Valve Replaces Stolen $1,300 Steam Machine After Post Office Allegedly Leaves It Outside - TheGamer

What the report says

TheGamer reported that Valve is sending a replacement Steam Machine to a Reddit user after the first unit, described as costing £1,000, or about $1,300, allegedly disappeared following delivery. According to the article, Reddit user mdumtshali said they were at work when the delivery arrived and later saw a doorbell alert showing the package had been left outside their door. The user said video appeared to show the driver attempting to cover the box with a plastic bag, but the parcel was gone by the time they returned home.

TheGamer said the buyer first contacted Steam Support, which asked them to check whether neighbors had accepted the package. After the user reported that no one nearby had it, commenters urged them to keep the matter with Steam rather than Royal Mail. One commenter cited the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 in arguing that Valve, as the seller, remained responsible for the order reaching the customer. The user later updated the thread to say Valve was sending another Steam Machine.

The case has prompted discussion in the Steam community about how Valve handles deliveries of expensive hardware. TheGamer noted that commenters called for stronger safeguards, including marking parcels as high value or requiring signatures, so carriers cannot leave devices in exposed locations. The article also referenced past examples of Valve replacing accessories, framing the company as relatively flexible with customer support, while noting that delivery procedures may still leave costly devices vulnerable to theft.