'Fortnite' refund applications open for $245 million Epic settlement

AppleInsider

The US Federal Trade Commission has opened up applications for refunds for "Fortnite" players, as part of a $245 million settlement over alleged bogus in-game purchases.

The FTC finalized an order in March that fined Epic Games $245 million for its alleged use of "dark patterns" in the game Fortnite. On Tuesday, the FTC started taking applications for refunds as part of that settlement.

Epic Games was accused of charging parents and players for unwanted items in the game, using confusing interfaces and techniques designed to make it easy to make mistaken purchases. These patterns included button layouts that the FTC deemed counterintuitive and inconsistent, laid out so that a player could easily press the wrong button and confirm a payment.

There was also the subject of parental consent, as it was alleged Epic made it easy for children to buy in-game items without parental authorization.

For customers who disputed wrongful charges with credit card companies, Epic allegedly locked the related accounts.

The refund claim page at FortniteRefund.com is for people aged 18 or over. Filers can either be players of legal age, or the parent or legal guardian of younger players.

Refunds are available for anyone charged in-game currency for items they didn't want between January 2017 and September 2022. They are also open if a child made charges to a parent's credit card without the parent's knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018.

It also applies if user accounts were locked between January 2017 and September 2022 after a complaint was made to the related credit card company over wrongful charges.

The deadline to file a claim is January 17, 2024.

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williamh

Isn't this the company that on "moral grounds" is fighting paying Apple their fair share for using Apple's App Store?

chasm

Thanks, US government, for reminding us that Epic is unethical, and preys on children and the vulnerable.

Kierkegaarden

This is really going to help them in their case against Apple.  What a scumbag company Epic is.

thinkman100000000

I'm as tired of seeing Fortnite / Sweeny as I am seeing (or hearing) Musk and Trump! Is this the new axis of evil?!………… What they have in common is they're grifters with no "moral compass".

AppleZulu

This is the same company leading the charge to force Apple to allow side loading on iPhones, so that they can side step Apple's quality control, consumer transparency and consumer protections. 

Alex1N

Hoist by their own petard.

FileMakerFeller

One game developer charged for this behaviour, thousands to go.

danox

Sweeney Todd likes to give haircuts to parents and their kids….. Plan B Apple a in house game engine is inevitable. Not because you want to, but because bad behavior by third-parties (Epic and Unity) will make it a necessity.

davidw

This happens because it's the fox that is guarding the hen house. When Fortnite players spend their virtual  Fortnite Bucks, Epic is in control of the whole transaction that occurs completely inside the game. But when Fortnite players use real currency (including CC) to buy virtual Fortnite Bucks in an app store run by the platform owner, entities like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Sony, etc.. plays a part in the transaction and can offer some protection for the buyers. If a Fortnite player got tricked into buying virtual Fortnite Bucks and paying for it in an app store, platform owners like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Sony, etc.. can step in and get a refund for the buyer or set up safe guards that allows parents to control their kids use of their CC. Even if it means losing the 30% commission.  But if Epic was running the app store and payment system, then it's back to the fox guarding the hen house and Epic could make it more difficult (if not impossible) for Fortnite players that felt they were tricked  into buying virtual Fortnite Bucks, to get a refund.

The courts needs to consider this type of behavior that harms consumers, when they're determining if not allowing third party app stores harms the consumers. Developers have shown time and time again, that protecting the consumers might not be in their best interest or even a priority.  And a lot of these developers are in favor of forcing Apple to allow third party apps stores on iOS.  

danox

davidw said:

This happens because it's the fox that is guarding the hen house. When Fortnite players spend their virtual  Fortnite Bucks, Epic is in control of the whole transaction that occurs completely inside the game. But when Fortnite players use real currency (including CC) to buy virtual Fortnite Bucks in an app store run by the platform owner, entities like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Sony, etc.. plays a part in the transaction and can offer some protection for the buyers. If a Fortnite player got tricked into buying virtual Fortnite Bucks and paying for it in an app store, platform owners like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Sony, etc.. can step in and get a refund for the buyer or set up safe guards that allows parents to control their kids use of their CC. Even if it means losing the 30% commission.  But if Epic was running the app store and payment system, then it's back to the fox guarding the hen house and Epic could make it more difficult (if not impossible) for Fortnite players that felt they were tricked  into buying virtual Fortnite Bucks, to get a refund.

The courts needs to consider this type of behavior that harms consumers, when they're determining if not allowing third party app stores harms the consumers. Developers have shown time and time again, that protecting the consumers might not be in their best interest or even a priority.  And a lot of these developers are in favor of forcing Apple to allow third party apps stores on iOS.  

Which is why Apple should say a hard no to any third party store, because in the end, the parents will be crying on TV or to the media that Apple cheated them, and they should give them a refund, the general public and the media will hold Apple responsible every time and not the third-party, scumbag running a bait and switch store within a store,.

The on going security problems, and the continual cheating of customers will never stop, and the only company in the end, that will be held responsible will be Apple,