Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

US Supreme Court Lifts Order That Blocked Trump’s Mass Federal Layoffs

17 hours ago

Trump to Attend Club World Cup Final, FIFA Opens Office in Trump Tower

17 hours ago

Trump Says Pharmaceutical Tariffs Could Reach 200%

17 hours ago

Rescue Teams Find Three More Bodies After Central Texas Floods

17 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Rigoberto Simental Aguilar

18 hours ago

Trump Says He Is Not Happy With Russia’s Putin, Considering Sanctions

18 hours ago

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to Be Sentenced on October 3

18 hours ago

Israeli Military Says It Struck Key Hamas Figure in Lebanon’s Tripoli

18 hours ago

Madera County Sheriff Logs 29 Fire-Related Calls on Fourth of July, Most in 5 Years

18 hours ago

Trump Says He May Take Over Governance of Washington, DC

19 hours ago
Did Your Kids Buy Gear in Fortnite Without Asking You? The FTC Says You Could Get a Refund
By admin
Published 2 years ago on
September 19, 2023

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

WASHINGTON — Parents whose kids bought virtual gear without their knowledge on the popular Fortnite video game could soon be able to get a refund.

U.S. regulators are starting to notify more than 37 million people by email that they may be eligible for compensation as part of a legal settlement with Fortnite’s maker, Epic Games Inc.

The Settlement

The Federal Trade Commission announced late last year that Epic Games would pay $520 million in penalties and refunds to settle complaints revolving around children’s privacy and its payment methods that tricked players into making unintended purchases.

Part of that $520 million consists of $245 million in customer refunds, as part of a settlement finalized in March. It’s meant to cover some of the costs of unwanted V-Bucks, the game’s in-game currency, or virtual items such as outfits or cartoonish purple llama loot crates.

Consumers have until Jan. 17 to submit a claim.

The Fine

Epic Games had also agreed to pay a $275 million fine for allegedly collecting personal information on Fortnite players under the age of 13 without informing their parents or getting their consent. It was the biggest penalty ever imposed for breaking an FTC rule.

Eligibility for Refunds

According to the FTC, those eligible for refunds include Fortnite users charged in-game currency for items they didn’t want between January 2017 and September 2022; those whose child made charges to their credit card without their knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018; and those whose account was locked after they complained to their credit card company about wrongful charges.

Epic Games said after settling the case in December that it implemented additional safeguards to prevent unintended purchases. In an updated statement Tuesday, it referred people to the FTC’s page.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Woman Sentenced to Prison for DUI Crash That Killed One, Injured Three

DON'T MISS

Union Files Ethics Complaint After College Chancellor’s ‘Goddaughter’ Receives $161K In Contracts

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Suspect Tied to 2 Shootings, Firearm Recovered

DON'T MISS

Are Former Measure C Execs Pushing Their Own Ballot Measure?

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Near New Cuyama Grows to 80,615 Acres, 35% Contained

DON'T MISS

US Justice Department Scrambles to Defend Its About-Face on Release of Epstein Files

DON'T MISS

US Supreme Court Lifts Order That Blocked Trump’s Mass Federal Layoffs

DON'T MISS

Trump to Attend Club World Cup Final, FIFA Opens Office in Trump Tower

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Pharmaceutical Tariffs Could Reach 200%

DON'T MISS

Rescue Teams Find Three More Bodies After Central Texas Floods

UP NEXT

Union Files Ethics Complaint After College Chancellor’s ‘Goddaughter’ Receives $161K In Contracts

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Arrest Suspect Tied to 2 Shootings, Firearm Recovered

UP NEXT

Are Former Measure C Execs Pushing Their Own Ballot Measure?

UP NEXT

US Justice Department Scrambles to Defend Its About-Face on Release of Epstein Files

UP NEXT

US Supreme Court Lifts Order That Blocked Trump’s Mass Federal Layoffs

UP NEXT

Trump to Attend Club World Cup Final, FIFA Opens Office in Trump Tower

UP NEXT

Trump Says Pharmaceutical Tariffs Could Reach 200%

UP NEXT

Rescue Teams Find Three More Bodies After Central Texas Floods

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Rigoberto Simental Aguilar

UP NEXT

Trump Says He Is Not Happy With Russia’s Putin, Considering Sanctions

Are Former Measure C Execs Pushing Their Own Ballot Measure?

15 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Near New Cuyama Grows to 80,615 Acres, 35% Contained

16 hours ago

US Justice Department Scrambles to Defend Its About-Face on Release of Epstein Files

16 hours ago

US Supreme Court Lifts Order That Blocked Trump’s Mass Federal Layoffs

17 hours ago

Trump to Attend Club World Cup Final, FIFA Opens Office in Trump Tower

17 hours ago

Trump Says Pharmaceutical Tariffs Could Reach 200%

17 hours ago

Rescue Teams Find Three More Bodies After Central Texas Floods

17 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Rigoberto Simental Aguilar

18 hours ago

Trump Says He Is Not Happy With Russia’s Putin, Considering Sanctions

18 hours ago

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to Be Sentenced on October 3

18 hours ago

Fresno Woman Sentenced to Prison for DUI Crash That Killed One, Injured Three

A 23-year-old Fresno woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than a decade in state prison for a 2021 drunk driving crash that killed one passen...

13 hours ago

13 hours ago

Fresno Woman Sentenced to Prison for DUI Crash That Killed One, Injured Three

14 hours ago

Union Files Ethics Complaint After College Chancellor’s ‘Goddaughter’ Receives $161K In Contracts

Jershawn Worthy was identified as the suspect in two Fresno shootings and is now facing multiple firearm-related charges. (Fresno PD)
14 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Suspect Tied to 2 Shootings, Firearm Recovered

15 hours ago

Are Former Measure C Execs Pushing Their Own Ballot Measure?

The Madre Fire near New Cuyama has burned more than 80,615 acres, injured one firefighter, and prompted multiple evacuation orders as crews work to contain the growing wildfire. (CalFire)
16 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Near New Cuyama Grows to 80,615 Acres, 35% Contained

U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry March 28, 2017 and obtained by Reuters July 10, 2019. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
16 hours ago

US Justice Department Scrambles to Defend Its About-Face on Release of Epstein Files

A general view of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S., June 1, 2024. (Reuters File)
17 hours ago

US Supreme Court Lifts Order That Blocked Trump’s Mass Federal Layoffs

President Donald Trump holds the key to the FIFA Club World Cup trophy in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 7, 2025. (Reuters File)
17 hours ago

Trump to Attend Club World Cup Final, FIFA Opens Office in Trump Tower

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend