A mainstream shift towards digital distribution and media consumption has been in motion for years now, but the events of 2020 have arguably accelerated the adoption and acceptance of digital purchases. Lockdown measures throughout the year have prevented trips to your local game emporiums, and stress on postal services has meant that, for many players, downloading a game from the eShop has been the most convenient, sure-fire way to enjoy the latest games on launch day. Throw in digital-only releases and some deep discounts during sales and it's no surprise that the only thing many people have inserted in their Switch this year is a beefier micro SD card.
When it comes to returning a digital purchase for a refund, though, you'll find it much tougher than with a physical version — nigh-on impossible with Nintendo, in fact. It's something worth considering as we move into the next generation of consoles and ever-closer to the inevitable digital-only future.
Legitimate refunds
There are many reasons you might want to get your money back for a digital game. You may have purchased the wrong version of a title by mistake; got your Sword and Shield mixed up, for instance, or misheard your pals and bought Jackbox Party Pack 3 when it should have been Jackbox Party Pack 2.
Perhaps a friend or relative gifted you the physical version over the holidays and you'd prefer to keep that.
Maybe the kids went on a wild spending spree before you activated Parental Controls.
One Nintendo Life reader on our forums wanted a refund in order to purchase a physical copy of Witcher 3 after their son bought it on eShop before realising it wouldn't fit on the installed micro SD card.
They're all totally legitimate, understandable reasons for wanting your money back. Maybe you're simply dissatisfied with the game and want to return it, or a physical release was announced after you reluctantly got the digital version, both of which sound entirely reasonable, too. We remember a time when you could return any physical product to a store — opened or otherwise — as long as it was in pristine order. These days stores will only accept goods sealed in their original packaging, and it's become the norm on digital storefronts that 'all sales are final', as is the case on Nintendo eShop.
Waive goodbye
Nintendo has been dogged in its approach to digital purchases ever since entering the arena with the Wii Shop. Customers on Nintendo's eShop are forced to waive their legal right to a refund in the T&Cs before any digital transaction goes through. The proposition is simple: if you don't accept, no download for you.
In many parts of the world, a 14-day refund period is enshrined in law, and this applies to digital goods like any other. Still, in order to buy digital games, customers are forced to accept the platform holder's terms of sale which habitually involve waiving this right.
For the most part, if you buy a digital game, you're stuck with it.
It's a sticky legal issue, and many other digital storefronts force customers to accept similar terms. Nintendo has been known to give refunds in very specific circumstances (most often in cases where key information wasn't highlighted sufficiently to the player before purchase, or the software is literally unplayable), but they are rare exceptions to standard company policy. For the most part, if you buy a digital game, you're stuck with it.
Pre-order cancellations
Until recently, this applied to pre-orders, too. Nintendo used to take payment for unreleased games at the point of pre-order and refused to cancel even if the game was months from release. That got the company into hot water in Europe, and since the beginning of September pre-orders can now be cancelled up until Nintendo takes payment, seven days prior to the software's launch. Still not great, then, but better than before.
The company's support page for refunds in the case of "Wrong Game, Didn't Like Game, Accidental Purchase" states the following:
We are unable to provide refunds or exchanges for mistaken purchases, and/or if you don't like the game.
Also, when you purchase digital content in Nintendo eShop, at the time of your purchase, you consent to Nintendo beginning with the performance of its obligations immediately, before the cancellation period ends, and you acknowledge that you will thereby lose your right to cancel at that point.
It then goes on to advise carefully reading game descriptions, looking at screenshots, visiting Nintendo's website for more information, setting up Parental Controls to prevent accidental purchases, and reading the "many websites" that publish game reviews to help inform your purchasing decisions. All good practices, to be sure, but there's still a chance you'll end up unhappy with your purchase, for whatever reason.
How does Nintendo's refund policy compare with other platform holders?
If Nintendo's policy seems consumer-unfriendly, it's worth taking a look at the competition. Sony's approach to refunding digital purchases depends on the exact product and whether you have begun downloading or streaming it. PlayStation Store's cancellation policy states:
You can cancel a digital content purchase within 14 days from the date of purchase and receive a refund, provided that you have not started downloading or streaming it.
Should you want a refund, you have to contact PlayStation Support, but the option is available which makes Sony's policy superior to Nintendo's.
Microsoft has a similar refund request procedure in place, although the company also states that "all sales of Digital Game Products are considered final". Microsoft's website includes a 'Statement of Values', too. Here are some excepts:
At Microsoft, we understand that sometimes purchases of Digital Game Products don’t go as planned. Should that ever happen, you can be reassured that you’ll be treated fairly, that we’ll listen to your concerns, and if needed, we’ll help you request a refund.
We provide Digital Game Product refunds as part of a consistent and reliable buying experience. Most people pursuing a refund just want to solve a problem, but sometimes the system is abused. If it appears refunds are being abused, we reserve the right to stop offering them except where legally required.
All sales of Digital Game Products are considered final, but we understand there may be extenuating circumstances. When you request a refund for these products, and depending on the purchase or content type in determining refund eligibility, we consider a variety of factors like time since date of purchase, time since release, and use of the product.
It certainly sounds friendlier, and although there's plenty of leeway and right of refusal there, it would seem that Xbox gamers shouldn't have problems with any reasonable refund request.
Elsewhere, Steam users on PC have a much easier time getting refunds these days. From the Steam Store:
You can request a refund for nearly any purchase on Steam—for any reason. Maybe your PC doesn't meet the hardware requirements; maybe you bought a game by mistake; maybe you played the title for an hour and just didn't like it.
It doesn't matter. Valve will, upon request [...], issue a refund for any reason, if the request is made within the required return period, and, in the case of games, if the title has been played for less than two hours. There are more details below, but even if you fall outside of the refund rules we’ve described, you can ask for a refund anyway and we’ll take a look.
The above applies within 14 days of purchase, and returns on the Epic Game Store operate in a similar manner. The system isn't flawless but, on the whole, Valve's current refund policy has been well-received in the five-or-so years since it came into effect.
Without ploughing through the support pages of every major digital storefront, you get the idea. Essentially, Nintendo is the most draconian of the major platform holders when it comes to implementing an 'all sales are final' policy.
What about buggy or 'broken' Switch games?
From the player's point of view, there's evidently much room for improvement when it comes to consumer rights and flexibility in the area of digital goods, whether you're buying from Nintendo or any other company. But what's reasonable?
In the case of unplayed digital items, we wonder if Nintendo should instigate a similar policy to Sony. Downloads begin automatically after your eShop purchase, but Nintendo has the data that says if you've opened the software or not, so if it was bought in error and never played, there's no reason why you shouldn't be entitled to a refund.
