GOG.com may have made some terrible mistakes in the past when it comes to bending the knee to outrage culture, but as far as customer policies are concerned they’re at least attempting to be consumer first. That was put on display recently with their updated refund policy, which has been extended to 30 days, even after you’ve downloaded and played the game.
On February 26th, 2020 they informed their followers with a tweet informing gamers about what’s changing, as well as a follow-up tweet thanking fans for supporting them and “playing by the rules”.
It’s important for us to say that this update is possible thanks to your respect for all the time and hard work put into creating the games you buy on https://t.co/TiMFdAcy7Z and playing by the rules. We’re grateful for that and encourage you to continue to do so.
— GOG.COM (@GOGcom) February 26, 2020
The initial tweet links to the actual post on GOG.com where they further detail their new policies in a single paragraph. The relevant bit reads…
“[…] The latest update to our voluntary Refund Policy adds another piece to this customer-friendly experience. And it all sums up in one sentence: starting now, you can get a full refund up to 30 days after purchasing a product, even if you downloaded, launched, and played it. That’s it.”
There’s also a link to a FAQ page where they further discuss the ins and out of the updated policies.
They mention that you’ll need to contact a customer support representative within 30 days of your purchase, and they will be monitoring the effects of this new update to ensure it’s not being abused, writing…
“We’re monitoring the effects of the current update to make sure no one is using this policy to hurt the developers that put their time and heart into making great games. We may refuse refunds in such individual cases. We’d also let you know about any future adjustments in the voluntary Refund Policy in advance.”
It sounds fair enough and it’s a far more lenient policy than what Valve has in place, which limits refunds to two weeks and two hours worth of play.
(Thanks for the news tip Guardian EvaUnit02 and MaverichHL)