We’ve all been there.
The package you’ve been patiently waiting for is about to be delivered. And you’re thrilled when your shipper says it’s delivered. You run to the front door or the post office and there’s nothing there. This appears to be happening to some Reddit users after they found out their Steam decks weren’t making it to their final destination. The few instances of missing Steam decks we’ve seen so far feel less like organized robberies and more like a shipping mix-up, although the level of frustration remains the same.
Finding that their deck was gone, one Reddit user-submitted applications to the carrier and Valve for a solution. They claim that Valve advised them to go through the carrier first and follow the missing package protocols, which include checking the rest of their possessions and making sure it wasn’t accidentally delivered to a neighbor. This person was able to get a refund from Valve, and by some miracle, FedEx eventually tracked down the missing Steam Deck.
You see, there are happy endings.
Others, unfortunately, were not so lucky. Another user confirmed that Valve could also get their money back for a missing Steam deck and got another chance to re-reserve another deck. This means that you are probably waiting for a while until Valve releases the next batch of Steam decks.
Some users believe that the Steam Deck packaging, no matter how inconspicuous it may be, maybe the cause. This unboxing video shows a giant lithium battery and a “fragile electronics” logo embossed on the front, which pretty much suggests there’s probably expensive tech out there for any would-be package thief. I doubt Valve will change the packaging anytime soon. If you think your Steam deck might be vulnerable to theft, please make sure you contact the carrier and ask to sign for the shipment once it has been confirmed.
For now, if your Steam deck is “missing” in transit,
File a ticket with Valve Support and contact the carrier for lost package logs and hopefully, your desired Steam deck will be found or replaced. We reached out to Valve to ask what exactly people should do if they find themselves in a deckless situation.