The habit of developers launching bug-filled products and patching them over time makes customer satisfaction an ever changing metric
The habit of developers launching bug-filled products and patching them over time makes customer satisfaction an ever changing metric. A Nintendo Life reader contacted us recently citing Tower of Time, Pillars of Eternity and the more recent Othercide as games that failed to meet expectations. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night launched in a sorry state on Switch compared to other platforms, although it has slowly been improving. If someone bought the Switch version and instantly regretted not getting the PS4 version instead, the option to return it would be most welcome, no?
This is a bit of a minefield due to different perceptions of what's acceptable when it comes to buggy or glitchy gameplay. For one player, any random hard crash to the system menu could be cause for a full refund, while another might not care or encounter any issues at all. Somebody may be super sensitive to frame rate stutters and brand anything that drops into the 20fps range 'unplayable', while others can tolerate slideshow performance.
Every individual will have their own ideas as to what constitutes 'broken'; to an extent, it's understandable that companies put blanket policies in place. Still, why have the console manufacturers taken a stance at the opposite end of the scale to Valve and Epic?
Should you be able to return digital Switch games, for whatever reason?
There's an argument that smaller indie developers of games only a handful of hours long could particularly suffer were Nintendo to instigate a similar under-two-hours-played returns policy to Steam or the Epic Store. Presumably, that's the kind of refund 'abuse' Microsoft is referring to, and the console companies have an arguably greater interest in guarding against this than Valve and the comparative Wild West of its Steam Store.
Still, it's hard to argue that Nintendo's current stance is consumer-friendly, even if it's never been easier to get informed about games that interest you (via reviews or downloadable demos) before putting your money down.
Should Nintendo have a different policy when it comes to digital product refunds? Should you be able to return a digital Switch game for any reason at all? Have you had any issues getting a refund in the past? Let us know in the polls below, and leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Comments 152
Yep, had an accidental purchase back in the Wii U days when I was browsing Smash DLC and somehow managed to get Mii costumes. I tried to get a refund but to no avail. I just didn’t want it, I’d give it back no bother and if it was a £50 game, I’d have pursued it further. Steam’s policy is brilliant to be honest.
I think in extreme cases where games are broken to the point of being unplayable, players should be able to get a refund. I think it should be on a case by case basis though and not easily obtainable. The danger of making refunds too easy to get is that a lot of people would abuse the system to play short games for free which is pretty detrimental to the indie devs who put in the hard work to make them. I have like 450-500 games on the Switch so far but have never felt the need for a refund system as I know what I like and do my research before making a purchase so I rarely end up disappointed. It's not too hard to do a bit of quality control yourself before spending your money.
Not really Nintendo’s fault, but I have bought a game on sale only to realize the game and DLC bundle were also on sale (but not the DLC by itself).
I had two instances where a refund would've been the right thing for them to do. First I bought Axiom Verge on the Wii U instead of the Switch (the pages look identical) and the other was when I discovered that The Sexy Brutale is largely unplayable on Switch.
Very informative. I was about to get pillars of eternity, but I might as well get it on whatever new PC I'm getting, thanks for using it as an example.
The problem for preorder or TBA or buggy games breaking gameplay should be the exception. But buyers remorse would be harder to justify.
There is a really big amount of "mobile" Games and Indi Stuff, so the Possibility to buy Crap is big.
There should be a Refund Policy like Valves.
Edit:
Also in Days without Demos, even high praised Games could be wrong for one personal.
Sometimes you only know it after trying it out.
Valve hasn't gone Bankrupt because of Refunds.
I don’t expect a full refund, but it would be nice to have a discounted upgrade path for games like Fitness Boxing. If they track how much you paid for the game (full price vs a sale), they could scale the discount accordingly.
One would look to YT for testers to see how gameplay is to see if this game is for them. And if there isn't doing some homework is also prudent to do as well. That so you don't buy because you think you'll like it. This is why I look for physical if you haven't opened the game you can return for full refund but open games are only exchanged- that's the limitations or is indie company where once purchased no return unless show to be defective product. But I would say a limited refund period minus service fees assuming they don't abuse the returns policy would help.
I do think that they should go to the 1-day full refund approach, and afterwards, 14-day partial refund. Still seems harsh, but this is Nintendo we're talking about.
My idea for a refund digital is if the game doesn't have a demo then a refund should be more likely because there is no way to test a game. If the game doesn't have demo then a 2 hr test run should be used in the refund policy. If you haven't even played the game you have 7 days to get a refund.
As long as there are families with kids, I think unapproved purchases will happen. It would please customers if there was a way to refund them, especially if the game was never played.
I think it would be very consumer friendly for them to build something in but I don't think these features have been standard on ps store or microsoft store until somewhat recently.
If you buy something online they do certainly give you enough confirmations to make sure you just didn't click it by mistake, and if you buy a game and it's awful it's kind of on you to do your research. Nice to have but they aren't obligated to figure a solution out.
In order to do any refund policy they will need to withhold payment to their third parties for more time and probably redo their contracts with them.
@WoomyNNYes in that case why did they give kids access to money to make those transactions? That situation sounds more like buyer's remorse. And to another making Demo isn't free money someone has to be paid to make that.
I have games on carts and download as well
Never had one really bad game until I got pool pro gold I would love to get a refund for that load of junk
But never felt the need to get a refund on other games.
Good thing about carts that if you don't like it and can not get a refund you just sell it instead 😊
@BenAV like Bloodstain.
I think they should offer a refund and the option able to redownload the software at least longer then 20 years.
@Scrubicius that's why I bought Physical version.
Steam is the gold standard for digital refunds. If you've played less than two hours within two weeks of purchase and you don't like the game you can get a full refund.
It should follow the way Steam does it. they offer refunds its a very easy and fair process.
I like Steam's policy of two hours and then you can't refund anymore.
Even then, they still will let you refund on a case-by-case basis.
Getting closer with allowing people to refund pre-orders!
Nintendo has some catching up to do though it's not like Sony is any better. I remember buying the season pass for Muramasa Rebirth in the German PSN store but my copy was US imported and thus those two weren't compatible. Sony refused to give me a refund.
The best version of refund policy is currently provided by Steam which I've used multiple times without any issues. Though people need to remember that this wasn't always the case. Refunds on Steam are still relatively newish.
Overcooked 2 wireless local play disconnects. I'd like a refund or four.
I've regretted buying crap games but that's on me, it's also almost impossible to accidentally buy something. If I was however misled on buying something that wasn't what it claimed to be, refunds should be offered.
@SwitchForce I was just speaking in general. But I just realized, while eshop can be accessed without a password (if you set it up that way), purchases are still password protected, I think? So, the scenario I was thinking of probably doesn't happen the way I was thinking.
