Gamers file lawsuit claiming Nintendo should refund customers for overpayments if it receives a refund on Trump tariffs.
The reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Trump administration in the United States in 2025, commonly known as the 'Trump tariffs,' have been ruled illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court, and applications for refunds have begun. Amid this, two gamers residing in the United States have filed a lawsuit against Nintendo of America (NoA), Nintendo's local subsidiary, demanding that it refund the 'overpayments' to its customers, claiming that Nintendo is trying to retain profits unfairly obtained through price increases resulting from the tariffs.
gov.uscourts.wawd.361585.1.0.pdf
(PDF file)
Nintendo is being sued by customers seeking tariff refunds
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/nintendo-is-being-sued-by-customers-seeking-tariff-refunds
Nintendo of America slapped with lawsuit over tariff refunds | The Seattle Times
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/nintendo-of-america-slapped-with-lawsuit-over-tariff-refunds/
Lawsuit: Nintendo is getting tariff refunds—its customers should get them instead - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/04/lawsuit-nintendo-is-getting-tariff-refunds-its-customers-should-get-them-instead/
The plaintiffs are Gregory Hoffert, a resident of California, and Prashant Sharan, a resident of Seattle, Washington.
When Trump imposed tariffs, NoA responded to the increased costs by raising prices. However, the Supreme Court later ruled the tariffs illegal, allowing companies to receive refunds, so the plaintiffs argue that only consumers are being forced to pay higher costs. 'Nintendo has not made any legally binding promises to refund consumers who have paid 'overpayments' related to the tariffs. The purpose of this lawsuit is to prevent such an unfair outcome,' the plaintiffs stated.
The Trump tariffs have directly impacted the timing of the Nintendo Switch 2's release, and Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa explained that if tariffs were imposed, the costs would be factored into the price. While the price of the console itself was not increased, the prices of accessories have risen by approximately 5% to 20%.
Nintendo postpones pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 following Trump administration's tariff increases - GIGAZINE
Prior to this lawsuit, NoA had already sued the U.S. government, seeking a refund of the amount of tariffs paid plus interest.
Regarding this lawsuit, some on Reddit supported the approach, saying, ' Companies raised prices as compensation for tariffs, so they shouldn't raise prices if they receive a refund .' On the other hand, there were opposing voices, saying, ' Companies are free to set prices, and it's not unusual for them to raise prices regardless of tariffs ,' and ' Some companies raised prices more than the equivalent of the tariffs, while others didn't raise prices even when tariffs were imposed, so there is no fair solution .' Some also pointed out the possibility that refunds might not even be given, saying, 'I strongly suspect that companies won't get anything from the US government in the first place .'
Nintendo has been sued by two US players who say any tariff refunds it receives from the US government should go back to customers : r/gaming
https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1ssnzzn/nintendo_has_been_sued_by_two_us_players_who_say/
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