Fallout 76 Refunds Now Available In Australia After Retailer Misleads Consumers About Getting Their Money Back

People in Australia who bought Fallout 76 and felt misled by a refund policy can now request one from one of the largest retailers in the country.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that EB Games--which is owned by American games retailer juggernaut GameStop--has begun to send out refunds to customers after admitting that the store "likely" misled consumers. Specifically, the ACCC's announcement states that EB Games acknowledged that it was "likely to have misled consumers about their consumer guarantee rights in relation to faults with the online video game Fallout 76."

The issue here is that EB Games reportedly told consumers who asked for a refund that they were not allowed one after they experienced bugs and other issues with the always-online RPG.

EB Games said it will pay refunds for those who requested them from November 14, 2018 through October 31, 2019 and were denied one. Eligible consumers are expected to request their refund by August 1, 2020 by emailing the retailer at an address you can find here.

This appears to be an extension of the refund period, as the ACCC previously said that the eligible refund period would end in June 2019. Everyone who accepts a refund will lose access to Fallout 76.

"The Australian Consumer Law provides consumers with the right to ask for their choice of a repair, replacement or refund when they have purchased a product that has a fault which amounts to a major failure," ACCC commissioner Sarah Court said in a statement. "Retailers must ensure that they train their staff so they do not misrepresent to consumers their consumer guarantee rights under the Australian Consumer Law, including the right to obtain a refund in certain circumstances."

Fallout 76 was released in November 2018 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and the reviews were generally unkind to the role-playing game. Unlike previous entries in the series, Fallout 76 adopted an always-online, multiplayer-focused approach, which did not resonate with everyone.

At E3 2019, Bethesda boss Todd Howard spoke candidly about Fallout 76's struggles, saying the game "missed the mark." The developer continues to support the title, most recently releasing the large-scale Wastelanders update that finally brings NPCs to the game.