I had my first Steam refund recently because I bought a game that I forgot I already had on Switch. Refund was issued in a couple of hours.
I would like some kind of refund system on Switch though. Neverlast is a game that runs so poorly it really detracts from the game, which is a reasonable time killer for the price I paid with 90% discount - if it ran smoothly.
But that's the only game I would refund. Usually, I buy the deep discounts that I think I will like and usually I do. Technical reasons are the only way I would refund.
the opportunity cost is bitter!
I don't really agree with returning things just cause you don't like them. Personally, I think returns should be for defective products or mistaken purchases.
Although with all the confirmations you go through to buy a digital game, I don't know how you'd buy one by mistake. And I don't know how you'd get a defective digital copy of a game.
Also, it's not Nintendo's fault if your unsupervised child buys a game without permission. That's on you.
The Steam policy is only because they lost a lawsuit about it. Otherwise there wouldn't be a refund policy.
The Nintendo policy is fair tbh. As soon as you download the game you have "used" it so it loses value. It's like buying a loaf of bread, taking out one slice and then return it to the store.
The pre-order thing is fair as well, because you want to be able to "preload" the game so they charge you one week in advance. After that the game starts downloading.
Also I agree that returning something "because you don't like it" is wrong. You could return something if it's broken or damaged, but then then the store is required to either repair or replace it. Only if either of those isn't possible you can get a refund minus the amount of the product that you used.
@Retron That's not the fault of the game. Getting a refund because you can't play it is like buying shoes that are too small. Try returning those.
@Heavyarms55 I think returning things because you didn't like them is a totally legitimate reason! Imagine buying a game and just flat out not liking it AT ALL, despite researching it, reading reviews, watching videos, and giving it a shot for 2 hours. And then you're stuck with it forever.
It doesn't happen often, but it does happen!
I've bought some real duds that I put less than 2 hours in to and will never touch again, so I wouldn't complain about a policy similar to the Valve one.
"One Nintendo Life reader on our forums wanted a refund in order to purchase a physical copy of Witcher 3 after their son bought it on eShop before realising it wouldn't fit on the installed micro SD card."
This just happened with me except with Mario 3D Allstars. I didn't realise it was the eShop version, tried to cancel but the game auto downloaded and then Nintendo refused to refund or exchange. There's literally no reason not, shows a real lack of love for their customers.
@asmi8803 You buying the incorrect version is not Nintendo's fault. It's your fault. Also going into the eShop to buy a physical game? Who does that.
Yeah, if there is quality control from nintendo as they said, the game quality must be granted. Any fail in this requirement from any 3rd party game, still a failure on quality validation, they should refund since it was also they fail. A game with unplayable fps, it was there quality fail. When the gamer buy it, it doesn't know the fps rate issue. So yeah, we can say this is serious scamming movement.
@sanderev doesn't matter if it's not the fault of the game, if he can't play it, do the right thing and refund. We're here to serve each other, not pinch and steal. If the game doesn't serve @Retron they shouldn't be able to receive a refund.
Seriously imagine we lived in a world where every body cared about each other.
Like the polls suggest, I got Star Wars Jedi Knight 2 hoping for some serious nostalgia, but was disappointed. I wanted to refund it simply because I didn't like it, but read online you couldn't.
2 weeks ownership and less than 2 hours time-played are fitting requirements for a return.
@eltomo So you bought a game and didn't like it. If you had bought it physically from bestbuy you wouldn't be able to return it either.
@asmi8803 Well you are incorrect. Before you buy something you are required, by law (at least here in the Netherlands), to do sufficient research to know for certain that you absolutely want to buy that. He knows he can't play certain games, so he should be required to do research on that before buying a game.
Only if you buy a game that has a game breaking bug or is literally unplayable (at all) you should either get the game fixed (patch), replaced with a working game or of those fail a refund.
Yes they have a problem with them - and it's wrong. 2 hours play time would be good. If there are a small number of games than can be played in a short time - like Untitled Goose - then more content is naturally encouraged for the Dev side.
A demo or a refund system, at least one is a must-have on any digital platform. No amount of research can make you understand how a game actually plays for you.
@sanderev "You buying the incorrect version is not Nintendo's fault. It's your fault." Kindness is free. If someone mistakenly ordered the wrong product and it literally did no harm to exchange it, why wouldn't you want a happy customer?
"Also going into the eShop to buy a physical game? Who does that." - I didn't go to eShop, it was through their European website, I thought I was on the UK one. The UK one in the past has always defaulted to physical, this one, eShop.
@doctorhino If you bought it physically, you still have options. You can resell it or trade it or whatever. You may end up losing some of the original price, but can recoup at least some of it. You literally have no options with digital and if these companies want the masses to fully embrace digital, they need to address these issues.
@sanderev I'm not arguing about the law etc. I'm asking how would we like to be treated? What is the decent thing to do here?
They would need to find a way to make people feel so good about the system they are more likely to buy games they are not sure about. If they could do that and sell it to the third parties it may actually make them more money. As it stands no third party is going to agree to enable refunds as it will take away sales and they aren't contractually obligated to do it.
@asmi8803 Then you should go talk to that store. And remember the myNintendo store is basically a website version of the eShop.
If the store did not clarify that you were buying a download version of the game you should get your money back (false advertising) otherwise..
I tried to refund DLC for RPG Maker FES on 3DS due to constant crashes making it unplayable.
First I simply explained the problem then clarified how this was literally the most broken product I'd ever seen on a Nintendo system, but just got an apology + no refund policy reminder.
Out of ideas I resorted to a plea around how much money I'd given Nintendo over 20+ years... didn't work. So unfair!
@sanderev I tried talking to them but the game auto downloaded when I turned my switch on and that according to policy is that. Again, I noticed after buying that it was the eShop verision, yes it was my fault for missing this, but it's still not the point. Kindness, human decency, understanding etc. etc.
@asmi8803 "decency" is a very dangerous way to do business. And sure when it's business to consumer you could indeed give some leeway in your policy.
I'd be happy to see a Steam like system for all digital storefronts. But I'm trying to be the devil's advocate here.
Grateful to NintendoLife for highlighting this issue and bringing it up for discussion. Who knows, maybe enough people complain and they start to care about the people who support them.
It's a laughable policy they have, very indicative of Nintendo's understanding of the internet.
@sanderev I'm curious why you say decency is a very dangerous way to do business?
@doctorhino So you bought a game and didn't like it. If you had bought it physically from bestbuy you wouldn't be able to return it either.
Let me know when you can resell digital games that you don't like.
