The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says EA’s refund policy is false and misleading

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released a statement regarding the refund policy of EA’s Origin service.

In what appears to be a statement directed at Origin’s no-refund stance on SimCity, the ACCC said the policy was false and misleading.

“Businesses such as EA selling digitally downloadable goods cannot avoid their responsibilities under the Australian Consumer Law just because they are located outside of Australia,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said via statement.

“If you sell to consumers in Australia, then the Australian Consumer Law applies to all goods or services you supply. This includes all of the ACL consumer guarantees, which cannot be excluded, restricted or modified.

“It is a breach of the Australian Consumer Law for businesses to state that customers are not entitled to refunds under any circumstances,” he continued. “Where a product has a major failure, consumers can insist on a refund or replacement at their choice. Representations that this right has or can be excluded, restricted or modified are false or misleading.”

Kotaku Australia reports that EA has provided a court undertaking promising to change their refund policy.

For now, the ACCC recommends that those with a complaint on the current refund process head to the Origin website for further information.