The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has begun sending out payments to consumers who were tricked into making unwanted purchases on the popular game Fortnite, developed by Epic Games. The company agreed to pay over $245 million as part of a settlement with the FTC, which alleged that the game’s confusing design led to many players being charged for in-game items without their consent.
The FTC has been cracking down on companies using “dark patterns” – deceptive design tricks – in subscription apps and online services. In Epic Games’ case, the commission found that the company’s navigation was flawed, causing customers to accidentally make purchases while the game was loading or when they tried to preview an item.
As part of the settlement, Epic Games must discontinue its use of these digital design tricks and obtain explicit consent for all future purchases. The company will also prevent itself from locking accounts of customers who dispute charges for digital goods and services. So far, $72 million in refunds have been distributed to affected consumers, with more payments planned for distribution at a later date.
The first round of payments includes 629,344 checks and PayPal transactions, with half paid through each method. Affected consumers can redeem their PayPal payments within 30 days and cash checks within 90 days. The average payment is around $114, but those who haven’t already claimed compensation can still submit a claim via an online form.
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ftc-distributes-72m-fortnite-customers-214102017.html