@asmi8803 people will use it against you if they really don't care about you. I've seen companies go bankrupt over it.
With the 'limited edition' rumours surrounding Super Mario All Stars and the wording on the Nintendo site 'available to pre order from Nintendo or Amazon' I thought I better preorder quickly. I pre ordered from Nintendo.
The next day lots of outlets were selling the game. And Base were £5 cheaper, £5 is £5 so I ordered from them and cancelled my pre order with Nintendo.
Job done, all good. Until Base emailed to say my order was cancelled, Nintendo would not supply them with enough copies to satisfy all their pre orders. Ok. I pre ordered a copy from Amazon.
All good. Well until day of release, when two copies arrived, one from Amazon and one from Nintendo. I phoned Nintendo telling them I received a copy which I had cancelled, and they took payment. They could not find my email address attached to an order so they could not email me a return form. Nothing they could do, said the person on the end of the line.
Eventually I was given an address to send the game, recorded and I will get a refund after five days. I can then reclaim postage costs.
That was my first and last time I would order a physical game from Nintendo.
The day after the Amazon copy arrived, I got a £5 refund from them, their price had reduced.
Nintendo has a lot to learn in the customer relations department.
Lol, that image of Geralt made me chuckle quite a bit ahahahah
Good call!
@Crono1973 you admitted yourself you were not aware of the refund policy when you bought it. I don't see how that is any different than trying to return something at a store when you don't know the refund policy. It's not Nintendo's fault the type of item you bought can't be sold...
In both cases you will leave the store without a refund. Nintendo are selling you the product, they didn't invent digital games and are therefore responsible for no digital game used sales anywhere possible
No way you can know if you'll like a game until you play it. Valve's policy is best.
@doctorhino So you bought a game and didn't like it. If you had bought it physically from bestbuy you wouldn't be able to return it either.
Actually you can return a UNopened game for refund at BestBuy. So that's the Rule UNopened game can be returned for face value of purchase. But once open you can only exchange the game or sell it on eBay.
Nintendo is definitely not as consumer freindly as other gaming companies. Example, A few monthes ago i purchased Asassins Creed Origins on Xbox played it for a few hours and didn't like it.. I went on xbox.com went to my recent orders and they have a request a refund option right there ready to go, I explained that i simply didn't enjoy the game and they refunded my money like 3 days later.. Nintendo definitely needs to be more good to their customers on digital purchases..
@RPGamer again Buyer's Remorse is not a legitimate or legal ground to get refund. That's why it's called Buyer's Remorse. And Other companies only updated their digital refund policies this wasn't something from the start so let's be clear on this they only recently did this for those companies. So people talk as thought this was on-going it's not.
@SwitchForce Yeah, and you wouldn't know you didn't like it until you open it.
@doctorhino you admitted yourself you were not aware of the refund policy when you bought it.
Wrong person, I didn't say anything like that.
@zool Nintendo has a lot to learn in the customer relations department.
Might want to put Amazon in first place there. They changed how you contacted customer service so you yourself had no email recorded of the Chat help that is now gone. Now think about that they removed Chat feature to prevent complaints. By doing that they made it harder to have your own record of the help. I thought when I saw this removed that was a cheap shot at buyers who needed real customer service.
@doctorhino there's called YT to watch others whom tested or played it to see how it is. That's called Buyer's Remorse you have no recourse for that. YT not the best but does give one a hint of what it is but not all. But problem is if your buying DayOne Release then it's up to the buyer to really do their homework on the game.
To others whom mentioned motion sickness I think some of those games did clearly mention on the page or Game Case does mention about those with motion sickness for the gameplay. I recall some of my game cases paper mentioning that.
Valves refund policy is by far the best when it comes too refunds. I remember buying Bless as a preorder too play with friends. By preordering it you got 2 days early access.
Those two days were painful. Had a gametime of 7 hours played but half that time was stuck on a splash screen bug that happened multiple times. The other half as the game was poorly optimized. Asked for a refund 2 hours before the official release and told them all the issues I had with the game. I had my money back within an hour or 2. Granted I bought the game with steam wallet funds so that was part of the reason I received it so fast.
@stinkyx I don't have to imagine it, I have had it happen and I still don't think it's a valid reason. It's me who doesn't like it, the company still delivered the product. Like I said, unless it's defective or was an accidental or mistaken purchase, I don't think returning something is okay.
People need to own up to their own choices. That's my view.
@SwitchForce again Buyer's Remorse is not a legitimate or legal ground to get refund.
Tell that to Wal Mart. You can return almost anything for any reason. Don't like that new vacuum cleaner? Return it for a full refund. Not happy with that expensive treadmill? Return it for a full refund.
I don't understand why media gets special treatment and I don't understand consumers defending this special treatment.
nintendo should update their refund policy and allow us to return a game if we haven't played it. (within two hours of purchase).
in terms of accidental purchases on the eShop Nintendo should update the eShop and their policy so that purchases will not be made final until the user exits the eShop or switches over to playing a game. this could be useful for DLC purchases which won't really install until you restart the software that they are for.
we are in the digital era we should be able to cancel our game orders while still in the eShop. as far as physical copies of the game go, if we take it out of the package, than no returns or exchanges will be allowed which is understandable. i think best buy currently has that policy in place for most of their PC and gaming products.
This is what I don't like about Nintendo and nobody should support this. I have some digital Switch games but they are third-party and I bought them with a significant discount on a sale but I haven't bought any first-party Switch game digitally, only physically so I'm free to sell them if I don't like them or whatever. Nintendo has rubbish policies that I won't support. It's also one of the reasons what I don't buy Switch games if they are available on Xbox.
I think the companies should have a "dislicense" program. When you don't want the game anymore they should refund you a percentage based on the paid value (for example, 75%) in in-store credits, independent how long you bought or play the game.
Or they can make a "relicense" program, when people negociate their licenses with other in-store users
You can resell a used game, you should do the same with digital.
@stevenw45 as far as physical copies of the game go, if we take it out of the package, than no returns or exchanges will be allowed which is understandable.
Why is that understandable? Is it just because you are used to it?
How would you even know if a game sucks unless you open it? How would you even know if the vacuum cleaner works as well as advertised if you didn't open it?
Bought the wrong version dlc for spatoon 2 .
My game i got from the uk and just didn't see i needed to get same version dlc for it.
I took a bit of a hit in the pocket sold the game online and bought a local version to match the dlc.
I do like streams way it has meant i will try a game If i don't like i can refund it dose lead to more purchases for them
@Crono1973 Oh nvm, that was the original commenter. Microsoft almost had digital game sales working but everyone threw a fit over the disc games having to be tied to the console at that point.... Back when Xbox One first came out you were going to be able to give away and trade digital games. So maybe someday.
