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The FTC is paying out refunds for purchases made in Fornite
Epic Games forked over $520 million in fines in 2022
Almost any purchase made on Fortnite between 2017 and 2022 is eligible for a refund
Ever play Fortnite? How about your kids? If so, you might be owed some money. Back in 2022, the Federal Trade Commission and Epic Games came to an agreement over the developer’s alleged misconduct. If you purchased in-game items or a minor did using your payment information, the FTC believes you may be entitled to some or all of that money back. In fact, $275 million has been earmarked to pay out claims, and you can file a claim today.
Let’s get legal. Last year, the FTC came after Epic Games, the maker and publisher of Fortnite. There were a whole lot of complaints filed against them, with the vast majority accusing Epic of failing to protect children and were actively exploiting them.
One of the main arguments is that Fortnite has a confusing interface when it comes to purchasing in-game items. Players may be misled, tricked, or otherwise accidentally buy things they didn’t want. Even if they wanted to purchase something, the process may have been unclear and led to them spending more than intended.
The concept of “dark patterns” has also been evoked, referring to a design tactic where users are subtly manipulated into spending money in ways they didn’t intend. Dark patterns and similar designs have come under fire across the tech industry lately, especially among social media.
But what does this all mean for the players? Well, after reaching an agreement in 2022, Epic forked over $520 million to the FTC. Half of this sum will go towards refunding affected parties, which will be done through the FTC. Here’s how to get in on it:
If you’re worried you might not be eligible to file a claim, don’t worry. Chances are if you’ve ever spent money on Fortnite, you can get at least some of it back.
You can apply for a Fortnite refund if:
Now, take note of the wording here. The FTC is clear to note that refunds are only for consumers that were charged for items they “didn’t want”. That’s understandable, but you don’t need to make any sort of assertions or submit proof that you didn’t want the items to file a claim.
Additionally, a major part of the FTC’s argument is that Fortnite unethically induced consumers to buy products. So even if you did want to buy them at the time, it could be argued that it was due to the game’s exploitative design. This would make you completely eligible to file a claim for almost any item purchased in the game.
Considering just how big Fortnite is, how many people play it, and how many items have been sold between 2017 and 2022, there is a ton of money up in the air right now.
Even if you only made a few purchases, it’s worth filing a claim to get back some or all of the money spent. You have until January 17, 2024, to file a claim.
Well, obviously getting any amount of money is a boon, but resellers have an extra edge in this lawsuit. Fortnite skins have been known to resell in the past. Rare skins may only be sold on the marketplace once or twice, and never return.
For example, the “Renegade Raider” skin is one of the rarest purchasable skins in the game, available for sale only during 2017. The skin has never returned for sale since then, and has become extremely rare and desirable.
These sold for 1,200 V-Bucks (around $12). Accounts with them can flip for anywhere from $100 to up to $1,000.
The resellers that bought and sold these skins at a profit are still eligible to file claims through the FTC’s website. After all, just because they made a profit doesn’t mean they wanted to buy the skins. Epic tricked them into buying them like anyone else, and it was just a lucky coincidence that they ended up being profitable.
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