It's always frustrating when you order something expensive and it gets thrown over the fence or in the trash. But what's even more disappointing is when it's left out in the open and you come home to find it's magically gone. This happened to Reddit user mdumtshali. He ordered a Steam Machine for £1,000 (about $1,300) and picked it up on his doorstep.
“We ordered a steam machine and it was working when the delivery driver arrived,” they explained. “It was very annoying, but as soon as I left the meeting, I saw a notification on my doorbell. The driver had left my box outside the door. I actually saw a video of him trying to cover the box with a plastic bag, and when I got home, the box was gone.”
Initially, the OP contacted Steam Support and asked them to check to see if anyone in their neighborhood had taken it. The community continued to call on Royal Mail not to contact them for support, and Reddit users who work in the industry rightly pointed out that Valve is responsible for delivery under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Thankfully, they came back with an update confirming that Valve is “sending another product.”
Valve is very lax when it comes to replacement. This is not surprising considering their consumer-friendly refund policy. Last month, the company sent a replacement Steam Deck case to a father who posted that his newborn had vomited in the original case.
But even with the release of a new Steam Machine for OP, the community is pleading with Valve to take more precautions with the expensive technology.
“It was similar to Parcelforce,” drawsausage said. “Valve should mark this as a high value! Every time RM/PF delivers something to me and I'm not around, they take it to the post office and have me collect it. In fact, it's usually best they don't leave it on my doorstep.”
Reddit user Zoopmittyzoop, who claims to be a New York delivery driver, also claimed that “none of the deliveries so far have required a signature”, which would have prevented Royal Mail from delivering to mdumtshali's doorstep.
So there's a lot Valve could do to prevent similar disappearances from happening, but for now, the OP at least has a Steam Machine while the stranger is using free technology.