@Heavyarms55 I think your view is very anti-consumer, frankly. If there were refunds, it helps protects us from bad products and get better value for our money. Also, from the developer side, it allows people to try a game without risk of a bad purchase, so it helps when people are on the fence about buying a game. I think it's a win-win all around.
Though I have had problems in the past, I still buy Nintendo products. Nintendo is more for me because I love them. I always had faith in them. They come through when I need their help. I wish to only stay with Nintendo. And I want to state something: when Nintendo comes out with a new Switch version as some of yous are saying? I am going to come because I forever want to stay with Nintendo. And no one else.
I support this as long as is it would have playtime limits like Steam. Don't want people to abuse the system and good developers lose out. I personally never felt buyers remorse on Switch game I got because I know what I'm getting into and I like most types of games as long as they're good. But I'd still support this.
There's a sucker born every minute and many become Nintendo fans.
Nintendo is just transitioning their business model to microtransactions and constant rebuying of rehashed older games. Just look at how they've made a killing on Pokemon Go and their other mobile games. They're just applying that monetizing approach to their console base.
This isnt just software related. The hardware is also designed to make the most money. The joycons are a joke and probably only beat by the Virtual Boy controller as the worst in their history. And yet people are still spending $60 a pop to replace them.
This is why I love roms and the Homebrew Channel. I can sample almost any game, throw away what I don't like, and buy the ones worth owning.
Nintendo will only have a better refund policy if it effects their public image. It clearly doesn't and so they'll continue to do whatever they can get away with to make more money. It's pretty simple.
The law needs to step up.
For Steam it makes sense, the game might not work with your exact PC setup and you can't predict that.
But the current eShop situation is fine. If you don't know what to buy or if you have a enough storage then I'd suggest buying it physically...ideally with someone who has a clue.
However much you research a game you never really know if you will like that game until playing it. Would be nice to have the option of a refund in those rare cases. If you’ve paid money for a game and barely played it (say less than two hours for arguments sake) it really would be nice to have that option.
Bought Mario Tennis when I meant to buy Mario Kart 8 on my switch for a full £50. The artwork is surprisingly similar and I didn’t look properly. Tried without luck To get a refund. Did put me off Nintendo although I still love their games.
Should mention I never could bring myself to play and enjoy Mario Tennis as it just reminds me about my silly mistake and how awful their customer service is.
@Crono1973
when retailers put that policy in place many years ago, it was because it is possible to copy the contents of the game from the CD/DVD to your computer. and just as easy to make a copy of the CD/DVD and retailers do not want to risk that.
and yes, i am used to. of course then, i have never wanted to return a physical copy of the game. and as you may or may not have noticed i was referring to video games and computer games.
in terms of vacuum cleaners go along with many other physical goods like toasters, ovens, washers, and dryers. that kind of policy would be horrible. we at least at minimum need to be able to find out if we have received a faulty or defective product or if the item was damaged in transit or if the wrong item was sent to us.
the last item i returned was a laptop that i purchased from HP. i returned it because it kept crashing every few minutes. it was due to a faulty graphics card. and three months later AMD released an article about those faulty graphics cards that were included in some laptops at the time. HP released a statement as well saying that they would give a refund to any user who purchased a laptop from them with that particular graphics card. HP also said that they would give each and every one of those customers a a new laptop to replace the faulty ones and do so free of charge. they didn't even ask for the consumer to return the defective unit.
But again let’s not forget Nintendo is more a toy company and I really don’t want them to fall into a services base mentality. 😁
Most high street shops will give refunds just because you've changed your mind. They don't legally have to, but they know it's good business to keep customers happy. Nintendo maybe need to think about whether they might actually be harming sales by having such a strict no-refund policy.
I forget what it was called but the game was marketed as a zombies ate my neighbor meets roguelite. Was way pricier than it looked it should be. But I day oned it anyway after watching the eshop videos seeing the little sprite players shooting hordes of zombies. I was shocked when I booted it up and it had this bizarre control scheme that had it play more like an rts/management sim and I immediately deleted it. Would have loved to have my money back.
I’ve bought several digital games I wish I hadn’t
Iv bought a game I just can't play. It crashes on me all the time. I had re-installed it several times and always the same results. So was not happy with it. But I'm stuck with it. Gina try to download it to another SD card and see since I can't install it directly to my switch. Not enough space. Really wish I could use a usb hard drive since I mostly only play on TV.
@stevenw45 when retailers put that policy in place many years ago, it was because it is possible to copy the contents of the game from the CD/DVD to your computer. and just as easy to make a copy of the CD/DVD and retailers do not want to risk that.
How many Switch cards, PS4 and Xbox One discs have you copied and then played on unmodified hardware?
This policy needs to be revisited.
I think if a game is absolutely a broken mess, I think a refund should be possible. Even if the developer claims they'll patch it later.
I can see extenuating cricumstances when it comes to accidental purchase or if your child somehow hijaks your account and goes on a spending spree. My nephew bought $143.00 worth of Fortnite crap from the Xbox Live. My sister in law was able to get a refund. Or in the case of Pokemon where two versions are offered and the purchase screen isn't clear. I think its fine to refund someone shortly after if they haven't yet played.
As for a refund after actually playing the game and just realizing you don't like it, I don't know if I'm gonna go that far. I mean, I'm always championing playing a game to get a real informed opinion about it. But at the same time, I don't know if I am gonna go as far as to say one should be allowed a refund. It just seems like a too big of a slippery slope with something like that.
This does remind me of a story from work. We had a guy come into our shop one evening and ask if we had the capability of shrink wrapping. We do. I work in a local print shop that shrinks wrap products all the time. He also asked if we had clear seal wafers. I said not on hand. But we do get them when a job requires them. He then explained what he needed them for. He had purchased and played Mario Odyssey to completion (at least the story). In his opinion, he didn't think the play time warranted the $60 and wanted to bring it back to Walmart to get his money back. I politely told him we would not help him. He was nice about it and said he would figure it out elsewhere. But still, it just seemed like a really scummy thing to do
It's a pretty simple thing to solve really, and only requires two things to make it work fairly.
1. Make providing a demo of a game a mandatory requirement. giving people the opportunity to see if a game feels right for them. I've certainly bought games in the past after playing a demo, that otherwise I would probably have not bought. If the game is good, this would only increase potential sales.
2. Make a full refund entirely possible, so long as the game hasn't been opened to play. Make it so that the first time a digital game is played, it has to be opened with online validation, which shouldn't be an issue as you have to have an internet connection to download in the first place. There can be no arguments as to whether a game had been opened or not then, and protects people who might accidentally buy the incorrect version of a game for instance.
