Current:Home > NewsCould you be eligible for a Fortnite refund?-LoTradeCoin
Could you be eligible for a Fortnite refund?
View Date:2024-12-23 23:06:28
Ever accidentally swipe or press lightly on a button and end up charged for something you didn't want? Federal Trade Commission attorney James Doty says that's what happened to millions of Fortnite players.
"The button configuration within Fortnite was so confusing and inconsistent that it was extremely easy for users to rack up charges for items they did not want," he says, "Game players are kind of fast and furiously pressing buttons. Some of those buttons preview items. Some of those buttons purchase items. And if a user was previewing an item and accidentally pressed an adjacent button, they would immediately be charged for the item with no recourse."
Of the $520 million settlement from Epic Games, $245 million will go towards refunding Fortnite consumers who the FTC says were tricked into making unwanted charges.
The FTC has identified three categories of consumers eligible for refunds:
-Parents whose children made an unauthorized credit card purchase in the Epic Games Store between January 2017 and November 2018.
-Fortnite players who were charged in-game currency (V-Bucks) for unwanted in-game items (such as cosmetics, llamas, or battle passes) between January 2017 and September 2022.
-Fortnite players whose accounts were locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after disputing unauthorized charges with their credit card companies.
Doty says the FTC aims to "give money back to injured consumers as seamlessly as possible." It set up the website ftc.gov/fortnite where people can find more information and sign up for email updates.
But how consumers will prove they've been ripped off is still being worked out. "The process is a little bit complicated because we are dealing with a user base of 400 million players," says Doty.
For its part, Epic Games recently instituted a number of payment and refund features. It has changed the practice of "saving payment information by default" and instead offers "an explicit yes or no choice to save payment information."
As for those "confusing" buttons that caused unwanted charges, Fortnite now has a "hold-to-purchase mechanic for all in-game purchases."
In its public statement, the company writes, "We accepted this agreement because we want Epic to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players."
"The shockwaves of this settlement will work its way through the many layers of the gaming industry," Stephen Balkam, founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute tells NPR. He believes the FTC's action signals "a new wave of recognition" by lawmakers and regulators "that this area needs to be controlled." At the same time, Balkam says, "Epic Games and most of the other gaming companies have already updated their practices. But it's a very strong indication that the FTC is going to keep a close eye on how they develop their games."
veryGood! (46)
Related
- Federal judge denies request to block measure revoking Arkansas casino license
- Wildfires, gusting winds at Great Smoky Mountains National Park leave roads, campgrounds closed
- A baby dies and a Florida mom is found stabbed to death, as firefighters rescue 2 kids from blaze
- Shakira reaches deal with Spanish prosecutors on first day of tax fraud trial to avoid risk of going to prison
- Krispy Kreme is giving free dozens to early customers on World Kindness Day
- D.C. sues home renovation company Curbio, says it traps seniors in unfair contracts
- Love Is Blind's Bliss Poureetezadi Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Husband Zack Goytowski
- Steelers fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada as offensive woes persist
- Chris Evans Shares Thoughts on Starting a Family With Wife Alba Baptista
- Stockholm city hall backs Olympic bid ahead of key IOC meeting for 2030-2034 Winter Games candidates
Ranking
- Deion Sanders doubles down on vow to 99-year-old Colorado superfan
- Navy spy plane with 9 on board overshoots Marine base runway in Hawaii, ends up in bay: It was unbelievable
- Garth Brooks gushes over wife Trisha Yearwood to Kelly Clarkson: 'I found her in a past life'
- Maine’s largest city votes down proposal to allow homeless encampments through the winter
- Fire crews on both US coasts battle wildfires, 1 dead; Veterans Day ceremony postponed
- Presidential debates commission announces dates and locations for 2024
- The Washington Post is suing to overturn a Florida law shielding Gov. Ron DeSantis' travel records
- What stores are open on Thanksgiving 2023? See Target, Walmart, Home Depot holiday status
Recommendation
-
How Ben Affleck Really Feels About His and Jennifer Lopez’s Movie Gigli Today
-
Alabama inmate asks judge to block first nitrogen gas execution
-
NFL’s look changing as more women move into prominent roles at teams across league
-
U.S. defense chief Lloyd Austin visits Ukraine to affirm support in war with Russia, now and in the future
-
King Charles III celebrates 76th birthday amid cancer battle, opens food hubs
-
Horoscopes Today, November 21, 2023
-
A Northern California man has been convicted of murder in the beheading of his girlfriend last year
-
EPA offers $2B to clean up pollution, develop clean energy in poor and minority communities