops up. It sends an email to my old email that I no longer have access to since it was through my old ISP. I try to recover my account via the option on the Steam log in portal and again it sends a password reset to my OLD EMAIL. So basically if support cannot/will not help me via email ticket, I'm out my 20-30+ games I have on there, plus I wont be able to play my new PHYSICAL COPY of a game without making a new Steam account. I've had my steam account since steam launched.

It seems like EVERY time I've tried to log into Steam in the last 3-4 years it ALWAYS asks for me to reset my password. Now this Steam Guard shit may have effectively killed my Steam account.

Origin is not much better, but at least their support site let me change my email without access to my old email address.

And with Blizzard I have an authenticator to help if I ever have account issues.

Yeah yeah, I know I should have thought about this before I lost my old email account, but people make mistakes. I should not be at risk of loosing out on close to 15 years worth of game purchases because they put some random new security in place, especially when I put in my accurate account info.

I had the exact same issue with ESO and hotmail so you know what i did. I talked to customer support and had them change it, took a few hours but ya.... should work for Steam as well.

[Nykko]

One thing you could try to do, is call Steam support, and explain to them the issue; Aslong as you have your old email, and some other verification data (CD / Product keys could help.) they should be able to Update it for you. I've had similar issues with Blizzard and EA (Before Craptastic-Origin.) in the past for games with the same issue.

... Anyone else remember the EA issue with Neverwinter Knights not shipping with CD-Keys?... That was fun...

[Lightwysh]

Did you contact customer support? I recovered my steam account when I lost access to the email it was attached to by going through them. I'm actually very happy with the process steam uses as it is more secure than most stuff on the net. I'd rather have my accounts be secure than open for anyone to get into.

I've contacted them, It's been a few hours. There was a side note that said I may need to have one of my old Credit Cards, Game Keys, etc to recover it. If I'm lucky I may have my old Day of Defeat key somewhere in storage if it wasn't lost in the move or tossed out as I was consolidating all my old physical game boxes. Other than that all my stuff was purchased through Steam. I have no other records.

[Nykko]

I've contacted them, It's been a few hours. There was a side note that said I may need to have one of my old Credit Cards, Game Keys, etc to recover it. If I'm lucky I may have my old Day of Defeat key somewhere in storage if it wasn't lost in the move or tossed out as I was consolidating all my old physical game boxes. Other than that all my stuff was purchased through Steam. I have no other records.

Receipts / Order history (Physical, or Email.) should work as well.

It's because of the annoying Digital-only orders is why I've started making back-ups of those emails.

[Lightwysh]

One thing you could try to do, is call Steam support, and explain to them the issue; Aslong as you have your old email, and some other verification data (CD / Product keys could help.) they should be able to Update it for you. I've had similar issues with Blizzard and EA (Before Craptastic-Origin.) in the past for games with the same issue.

... Anyone else remember the EA issue with Neverwinter Knights not shipping with CD-Keys?... That was fun...

I cant find the contact number anywhere on the site.

- - - Updated - - -

Receipts / Order history (Physical, or Email.) should work as well.

It's because of the annoying Digital-only orders is why I've started making back-ups of those emails.

I can see an email from Feb of this year, that is still on my phone, but its for a game that was gifted to me.

[endersblade]

All I got out of this was "Steam sucks because it doesn't know I changed email addresses and can't read my mind!"

Really bro?

[Xeones]

None of this sounds like steams fault. You're on a wow site you aren't new to PC gaming, the fact that you're so shocked about this revelation makes me wonder where you've been the last several years.

[Nykko]

North America: 425-889-9642

[Lightwysh]

All I got out of this was "Steam sucks because it doesn't know I changed email addresses and can't read my mind!"

Really bro?

Any service that will deny you access to legit purchases because they don't have a logical process to update account info after the fact, sucks. This applies to all the game hub/portal services.

But at least Origin and Blizzard are somewhat realistic about helping you fix it.