I would love to see the day that I can resell my digital rights of a game to someone else. It would surely be simple to do and would lead to increased sales of digital copies of games. People now shy away from them for many reasons, one big one being that it is locked to you for forever.
Valve's policy is good. More automatic and less open to exploitation than GOG's, and it gives me confidence to purchase games I might otherwise be uncertain about. If a game is pure trash or doesn't work right, I'm likely to know within that two-hour window.
@Crono1973
i have never copies Switch cards, PS4 and Xbox One discs even for back-up purposed. if you read through the user agreement policies some gaming companies say that you are allowed to make a copy of your CD/DVDs (games, TV shows, and Movies) for back-up purposes only. unfortunately, some people make copies for others.
the policy may need to be revisited, but how so? and where to start? maybe one day the gaming giants (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and others) will get together and make a universal return/refund policy for their downloadable games.
@Tandy255 I did this with Dead Cells and IMO it absolutely is their fault. Offers should be made clear when purchasing, it’s too easy to miss things.
The base game is amazing at least.
They also seem to prefer to argue over a few euros than focus on customer service, it’s amazing.
They should at least offer refunds for defective software.
There is a small percentage of Animal Crossing players, me included that have had their game saves corrupt every time they play (8 and counting) meaning they have to restart.
Nintendo don’t even acknowledge the big let alone fix it. I had a huge back and forth with Nintendo customer service about this as they have not only provided faulty code but failed to fix it. I only wanted an eshop credit refund and yet they still, even now months later refuse to give me a refund.
Can I play Animal Crossing? Nope.
@ObsidianEleven
1. making demo requires time/labor$$$ to create from the game itself-this is not so simple as talked about...
2. Pure Rubbish here. There is no such so long as the game hasn't been opened to play for Digital games. They are ready to go when bought.
a. Physical will still be sealed and can be returned if unopened for the purchased value-opened can only be exchanged.
3. Calls into question Buyers ReMorse is what this is.
@stevenw45 the policy may need to be revisited, but how so? and where to start? maybe one day the gaming giants (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and others) will get together and make a universal return/refund policy for their downloadable games.
Earlier you said it was retailers that weren't allowing refunds and now you are saying it's the OEM's. I think it is the OEM's that are preventing refunds too but it doesn't take all three of them to get together, One company can start a trend. Like PS+ led to Games with Gold which probably led to Gamepass and NSO.
@asmi8803 In my experience people who assert that people should care for each other as often as you have really mean that other people should do things for them as often as they want. Sometimes being told no is a sign that the question is unreasonable, not the answer.
@SwitchForce 1. making demo requires time/labor$$$ to create from the game itself-this is not so simple as talked about...
Full game trials would be ideal then.
I want to add that refunds should be permitted for broken games. Tower of Time is a great example. Crashes to home menu, even after patches and still has the issue after another patch (even went on sale to garner more buys pre patch). Othercide not game breaking, but game inhibiting. In these instances the product is broken.
Devs on Discord say that patching clearance by Nintendo takes a long time, so even if a patch is planned you are stuck with a broken game that you had paid for, in some cases for many months.
For consumers, customers and gamers I feel that everyone should make their voice heard that Nintendo should change their policy regarding refunds.
This is even more important for players who pay more for their games because of the region they live in (like me). I feel cheated when I buy a broken game (that reviews didn't mention being broken) and I am out of a good chunk of money.
This will also hopefully prevent publishers from releasing broken or games not ready for the market. It will also stunt publishers from lying to customers about the quality of the game before and during release.
@Vsaxo27 It will also stunt publishers from lying to customers about the quality of the game before and during release.
This is an important point. Publishers spend millions trying to convince people to buy their game and sometimes they misrepresent their game. Just like every laundry soap marketing will claim it's the best (when that is subjective at best) the same is true for game publishers.
So they manage to market well enough to trick you into buying something you don't like, buyer beware? You wouldn't buy a car without a test drive but with software, that's the norm.
Perhaps add, game was not to my expected standard for reasons for refund. Both Valve and Microsoft do the 2 hours play time refund and I have been successfully refunded on games such as Ghost recon Breakpoint and games I did not download yet. I wanted a refund on Mortal Kombat 11 on Switch an hour after purchase due to poor graphics and two crashes, if I had purchased on Xbox I would have got the refund no issue, on Switch, no dice. Purchased very little on Switch since. No confidence in purchases.
It's something worth considering as we move into the next generation of consoles and ever-closer to the inevitable digital-only future.
... as we move ever-closer to the inevitable print book-free future
... as we move ever-closer to the inevitable ownership-free future
... as we move ever-closer to the inevitable privacy-free future
@dartmonkey You know what they say about big lies, right? If this kind of remark came from a post, I would tend to consider it aggressive trolling. And it's strange, Mr. Lane, because I found the rest of the article quite concise and helpful.
I've had two instances where games were broken and I got a digital refund from Nintendo but in one case I had to contact the better business bureau to get them to do it.
The Nintendo policy is fair tbh. As soon as you download the game you have "used" it so it loses value. It's like buying a loaf of bread, taking out one slice and then return it to the store.
@sanderev So I guess if you look at a cheap reproduction of a Van Gogh on the wall of a pizza parlour, you have to pay the Rijksmuseum, right? LOL This is the most absurd comment I've read here in a while...
@COVIDberry
Huh? It loses no value whatsoever.
This is why I try and do research before purchasing anything. Not just games. But I don't buy digital unless it's the last resort really prefer owning my games.
@Purgatorium Righto. The text in bold in my post is a quote from sanderev.
@COVIDberry
Ah my bad, thought you were highlighting it for emphasis.
the only time i wanted to refund a game was for paper mario the origami king. those god awful interviews soured my mood for the game so much i didnt even want it anymore. but they (strategically, i presume) waited until the game came out before releasing those interviews, so i was just stuck with it. it made me realize we couldnt refund games on switch at all, and options like that really shouldnt be limited
People need to own up to their own choices. That's my view.
@Heavyarms55 Correct. So why support a company that chooses to release a shoddy product? Games are meant to be fun.
This is exactly the reason I wait until the eShop games that do interest me are at least 50% off
@popey1980
This is a good idea. But, some games go on sale and still have yet to be patched. Yes, you got a discount but still received a faulty product.
I do like your method though.
Figures that Nintendo has the most difficult return policies for digital purchases. They’re NEVER in a hurry to part with their money, always so careful and one can even say cheap but cheap is not always consumer friendly. I remember the NES days when they NEVER allowed the retail chains like Walmart to accept returns from customers and Walmart did it anyway because THEY had their own return policy for their guests! They were at odds over this for years! I always wait for mad sales But if I had a dollar for every digital game I bought over the years that i didn’t like or it was broken or unplayable, I’d have a few extra grand laying around!!
