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These days, video games have shops just like online stores. Games like Fortnite, developed by Epic Games, sell gear, character “skins,” and dance moves. (Think Darth Vader wielding an umbrella and flossing.) But what if the game saved your payment info (without asking you first), didn’t give you the chance to confirm purchases, made it hard to cancel them, and locked you out of the game if you tried to dispute the charge?

That, says the FTC, is what happened to some Fortnite players and parents. If you bought something in Fortnite, you might not have known that Epic saved your payment information. Or known that your kids could buy things – hundreds of dollars of in-game things – without you confirming their purchase, according to the FTC. And, says the FTC, Fortnite’s setup was so confusing that millions of players were charged for items they didn’t want.

Even worse, Epic made it difficult or impossible to cancel charges, and if you tried to dispute a charge with your credit card company, you might have found yourself unexpectedly and permanently locked out of Fortnite. You know, the game where you might have just spent hundreds of dollars without your knowledge or permission. That also meant you’d lose access to all the content you actually wanted and paid for — simply because you disputed a charge. 

Thanks to a settlement with the FTC, Epic now has to make sure players and parents confirm purchases. They can’t lock you out of the game for disputing charges. And Epic also has to pay $245 million to those they unfairly charged or locked out of a Fortnite account. Visit ftc.gov/fortnite for more information about refunds, and sign up for email updates from the FTC.

But that’s not all — while this settlement with the FTC could protect your wallet, another Epic settlement with the FTC could protect your privacy. Keep reading.

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Stephen Trickey
January 11, 2023

Thank you so much they got me for over $500.00 and even though I put a pass code on the game. They are still allowing the charges and refuse to reimburse.

Isreal
February 27, 2023

In reply to by Stephen Trickey

Can I get my money back because im broke and I my chuck back

Sonic-fighter4
May 07, 2023

In reply to by Spencer

I lost. My v bucks

Joy
April 11, 2023

Facebook has locked me out, too, after linking my PayPal account to itself without my permission. I was trying, without success, to undo that, when they blocked me. Extremely frustrating!

Marwan
April 20, 2023

Please save me and block its until know I didn't receive any amount of money . It's fraud.
Even I have no credit card and debit cards. Please save it
and illegal activities.
Until I enter usa Please security.
No worry about get money in my present my home country.
Bee protect me

TTV Ghostly7429
January 11, 2023

I play fortnite and every time I try and look at each fortnite skin it makes me purchase it for no reason And I don't even want it and I cannot refund it

morrislaptop
January 11, 2023

I got this to but how do i refund it then

CapitalTiger1900
January 17, 2023

In reply to by morrislaptop

Can i geht my Money back please now I‘m Brock because fortnite

Gary
January 12, 2023

Another gaming company called Plarium is doing the exact same things as Epic did. How to report them??

anouarallsgame
January 11, 2023

Can i get my money back pls

jesse
January 23, 2023

In reply to by anouarallsgame

im homeless and money to feed my kids and my fortnite acc is worth 1200 and thats a lot

YT-DaskFaZe
January 11, 2023

I would really like to refund som old skins

Axzus-_-YT
January 11, 2023

I would like a re fund of my account I spent money which I look back at and wish I didn’t - thanks

tyler
January 11, 2023

i want my refund back i’m 2018-19 i logged into fortnite it was sayjng i brought loads off skin and i like loads off vbucks because off this lose at least 14k vbucks the reason i had that many vbucks is because my birthday just went a week before all my vbucks went and i’m not happy about it i want my money back/ refund

Gggvb
March 16, 2023

In reply to by Tomi

Those are paid trolls to harass ftc. It's a trolling campaign. Dw about them

Julian ramirez
January 11, 2023

How do I refund my account

riley_to_busy
January 11, 2023

Epic spent all £75 of my money
Without buying it

Sultan Alwatban
January 11, 2023

I bayd accident skins or battle pass in 2017 and 18 what can I do

Kevin
January 11, 2023

I never got my skins I paid for

Stephen
January 11, 2023

How can I refund all my fortnight skins

London
January 11, 2023

I had some skin on my account and than dortinte logged me out of my account and my skin and vbucks were gone I had nothing and I still don,t have my vbucks of skins.

danny
January 11, 2023

how do i refund skins in fortnite?

Braulio Zarate
January 11, 2023

I want back my Vboxe

Luciano Pereyra
January 11, 2023

hello my name is luciano I would like fortnite to return my money because the game won't let me start

M4rtin2k1
January 11, 2023

I will habe my vbucks back please

Logan
January 11, 2023

I spent so much money on here and I accidentally buy battle pass to

sweater ali
January 11, 2023

hello i wanted to ask what if i bought whit psn card
and would they refund int the future in other lands not only amerika

Shane
January 11, 2023

I want to refund the skin but I don't know how to

Braden
January 12, 2023

i try to preview the skin and it makes me buy it :(

jimmyfortnite007
January 13, 2023

You can also do it from PlayStation

jimmyfortnite007
January 13, 2023

You can do from playstation and I would like to have all the refund of all my Fortnite skins that are from PS4 pls

Gabriel Ofordu
January 13, 2023

I would like to refund my son’s skin

andrea
January 17, 2023

i would like my money back thanks

julian wehling
January 17, 2023

i will give my items back i need the money... pls

clxwn3r_
January 17, 2023

I’ve lost so much money while not even being at my game it just buys stuff ;((((

Nicole
January 17, 2023

Would like refund of my account daughter made account and purchased so many skins I think 436

Franklin
January 17, 2023

I want to refund my deku skin

WulD_OntelMonke
January 17, 2023

I payed for some skins and didnt get them so i want to refound some skins

anthony
January 17, 2023

please when can we submit a refund request

elfenfan
January 23, 2023

when and how can i get my refunds

MaddleDee
January 30, 2023

I'm very happy about this settlement as I have accidentally purchased MANY cosmetic items over the years myself, most of which I couldn't even refund due to the limited amount of refund tokens and the "Cancel Purchase" button not existing until somewhat recently.

I don't even mind if I can only give those unwanted items back for V-Bucks and not real money, I'll be waiting for more information as to how and when we can request refunds.