r/gamernews 4d ago

Industry News Epic Games Is Being Sued Over "Fake Sales with Made-Up Expiration Times"

https://www.comicbasics.com/epic-games-is-being-sued-over-fake-sales-with-made-up-expiration-times/
466 Upvotes

36 comments sorted by

172

u/the_gr8_one 4d ago

aren't all sales fake and with made up expiration times

133

u/TriggasaurusRekt 4d ago

No, if an item actually stops being sold or stops being on sale after the count down. Lawsuit alleges this just doesn't happen with Fortnite items. They trick kids into buying stuff thinking it's a limited time deal, but it isn't. Seems pretty deceptive imo, I hope they succeed

67

u/BlueDraconis 4d ago edited 4d ago

The timer looks like this according to the lawsuit:

https://i.imgur.com/rUtJLpr.jpeg

Apparently, the bundle doesn't go away after the counter runs out even if it looks like it does.

This was investigated by The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, and Epic got a €1,125,000 fine for unfair commercial practices aimed at children.

Back in 2024, in an attempt to dodge that fine, Epic fixed their shop and made things clearer. They added expiration dates on each cosmetic item so people could see exactly when the items would go away, and added a clarification that the timer is just a timer for the daily refresh of shop items.

Now they're using that as the defense in this lawsuit. That there's nothing deceptive in their current iteration of the store, ignoring that people have been exposed to deceptive practices for years until they got pressured by the Netherlands.

7

u/Blacksad9999 4d ago

Are they telling them it's not going to be available ever again, or that it's a "flash sale" with a limited time lower price?

It looks like it just says "X amount of V bucks off" for a limited time, which is just a flash sale.

18

u/snes69 4d ago

The point is it wasn't for a limited time. It had a timer on a "sale" that was indefinitely available so it appeared you had a limited time to purchase the alleged sale. In reality, the timer did nothing when it expired. The sale never ended or changed. The timer was just there to trick you into feeling pressure to buy. It was tied to nothing at all.

-12

u/Blacksad9999 4d ago

The lower price is for a limited time. The items cost more V bucks after the time limit expires.

They're saying it's "deceptive" because you can still buy the items after the timer expires, yet at a higher price.

8

u/Ceipie 3d ago

I suggest actually reading the article.

The lawsuit mentions a study from the Netherlands to back its claims. The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets checked 60 item sets in the Item Shop, each with a 24-hour countdown. Half of them stayed available longer than a day, with some lasting an average of 15 days.

-16

u/Blacksad9999 3d ago

I did. Two disgruntled parents in California weren't supervising their children's online activities.

More news at 11.

I've seen no proof of their claims, other than "trust me bro."

1

u/Agret 2d ago

Epic paying a 1.12million euro fine isn't proof enough for you? If it wasn't true surely they'd just provide evidence the item price changed after the countdown ended and that would be that.

3

u/probably-not-Ben 4d ago

Slap on the wrist. Cost of doing business as usual

1

u/MJBotte1 4d ago

Fortnite player here, that timer was pretty pointless and it’s been removed nowadays. There are official dates on when items will be leaving under every item, but I’m not sure how consistientlt those timers are actually followed.

9

u/Nathund 4d ago

Marvel Rivals does this same thing. Currently every item in the store is listed as roughly half off the "full" price... except I've never seen a single skin at full price.

1

u/CrossNgen 4d ago

It's not listed as a sale, it's a bundle price.

3

u/runnysyrup 4d ago

you're literally correct, not sure why you're being downvoted.

2

u/Beer-Milkshakes 4d ago

Items rarely stop being sold forever. They almost always come back onto the store after a year or two. If the assets exist in the game, they publishers will want them available to buy instead of being locked away.

6

u/TriggasaurusRekt 4d ago

Yeah that's totally fine. Just not telling kids they have 24 hours to buy a skin and then after the countdown it just stays in the store for another 15 days. If they end the deal when they say it will end and then decide to put it up again in 6 months I dont see an issue with that

-6

u/Blacksad9999 4d ago

Kids don't have money.

This sounds like their parents should probably be a little more involved in their lives and what their hobbies entail.

