Probably. They put some restrictions on level 0 accounts a while ago due to scammers & account thefts, basically forcing people to buy something to level it up & remove some restrictions.
Could also be related to the other restrictions about account security, tbh don't know... I'm sure you could find info on steam forums or in faqs.
I have no experience with guides at all, but I did find this thread with people who seem to have the same problem. Maybe it helps you. http://forums.steampowered.com/forum....php?t=3059772
Post 2 and 12 are the ones with possible solutions.