Steam does not allow a gift purchase?

[KnightMason]

This game would make a great gift for a friend of mine.
However steam tells me i can't buy it as a gift because the person I'm attempting to gift to has not purchased a game.

So they lose sales, because they want sales?
What?

How does this benefit anyone.
I mean really. I'm not allowed to buy for someone because they must buy first?
lol fail.

[Ansonr]

Are you sure that Error message is correct, I have gifted games to people who did not have any before.

[KnightMason]

Yep and it also doesn't allow chat with that person until they buy a game.

[Ansonr]

That is really weird, It wasn't even two weeks ago I bought the Orange Box for my cousin.

[1stCD]

Are you sure they don't mean he has the buy regular m&b first? I am pretty sure warband is an expansion; not a completely different game.

I know they don't allow you to even buy certain things if you don't have a game needed to run it. such as DLC, and expansions

[MegaGame]

warband is not an expansion.

insted of sending a gift to his steam account, where he has no games, have you try sending it as E-mail?