I wish to refund couple of games l got on 3ds and switch. Mainly because l didn't like the game and if it was an accident. I was angry once when l got the wrong game. It was some puzzle game that costed 22$ total.
A coworker got a refund of 900 euro after his son let a so Cald friend borow his dads creditcard.
This is how u gain ecpect well done Microsoft!
Never tried with Nintendo but should be about the same. And why not make it possibel to give it a score (1 to 10) after 5 hours gaming
'Next Up Hero' is something I wish I'd never bought and would've refunded if it was easier...
Bought it in some sale and discovered there's a bug where (iirc) if you start playing it offline, then go online, your account gets merged into someone else's account... and once that happens, even if you delete your save locally and try and start again, the server 'remembers' your old broken account and gives it back. >_>
So can't do anything unless you play it completely offline, and if you do that, most features seem to be locked out.
Also- I remember my son was 9 years old and bought $2,000.00 worth of madden DLCs in the Apple store unbeknownst to us. when it hit my credit card statement my wife and I had a near heart attack! I called Apple explained the situation, established a passcode to prevent further purchases without our approval and got all our money back! Thank goodness! Lol
Nintendo's high eShop prices and lack of any refund policy are the two reasons I'll never go all-digital with them. They shouldn't need to be sued every time to implement more consumer-friendly practices. It's something that absolutely needs to change.
"One Nintendo Life reader on our forums wanted a refund in order to purchase a physical copy of Witcher 3 after their son bought it on eShop before realising it wouldn't fit on the installed micro SD card."
Did he not read the specs? It's one of the largest Switch games at the moment.
@JimmySpades Thank you for sharing your insight, but I don’t think what I’m asking is unreasonable. It’s normal to treat yourself and other people well and if it isn’t wouldn’t you like it to be?
That’s a projection of your story from your experiences, nothing to do with me. I agree with your last statement, but sometimes if the answer is unreasonable, you’ve got to challenge it.
@sanderev if your customers don’t care about you, you’re either doing a ***** job or selling things to people who don’t want it. Don’t do that, it’s not nice.
In 2013 I purchased LEGO City Undercover and it was 59.99 CAD from the eShop. But, they were supposed to have the price in at 49.99 CAD. Without me doing anything they refunded me the 10 CAD + taxes.
I really like the way the Oculus store is run. It's very similar to Steam. If you've played the game for less than 2 hours, you have 14 days to get a refund for any reason. It would be really nice if Nintendo relaxed their policy a little. More than that I would like to see user ratings and reviews on the eShop.
A two hour window seems generous. Perhaps 30 minutes is enough. Sometimes you don't you bought the wrong game until you've played it. Even then, perhaps it's a 70% refund. At the minimum, if you actually haven't played it, you should be able to get a full refund.
If you're one of the unlucky people like me who bought Kingdom Neverland, I feel like you're entitled to a refund.
@SwitchForce
"1. making demo requires time/labor$$$ to create from the game itself-this is not so simple as talked about..."
It does cost money, and I never stated it was 'simple'. Yet somehow, some companies manage it. The reality is, demos (or free product samples, in other fields as a for instance, that also cost a company money to produce and distribute) can help convert sales. I've done this many times with products I believe in. It works.
"2. Pure Rubbish here. There is no such so long as the game hasn't been opened to play for Digital games. They are ready to go when bought."
You clearly didn't read what I wrote. "Ready to go" doesn't mean 'opened and played'. I mentioned using a digital authentication the first time a game is launched. This would have to be done through Nintendo's servers, for instance. They would then have, on their records, if a game had been digitally 'authenticated/opened', to play, or not, after it had been downloaded.
This would resolve instances where people had bought the wrong thing incorrectly. This is what I specifically mentioned.
Sure, it may be a consumer's own fault for not always paying 100% attention when this happens, but sometimes people make mistakes. If you help a customer when they make a mistake, you retain more business and good-will.
"a. Physical will still be sealed and can be returned if unopened for the purchased value-opened can only be exchanged."
You mean, almost like introducing a system that would digitally authenticate if a game had been 'opened' or not?
You also say "opened can only be exchanged", as if you believe it is somehow okay to do this at retail, but then not digitally also? Advocate store credit for digital games that have been opened and played then.
"3. Calls into question Buyers ReMorse is what this is."
That's a completely naive perspective. You're basically stating that 'buyer's remorse' covers every single instance where someone might seek any kind of reimbursement for something they had purchased. There are always outlier cases, exceptions to any given rule.
@Yorumi
"well for 1 it can actually be fairly time consuming to create a demo. It can be difficult to cut out a piece of a program. That said steam's 2 hour policy actually solves this problem."
Steam's policy does solve the problem, and personally I'd be happy to see something like that implemented. The counter argument is always how some people will abuse the system when playing shorter games.
The counter-counter argument, is some games really should have more content added to them in the first place, though.
Perhaps what Dragon Quest XI did with it's demo would actually be the ideal solution. Give people the introduction to the game as the demo, then if they want the rest of it, that's when they purchase the full game.
@COVIDberry Is your username seriously making a joke about the coronavirus? I have nothing else to say to you.
@stinkyx I disagree. I think you should be responsible enough to decide if you want something or not. So long as the company delivers the product as stated, you made the call.
Now if the product isn't what they promised, or is defective or actually purchased by mistake or accident, that's a different story.
I'm not saying it wouldn't be a good move to have that option, but I do not, at all, think it's unreasonable if you can't just change your mind.
I just wish they would let us remove stuff from the eShop cloud. My "previous purchases" is a freaking mess and even shops some demos.
I think the 2 hour free rental is a good refund policy. I think it would be fine for it to be retracted for abuse, when individuals play Mario Kart for 2 hours every weekend and never buy it, but generally, it is a good idea. This would stop keeping quiet about a buggy release from being such a scam. Outer Wilds and Bloodstained, in my opinion should have legal action taken against them. Because of devs like them, and the dodgy refund policy. I will never preorder anything. You know if bloodstained had a steam style refund, 90% of people would have returned it. Also, asking customers to waive legal rights in order to purchase should be illegal.
Sony refused to refund dlc for assassins creed origins. While the machine isnt region locked, the dlc and disk need to be the same region to run. I tried to open the dlc, which didn't work with my disk. This meant I couldnt refund, or even exchange for the dlc that matched my disk. And Sony did not respond to any of my emails. From then on I am very cautious about disk regions with playstation. I still have this dlc, sitting in my ps4, unused for years and nobody cares. Nintendo dlc seems to ignore regions, every time so far. Nintendo refused to refund or exchange a store credit voucher purchased from 7-11 because it was only for Wii-U or something, I spoke to a customer service person who suggested that I gave it away as a gift to a friend. That was terrible, they knew I spent the money and my voucher code was valid but refused to put the credit on my switch. Now I wont buy any Nintendo vouchers.
