Steam Deck owner shares stark warning about buying used console on eBay

One Steam Deck owner reached out to Valve for warranty support, only to discover their second-hand PC handheld was sold as stolen.

When investing in any impressive tech, you can usually expect a hefty price tag, and the Steam Deck is no different. The LCD version of the Steam Deck is still available, though a newer, shinier OLED model is out in the wild.

But, one thing about the Steam Deck that you’re going to run into no matter which model you choose is the relatively limited storage sizes on offer. At a baseline of 256GB, you’re going to be running into installation troubles when trying to download games like Baldur’s Gate 3, and more if you don’t cough up for the 1TB variant.

It’s no wonder why then, some of you may want to pick up the PC gaming handheld second-hand. While you can always pick up a certified refurbished Steam Deck through Valve directly, sites like eBay can offer the handhelds at an even bigger discount. However, one person discovered that while they may have saved some extra cash by picking up a pre-loved Steam Deck, they couldn’t access any warranty services.

More than they bargained for

Posting to r/Steam Deck, user un_commoncents_ shared a screenshot that showed that Valve was unwilling to offer any warranty for the used handheld.

Instead of getting help with their handheld, they were informed that their Steam Deck was identified as stolen, and as a result, weren’t able to access further support.

“Our best recommendation is to contact the seller or listing platform about your options for a refund”, stated the Valve customer support rep, before closing the help request altogether.

The Steam Deck in question was purchased over a year ago, and according to the Redditor, the seller was “unwilling to refund the purchase.” In this case, all the Redditor was able to do, was to report the seller for selling stolen goods to eBay.

So, if you run into this issue after purchasing a used Steam Deck, you’ll be at the mercy of eBay’s guidelines to access further support. If your device were to require any maintenance, you’re on your own.