According to earlier reports this week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered Epic Games to pay Fortnite players $245 million for their unwanted charges in the popular battle royale game.
If you or your children have ever been hit with a large bill for V-Bucks after playing a few rounds of Fortnite online, the latest judgment by the FTC should come as welcome news.
Who can get a Refund?
The FTC has determined that the following individuals, as reported by Digital Trends, are eligible to receive refunds:
- For parents whose children made unauthorized transactions from the Epic Games Store between January 2017 and November 2018.
- Anyone who played Fortnite between January 2017 and September 2022, and was charged virtual money (V-Bucks) for unnecessary in-game products, such as cosmetics, llamas, or battle passes.
- Fortnite gamers had their accounts frozen between January 2017 and September 2022 because they disputed suspicious charges with their credit card issuers.
See Also: Epic Games Must Refund 'Fortnite' Players $245 Million for Unwanted Charges, FTC Rules
How to initiate the refund process?
First thing to know-there is no estimated timeframe for when Epic Games will be required to pay refunds to eligible gamers or how long it will take to sort out a claim procedure.
Therefore, there is no rush to verify your eligibility at this time since the settlement is still in its early stages. As per Digital Trends, the FTC has officially said that "if you believe that you are eligible for a payment, you don't need to do anything right now."
While the settlement is finalized behind the scenes, the FTC suggests bookmarking its official Fortnite website. Further details shall be posted there or even on media sites.
Keep in mind that the FTC will never ask you to pay anything in order to get your money back. When the settlement's word spreads, be careful of frauds that may try to take advantage of the situation.
FTC vs. Epic Games
On Tuesday, Mar. 14, the court's decision was made public, including the fines imposed for using "dark patterns" to coerce customers into making illicit or unwanted purchases. The dark pattern utilized by the video game developer included "counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing" button layouts that made it easier for gamers to accidentally spend money in Fortnite with a single button click.
The FTC has also accused Epic Games of punishing players who spoke out against the false accusations by banning their accounts and making it impossible for them to play the game.
Using dark patterns or "otherwise charging consumers without obtaining their affirmative consent" is strictly forbidden, and the $245 million must be used to compensate customers who were overcharged.
Now that Epic Games can no longer depend on exploits to boost revenue, the company should focus on making Fortnite a service that consumers would willingly pay for.
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