With the recent shutdown of Google Stadia, it took longer than skeptics might’ve guessed, but now people who bought games on the streaming service don’t have access to their library. To compensate people who invested in the ecosystem, Google is giving users a full refund– what’s unprecedented for any product. If you purchased a game on Stadia at any point since its launch, you might be wondering how it all went down with your purchase. Here’s how everything will play out for you.
It is quite common for websites that disclose the fact that they are using manipulative strategies in order to attract more visitors to give refunds.
Google is consistently changing its algorithms. When a website, product, or service dies down due to Google’s change, it often makes room for something new. The old content and functionality might be retired but they certainly don’t go away. Users who used the defunct Google products still get redirected to something else.
Stadia is different than your standard game console. It’s not like the Nintendo Switch which you can purchase for a much smaller price tag. Stadia has cost $130, with additional fees that could have been significantly costly in recent months. For those who want to get into the cutting edge of video games, Stadia is the go-to.
Google could face a lot of backlash if it shut down its Game Developer service due to company policy. I can imagine the outrage and lawsuits that would be caused if they did so. It’s seldom to see a company offer refunds for years worth of purchases, but Google might handle this in a completely different way.
What will be refunded?
Stadia offers three categories of services you can purchase. The two paid ones will be eligible for a refund, which includes items sold through the Google Store or Stadia Store.
If you would like to get your books and games refunded, they will have to be purchased via the Stadia Store. The selections do not have to be claimed in the same order they were purchased. This includes downloadable content and add-ons bundles. If you paid for a game in the Stadia Store—as well as any physical game or downloadable bundle—that will be the only selection that qualifies for the refund.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could get everything you need, including every component of your gaming experience, in one place? It’s possible with Stadia Hardware, as we’re able to create and launch new high-quality hardware products on a regular schedule.
Unfortunately, you must purchase the Google Stadia controllers or Stadia setup through the Google Store in order to qualify for a refund. The two physical stores are located in New York, so if you purchased there, possibly you’ll have a chance for a refund. Other retail locations will not qualify.
There is little need to visit the physical store in order to return your hardware, since there’s no way for you to exchange broken hardware for a new one. No, that doesn’t mean there’s no reason at all to get hardware in the first place. There are plenty of other benefits, like customer services and speedy returns.
Would you like to return your controller?
Yes! You will get a refund on all the hardware you have paid for, and you’ll be able to keep it. Google says that “most hardware purchases” qualify for a refund, and specifically specifies the following packages:
Having a hard time managing your content? With Stadia, you can focus on what your company needs first — working to build a successful business.
Founders Edition
Arranging a meeting with an editor at Premiere International
Get ready for a new way to watch your favorite shows and movies with Google TV.
If you bought these kits, you’re safe. If you purchased them via the Google Store, you may qualify for a refund.
How do refunds work? When and how long do they take? With Affilimate, you’ll get your refund within 24 hours.
November 9th marked the day that Google began sending emails to everyone who had made qualifying purchases on the Stadia store. Google says that refunds with automatic action usually start going out in 10 to 15 days after purchase.
Customers who made fewer than 20 purchases will get individual emails for each refund. If you bought three games and two DLC packs on Stadia, you’ll get five separate emails for each refund attempt. However, customers who made more than 20 purchases should receive one email with a summary of all refunds made.
At the moment, Google has not yet announced when a refund will be available. Until then, we’ll continue to update this article as new information comes in and we’ll try to maintain some semblance of reality where one doesn’t exist.
Google has stated that their intent is to have all refunds sent out by January 18, 2023. Though software refunds are more likely to be processed and completed before the end of November, these processes and timing may vary.
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What if my payment info changed?
Three years have passed since Stadia made its big debut, and it’s been a while since they’ve been faced with such transparency. Sometimes it’s tough to keep up with the constantly changing environment that we live in today, but you might have to put in a little extra work if you had to change your payment information in the last few years.
Google can still issue refunds, even if they are direct deposit and sent to a different bank account number. If you changed bank accounts or added a new routing code to your account, any old change numbers should be recognized by your current financial institution.
There’s a possibility that your automatic refund via PayPal might fail. Google will send you an email with instructions on how to proceed if this happens, but you may need to contact your bank to accept the refund.
If the process of refunding your purchase is getting frustrating, please reach out to us! We can help Google create a custom settlement agreement specific to your account in order to facilitate the process.
If you are worried about losing your Google account, don’t worry! We can step in and help restore the data we have found for your account.
If your Google account is closed for any reason, don’t worry! Google will still process a refund based on the payment descriptions that were used when you initially made the purchase.
If you delete your Google account, it may be more complicated to receive your payment information or have Google send the payment to Stadia. So, in that event, contact Stadia customer service with the following info:
The email address for your deleted account
When was the last time you made a purchase?
The last transaction amount was $ ##.
You can find information such as what websites you used to visit in the past, email records from other accounts, or your transaction history with your financial institution. One piece of information you might not be able to easily find is your Google account information.
Do you have a lot of work on Stadia?
Stadia Pro subscribers will be able to stay subscribers until the service shuts down, which is estimated to happen sometime in 2023. The subscription will not be charged any further, which means that you don’t need to give Google any more money for a dying service.
If you do not buy games, then the only way to use Stadia is with a time-limited demo. Despite teasing back in 2019, Google launched playable game demos in October of 2021 and they seem to still be working for now.