The Steam Machine is a pricey piece of hardware. Which is why UK redditor mdumtshali must have been heartbroken (or very annoyed) when theirs was stolen from their doorstep after the Royal Mail dropped it off while they were at work.
The delivery driver sent a picture of the Steam Machine box to prove it had been delivered, and even tried to cover it with a plastic bag (via Notebookcheck). But alas, when mdumtshali returned home, porch pirates (my new favourite term) had already absconded with the ill-fated mini PC.
However, mdumtshali says they eventually contacted Steam Support, which duly agreed to send out a replacement Steam Machine free of charge. "Honestly, kudos to Steam Support," says the redditor. "[I] thought I was going to be out £1000, which I really can't afford."
Steam Support initially asked mdumtshali to check with neighbours to see if the parcel had been taken in, which they duly did to no avail. As the Steam Machine is a high-value item, it's surprising that a signature wasn't required by the Royal Mail for delivery confirmation, which would have likely prevented this whole fiasco in the first place.
Royal Mail Left My Steam Machine Outsidefrom r/steammachine
As Notebookcheck points out, the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 stipulates that sellers must ensure that items reach buyers, so this is less a case of good-guy Valve and more "Valve follows the rules"—which is still pretty pleasing to see in this "screw-you-got-mine" world of ours.
In other countries, however, the consumer protections aren't quite so clear-cut. Chalk one battered, bruised, and broken point up for this silly little country of mine, and kudos to Steam Support for quickly coming to this redditor's aid in their time of need.
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