SOE and whoever handles GW1 also suck. I've spent enough time trying to fix that old shit, I accept that those accounts are gone and I will never buy another one of their products.

[Gumboy]

I hated steam when it first came out, but to be honest I can't see my gaming life without it now :P

[Zdrasti]

Any service that will deny you access to legit purchases because they don't have a logical process to update account info after the fact, sucks. This applies to all the game hub/portal services.

But at least Origin and Blizzard are somewhat realistic about helping you fix it.

SOE and whoever handles GW1 also suck. I've spent enough time trying to fix that old shit, I accept that those accounts are gone and I will never buy another one of their products.

What was wrong with GW1? I stopped playing my GW1 game for years and switched email accounts and they helped me restore access to my account pretty quick. Granted this was before GW2 came out so they hadn't yet put GW1 almost entirely on autopilot by then.

[Nykko]

The phone service, I want to say is the "back up" method they used, and is probably reserved for Account and Billing purposes anyway, which is the issue you're having.

I'd avoid creating a dummy account using a email you want the old account to use. I do not believe that Steam can alter things that far. (Unless you had a dummy / Throw away email you can use for that purpose.)

[Lightwysh]

What was wrong with GW1? I stopped playing my GW1 game for years and switched email accounts and they helped me restore access to my account pretty quick. Granted this was before GW2 came out so they hadn't yet put GW1 almost entirely on autopilot by then.

This was about a year before GW2 came out. I wanted to get back into GW1 after a year or so hiatus, again changing ISP and loosing access to an email address. I spent just over a month with customer service trying to get my account restored, it took about 2 weeks AFTER sending them a scanned image of my cd key to get it restored. They then locked the account about a month later for some unknown reason. I never received an email as to why. I was done with the shit service at that point so I never bothered with it again.

[Jdance]

I have a similar problem, but with my day 1 xbox live profile. It is attached to a comcast e-mail address that I no longer have access to.

Solution: Never use a paid e-mail account ever.

[lokinrond713]

All I got out of this was "Steam sucks because it doesn't know I changed email addresses and can't read my mind!"

Really bro?

Really bro? This isnt the 90s

[Elhaym]

Your fault. End of story. I never use my isp email. You shouldn't either.
over 150 steam games and counting. You can hate it and i'll continue buying games on sale without having to leave the house.

Now take a second to consider why you need access to your old email in order to change your email and your password. If someone trying to steal your account didn't even need access to your email...

[Nykko]

This was about a year before GW2 came out. I wanted to get back into GW1 after a year or so hiatus, again changing ISP and loosing access to an email address. I spent just over a month with customer service trying to get my account restored, it took about 2 weeks AFTER sending them a scanned image of my cd key to get it restored. They then locked the account about a month later for some unknown reason. I never received an email as to why. I was done with the shit service at that point so I never bothered with it again.

Because of a lost, untreatable email, I've lost my previous Steam account, as well as a Xbox-LIVE account... "Aww, lost your Email? That's too bad... Sorry. No, we can't move your old games, because we don't have any way of verifying that you are who you say your are. What? Compared credit cards? No, sorry, we can't do that...."

Though, I've lost so many Gmail and Hotmail accounts since they've been requiring Phone numbers as of late and/or Text-messaging capabilities when ever I switch computers inside of the same house on the same network... So happy I've stopped using them.

So many friends use Steam though, I can't-not use it, so I leave Steam Guard off; and have a back-up email with my primary email so I can retrieve it, if something does go ka-puut...

... Strangely, I get better account&billing support from Square Enix... *Ducks for cover...*

[Lightwysh]

I have a similar problem, but with my day 1 xbox live profile. It is attached to a comcast e-mail address that I no longer have access to.

Solution: Never use a paid e-mail account ever.

Pretty much, I've since started converted everything to a gmail at this point, now I get to deal with this shit until I find all the accounts I missed.