Also receives $20 million fine.
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Tag: FTC
FTC Warns Console Manufacturers: Your Warranties Are Illegal, Change Them
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning to console manufacturers: Your warranties are illegal and must be altered within 30 days. The letters were sent to all three console manufacturers: Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo along with Hyundai, HTC, and Asus according to a Freedom of Information request sent by Vice.
The FTC warning is in relation to provisions in each company’s terms of service that claims to void your warranty if it is repaired by a third party, as well as those fancy “warranty void if broken” stickers that we have all seen on our consoles at some point. This language is illegal, according to the FTC, who also note in their letter that the 30 day provision does not prevent them from taking legal action on any past or future violations.
“Provisions that tie warranty coverage to the use of particular products or services harm both consumers who pay more for them as well as the small businesses who offer competing products and services,” said Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
All six companies have 30 days to change their policy or face legal action.
Blizzard Being Investigated In Korea Over Diablo III Refund Refusals
Gaming return policies are a double edged sword. You can’t return games because, on one hand the policy stops people from burning the games to a disk and simply returning them. On the other hand, and this goes equally for digital downloads, if the game is broken or unplayable at a fundamental (the game on the disc, not the disc itself) level, the customer has no recourse other than to hope one day that the company patches out the problems. In other words, once the company has your money, they have your money. Unless, of course, you’re willing to go the chargeback route.
South Korea has taken issue with Blizzard’s policy of “no refunds,” raiding the Blizzard offices this afternoon to gather evidence in an investigation as to whether or not the company violated South Korean law by refusing refunds. Dissatisfied Diablo III players, unable to log in to the game, were denied refunds under Blizzard’s terms of service. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, who conducted the raid, did not comment on the matter further than admitting that there have been numerous complaints filed.
Blizzard apparently believes they are in the right, as the company has not changed its mind on refunds.
(Source: Korea Times)
MMO Fallout 