Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are glitchfests. In this age of post-launch updates, many games have their fair share of bugs and issues, but at $60 a pop, Scarlet and Violet’s problems are borderline impressive, struggling to run on the same console other AAA titles like Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 worked with just fine. If you’re thinking about throwing in the towel and asking for your money back, you’re not alone.
Now, if you’re a long-time Nintendo fan, you might know the company does not have a generous returns policy. Anything purchased on the eShop is, by company policy, a completed sale, and ineligible for a refund. While you can return physical games, Nintendo will not accept any opened items, meaning if you’ve played the game, you can’t return it.
Nintendo sticks to this policy so intently they warn you to look up reviews before buying the game. Not many companies have “do your research, idiot” as a customer service philosophy, but Nintendo is special.
The latest Pokémon games, however, are a different story. Rarely does Nintendo release games with this many technical issues. While not every game the company pushes is necessarily a winner, Nintendo isn’t known for charging $60 for something arguably unfinished, especially when those games belong to one of the biggest franchises in gaming.
While the poor publicity hasn’t inspired Nintendo to open a special return hotline, there are reports of users getting their money back through customer support. One Redditor made a post on r/pokemon encouraging any players who felt let down by the quality of the latest Pokémon games to request a refund. According to the Redditor, the Nintendo rep prioritized the case because of the state of the games, and, by doing so, ensured the refund was approved an hour later.
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Another user replied to the thread, sharing their Nintendo rep asked for specific issues with the game to be used in the case. They claim the rep knew about the larger problems, but any additional bugs or glitches was helpful for rounding out the case. However, it might be Nintendo of America that is the most lenient in this case. One user reports Nintendo of Europe is “unworkable,” and after hours and multiple reps, they walked away with no refund.
How to get a refund on Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
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Either way, if you want to try for a refund, you should go through Nintendo’s customer support. If you live in North America, you’ll find Nintendo of America’s customer support page here. You have your option for support, including via online chat, text message, or phone call. Many of the anecdotal successes seem to be from phone support, so that might be worth trying first.
If you’re in the U.S. or Canada, you can call 1 (800) 255-3700. If not, you can call 1 (855) 548-4693. If you’d prefer to give texting a try, send a message to (425) 970-9648.