Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo under investigation in the UK for their subscription services

The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has initiated an investigation into the business practices of the three companies regarding their subscription renewal methods.

Investigations are ongoing on Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo to ensure that they do not violate British consumer law regarding the automatic renewal terms of their services. online subscription, as well as their terms and conditions, as well as their cancellation and refund policies.

The AMC has contacted the three companies to ask them for information about their online gaming contracts and asks customers to contact the CMA to share their own experiences with the service.

"Renewal contracts are becoming more commonplace and it's essential that they work well for customers," said Andrea Coscelli, general manager of CMA (via GamesIndustry.biz).

"Our survey will look at whether the largest online gaming companies are fair to their customers when they automatically renew their contracts and if users can easily cancel or get a refund.

"If we find that companies do not treat people fairly under the Consumer Protection Act, we are fully prepared to act."

The case page specifically addresses the following issues:

• are the terms of the contract unfair? – do companies' conditions give them considerable latitude to change the quality of the transaction, for example by reducing the number of games included or by increasing the price?
• is it easy to cancel or get a refund? – Are there any factors that make it difficult for people to cancel their contract or get their money back?
• to what extent is the process of self-renewal right? – are customers clearly informed that their membership will be renewed, is it regularly recalled that they are on a renewal contract before any other payments are made and the automatic renewal is defined as default option?

Since the investigation is just beginning, the CMA has not yet "determined whether companies have breached the consumer protection law."

Last year, Norway told EA, Nintendo, Sony and Valve that they were not complying with EU consumer legislation, according to which customers have access to the same. 39 14 days after making a purchase to request and obtain a refund.

Earlier this month, Sony has updated its refund policy to allow refunds within 14 days of purchase.

Meanwhile, Valve – with five publishers – is currently being investigated for violating antitrust laws regarding geographic blocking.

This last survey began in 2013, so it is obvious that it takes time to resolve.

If you are in the UK and would like to contact the CMA to share your experience with Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony services, you will find instructions on how to proceed here.