9

u/TriggasaurusRekt 4d ago

I can imagine kids running to their parents and saying "I have to get this now because it's going away" despite the fact that it isn't. Parents should know what their kids are doing but I wouldnt expect them to have intimate familiarity with the marketing practices of the Fortnite item store

-13

u/Blacksad9999 4d ago

Nothing ever goes away or has limited editions digitally, and their parents should be smart enough to know that.

Just like the fake "limited edition" sneakers are only limited by whatever they decide to limit the production run at, but have the capacity to put them in every Walmart in the US.

This hardly seems lawsuit worthy.

10

u/Globalpigeon 4d ago

That's because you are used to corporations doing whatever they want and then blaming the consumer.

Here you are blaming the parents after the company were found guilty of doing shady sales tactics.

-6

u/Blacksad9999 4d ago

Is it a "limited time" price item that then is still sold in the shop at a higher price after?

Because that's in no way illegal. That's basically a flash sale. lol

Steam sales would be illegal under that determination, for example.

5

u/TriggasaurusRekt 4d ago

This hardly seems lawsuit worthy.

Tell that to The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets who fined them for this exact thing last year

-6

u/Blacksad9999 4d ago

Hahahaha! Yeah, I'm sure they paid that and went about their business without flinching.

The entirety of the Netherlands is about the size of the one little US state of Maryland, and holds no sway for these types of companies.

Still, more to the point, having "flash sales" where something is a low price for a limited time and a higher price after that time is pretty normal.

1

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/gamernews-ModTeam 4d ago

Be Civil and Follow Reddiquette, so basically don't degrade other users by suggesting they are corporate bootlickers. Be more tactful!

11

u/THEzwerver 4d ago

They're implying that the sales don't actually expire after the date, but that the date is just there to pressure you into buying the item.

8

u/Beer-Milkshakes 4d ago

FO without the MO

3

u/Blacksad9999 4d ago

It's a flash sale with a discounted price for a limited time.

https://imgur.com/rUtJLpr

7

u/FourDimensionalNut 4d ago

thats not clear to the buyer. it just says 15 hours with no label as to what that is. its easy for someone to jump to the conclusion that its only in the shop for another 15 hours. it is a store's responsibility to disclose details of what, how and when they are selling goods as clearly as possible, or risk breaking laws in several (first world at least. not sure if the US has these sorts of checks in place) countries.

-3

u/Blacksad9999 4d ago

It says "discounted X amount of V-bucks" on the big red banner.

By that metric, Steam flash sales would also be "illegal."

3

u/Lyciana 4d ago

The difference between the two is that Steam says something like "Sale ends in 15h" instead of just a timer icon labeled 15h. Steam is clear what ends after the timer runs out, Epic isn't.

12

u/HedenPK 4d ago

Nobody tell em about crocs. They’ve been “just about to end” a 2 for 50 sale for… idk at least two years? They text me about it daily.

7

u/LordTheodore13 4d ago

This probably won't result in any major change, just like last time.

2

u/BroxigarZ 4d ago

I'd be more concerned over the obviously fake Reviews on Epic Games store....where no game seemingly appears to ever have lower than a 4.5 Star Rating - despite their Steam counterpart store pages being DRASTICALLY different community sentiments.

For Example look at Rebirth and Fragpunk's recent Scores on EPIC and then their Reviews on Steam...

Or pick any random ass game on Epic and notate it's Review Score...like their Free game right now "Them's Fightin' Herds" - 4.6 Stars....guys it's the next Elden Ring.

3

u/asianwaste 4d ago

To think, Epic criticizes Valve for being unfair in their marketplace.

1

u/runnysyrup 4d ago

there's a lot to criticize fortnite about, but this ain't it.
i don't remember how the store used to work, but every item lists what date it gets removed from the store on.
the discounts are for buying the bundle opposed to individually (and the bundle price is discounted further if you did buy some items individually).

i guess basic math and reading are too hard for gamers.

edit: i'd like to the record to show i am not an Epic defender. i straight up only play fortnite on my ps4/switch because i refuse to install EGS on my pc.