The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. market regulator, has now begun notifying more than 37 million players who may be eligible for refunds as part of a settlement with Epic Game. In November 2022, Epic was fined $520 million by the FTC, which was divided into two one-time fines: $275 million for violating the Children's Online Privacy Act (COPPA), and $245 million for misleading players into "accidental purchases" of virtual currencies and in-game items.
The latter amount will be used to compensate customers affected by unnecessary in-game purchases. According to FTC regulations, users can apply for a refund if they meet the following conditions:
·Charged in-game currency for unwanted items between January 2017 and September 2022
·Between January 2017 and November 2018, their children were charged for using credit cards without their parents’ knowledge or consent
· Their Epic account was locked from January 2017 to September 2022 after complaining to their credit card company about improper charges
Users will be directed to a dedicated page on the FTC website to request a refund and will need to provide a claim number or their Epic account ID to begin the process. The application deadline is January 17, 2024.
The FTC clarified that after a claim is filed, Fortnite accounts will not be affected and purchased items will not be lost. Once a claim is approved, "the amount of compensation will depend on several factors, including the number of people filing a claim."
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Game peripherals self-operated area