Apple offers a return grace period for digital purchases. This helps folks who accidentally bought the wrong thing or had a little tyke go nuts with an unlocked phone
I bought a broken game a couple of years ago. I cant remember the name of it. It was pinball with hamsters. The game is completely broken. They refused to refund.
> We remember a time when you could return any physical product to a store — opened or otherwise — as long as it was in pristine order
Ah.... before even the before times!
I'm not a huge fan of Steam (especially having messed with it a lot recently), but their refund policy is fine. Being able to transfer games you haven't played is also great. Then there's GOG, which goes the extra mile and allows refunds after up to 30 days, whether you've played the game or not - that's more like it!
It's also easy to gift Xbox games via the Microsoft store (assuming you know the recipient's gamertag or email address), but good luck trying to send gift games via Nintendo's eShop (or Sony's PSN Store, which is similarly deficient.) Do you not like money, Nintendo (and Sony?)
@COVIDberry "Aggressive trolling"?
Based on the trajectory of the past few years, it's entirely reasonable to think physical media will be a novelty — if it exists at all — 20 years from now. When you look at the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Gamepass and the fact that both Microsoft and Sony are launching digital-only boxes out of the gate this gen (Microsoft's second disc-less console), the direction we're heading in is evident, no? As the digital infrastructure improves over time, content and convenience will win out over ownership. And legally speaking, we only ever own a licence to play a game in the first place.
The real issue here is policy. They are not "unable" to offer refunds, they just have a policy of not offering them. Ultimately you can't waive your statutory rights and statute will trump policy if you were to go to court.
@dartmonkey I'm not accusing you of aggressive trolling; the tone of your piece was entirely reasonable aside from that line. I am saying that people adopt... well, a belief that new tech must and will be adopted regardless of the consequences, for one thing. Its very easy to fall into line, even without meaning to.
Believing in the inevitability of bad things ("bad" being subjective, I know) is a trap. Yes, you are absolutely correct about industry pressure toward and customer acceptance of practices that are plainly "anti-consumer". And yet I'd like to recall incidents like the XB1 launch, George Orwell books being removed without warning from Kindle devices (sorry - should I have mentioned PT?), and the reaction to Google Stadia, as reminders that people can only be pushed so far. Do you trust this industry to honour customer rights if non-ownership becomes the dominant model? I sure as hell don't...
@dartmonkey If what you want is they control your content then by all means let them but the rest of us want our FreeDom to choose the medium format. If you don't see correct watch this short video about physical vs digital and ask whom owns whom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdsWQGAlopk
@ObsidianEleven A clear Buyer's Remorse camp....you are adult right then take your responsibility like a adult. You yourself are naive to think you control content hate to break your bubble but you don't.
@SwitchForce
You, once again, clearly didn't read what I had written. Nothing I have said included anything about how people shouldn't take responsibility for their actions.
You call me naive, but your justification for that is that you're under some misbegotten belief that I have stated, anywhere in anything I have written, that I control content. Wtf?
You make absolutely no sense, and I'm done wasting my time on someone who lacks any kind of reading comprehension, or someone who clearly fabricates versions of statements that never happened.
Have a good one.
I recently bought Sinking City on Switch on sale, 12,99, but apparently I accidentally bought just a DLC pack, 12,99. I went on to quickly buy the bundle and contact customer service about this. They simply let me know that they made an exception on the rule and refunded the purchase of the DLC pack on my eshop account, which was true. Two days later I got an email telling me they don't do refunds and wouldn't be making an exception, that it was all my fault and they wouldn't do anything about it, together with an email asking me to rate their customer service...
I didn't reply to either, and used the eshop credit to buy another game. But this was quite pleasant, easy interaction, followed by a very annoying communication that wasn't true but clearly lacking any internal communication, about something that should be a standard, and is actually a customer's right: any purchase where there has been no direct interaction between buyer and seller, and where the bought goods could not be put to test prior to the transaction, has to be refundable for 14 days according to the law here, from what I read, if memory serves. As it should be at least. I mean, if you buy a game, and it's broken, advertised as a functional game (not even explicitly), or you just really don't like it,... You should be refunded. It's not as if the digital content has been damaged by the customer or anything, or they have to take back a broken game they can't sell again. Physical games have a second hand market, and can get damaged, unsealed,.. That may be more of a grey area.
While digital purchase wont get as good as physical purchase, it would be nice if they got close by offering a refund policy and even reselling used games.
Yes we're moving towards all digital. But to be honest, games should be CHEAPER digital only.
@Scollurio Yes we're moving towards all digital. But to be honest, games should be CHEAPER digital only.
This is why we have sheep to the slaughter for company price gouging. Maybe watch this informative video and ask again whom got to taken to the cleaner.
Digital Distribution Vs Physical Media and True Ownership
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdsWQGAlopkDigital
@ObsidianEleven It is naive to try to use Buyers REmorse as a non-legit discussion point about refunds. You agreed to their EULA/TOS when you bought Digital and they have the Full Rights to change or alter based on Their Discretion not Yours.
About 1 year ago, I was careless and accidentally bought the original Crypt of the Necrodancer, and I had wanted the Legend of Zelda version instead. I was so disappointed that it took me 6 months to even play the first level.
@SwitchForce Thank you for the link. Again, personally I'm all for physical myself. To be honest, I'm "outgrowing" the modern world more and more the older I get.
I collect fountain pens now.
@SwitchForce I reference you to my previous comment, where I said I'm done wasting my time with you. You are arguing points with me that I never made, as I also previously explained in my other replies. You can't take the hint, so I'm simply going to ignore you. Bye.
As frustrating as this can be, this article is missing a key point.
I bought a digital game at the eShop on my phone. It was meant to be a gift for my sister. I was expecting to receive an email with a code that I could give her to download onto her Switch, but it automatically started downloading onto mine. I never opened or played the game. I called support and explained and they refunded me in shop credit as a one-time thing. However I still have the game downloaded on my switch because there’s no way for them to allow you to “return” the game (delete it off your console), all they can do is give you a refund. This is why the current policy makes pretty good sense to me.
It could be better, though. If there was a way to download a timed trial of a game BEFORE purchasing and then Nintendo just kept the current return policy, that would make it a lot better for the consumer and also prevent people from ripping off Nintendo/game devs.
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