Fallout 76 Refund Policy May Lead To Class Action Lawsuit

Bethesda just can't seem to catch a break with Fallout 76, the new online multiplayer action-RPG for home consoles and PC. Shortly after the game launched, some gamers tried getting refunds for their purchases but ran into problems when Bethesda denied them refunds. Well, now a law firm is investigating the possibility of a class action lawsuit due to potential false advertising and denial of refunds.

Business Insider is reporting that the bug-ridden launch of Fallout 76 didn't do the game any favors, as those who purchased the digital version of the game were displeased with the outcome. Some of them decided it was nigh time to get a refund for the purchase, but found that Bethesda has been denying refunds due to the terms of service for the Bethesda Launcher that houses digital purchases of Fallout 76. According to the company, if you make a digital purchase you cannot get a refund for it. This also applies to opened packages for game discs or cases.

The issue comes in with the fact that Bethesda had originally responded to some of the refund requests by acknowledging and admitting to granting the refunds shortly before sending out a second e-mail claiming that refunds would be denied.

This sort of inconsistency did not go down well on social media, resulting in gamers spreading the word even more about the issue.

But it didn't end there.

Those who purchased the Fallout 76: Power Armor Edition also found that the canvas bag that was advertised and promised on Bethesda's Gear Store page -- as well as on the pages of retailers such as Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Best Buy -- was not included in the $200 package. After confronting Bethesda about the issue, gamers were told that the material was too expensive and so a nylon bag replaced the advertised canvas bag. After some miscommunication with its own support staff, Bethesda later stated that the issue wasn't expense but the unavailability of the canvas material.

However, some gamers began spreading images across social media where it was revealed that Bethesda did give out free canvas bags at a press event in September, as reported by Game Rant. This led some gamers to question why those bags (or the material) weren't used in the $200 version of the Fallout 76: Power Armor Edition.

Bethesda, however, responded to the canvas bag incident by apologizing and offering 500 Atoms worth of in-game currency as recompense for replacing the canvas bag with a nylon bag. Not every gamer is taking that kind of compensation lightly and this has escalated things to the next level.

All of these occurrences and denial of refunds have led the law firm Migliaccio and Rathod LLP, based out of Washington D.C., to pick up on the news and begin investigating the case for a potential class action lawsuit. The suit would be on the grounds of a bait-and-switch, alleging false advertising for the canvas bag, and the denial of refunds for consumers who purchased the digital version of the game.

So not only is Bethesda being investigated for the lack of refunds, but also for the discrepancy involving the canvas bag. Bethesda did attempt to open up communication with the gaming audience by stating that there would be two major updates inbound to address some of the in-game glitches and bugs.