Usually, if you buy software online, you’re kind of stuck with it. But today, EA has set a new policy for games on Origin: you can return game downloads for full refunds within 24 hours of the first time you launch the game, within seven days from when you purchase it, or within the first seven days after the game’s release if you pre-ordered. Whichever happens first.
Here’s the catch: it’s for EA-published games only as of right now. Here’s how you’d go about requesting a refund:
Just visit your order history and click the “request a refund” link next to your recent purchase, answer a few quick questions, and we’ll take it from there.
The policy is effective starting today, but only in 20 countries. It’ll be available worldwide within the next few weeks/by September. It’s worth noting that Steam, by contrast, does not offer refunds or exchanges on games, DLC or in-game purchases.
And here are the nitty-gritty details of how returns will work on Origin:
Full game digital downloads (PC/Mac) published by “Electronic Arts” (collectively Electronic Arts Inc. if you reside in the United States, Canada or Japan and EA Swiss Sarl if you reside in any other country) and purchased on the Origin Store (Origin.com and purchases within the Origin gaming application) may be eligible for a refund if we receive your request within the earlier of: (i) seven (7) days from the date of purchase, (ii) seven (7) days from the game’s release date if you pre-ordered/pre-purchased or (iii) 20-four (24) hours after the first time the game is launched or run. For full game digital downloads that are part of a bundle, the 20-four (24) hour time period begins as soon as one game within the bundle is launched. Once a refund is issued, you will no longer have access to the game. To request a refund, visit your Order History and select the “Request a Refund” link next to any eligible product. Complete and submit the Refund Request Form. You will get a response within 40-eight (48) hours after your request is submitted and your refund within seven (7) to 10 (10) days if you meet the Great Game Guarantee refund requirements.
● If you request a refund for a product that is part of a bundle or a product that comes with bonus content, your refund under this policy may include the entire bundle of products/content, and your access to all included products/content will be revoked. Please note that dual platform products (such as one product that, when purchased, is playable on both PC and Mac platforms) will be treated as bundled content. Before you submit your refund request for bundled products/content, you will be able to see an itemized list of content that must be canceled/refunded together. You may then complete the refund request and cancel all the associated content or you may withdraw your request.
● In rare instances, refunds may not be supported for products purchased during special Origin promotions. The promotional details will explicitly state if refunds are unsupported.
● Refunds may not be supported where Electronic Arts detects fraud or abuse of the refund process.
● Electronic Arts reserves the right to revise the Great Game Guarantee Policy at any time in its sole discretion. Any revisions to the Policy will be effective immediately for all subsequent purchases.
Return and Refund Policy for Third-party Games, Packaged Goods and Game Expansions/DLC/Add-Ons
● Purchases from the Origin Store for third-party games, packaged goods, game expansions, downloadable content, time cards, virtual currency and add-ons are not subject to the Great Game Guarantee. Please see the Terms of Sale and the Returns and Cancellations FAQ for further information regarding any potential returns and/or refunds for these items.
Returns and Refunds for Full Game Downloads Purchased from a Third-party Retail Store
● If you would like to return and/or request a refund for a full game download published by Electronic Arts but purchased from a third-party retail store, contact the retailer where you made the purchase to inquire about the retailer’s return or refund policies.
About Your Refund Under the Great Game Guarantee Refund Policy
● When we have received and processed your request for a refund, Electronic Arts will request the appropriate refund to the payment method used for the original order. All refunds are subject to the Terms of Sale and the Returns and Cancellations policy. View completed refunds by visiting My Cases. If your refund doesn’t appear on My Cases and the processing time for your payment method has passed, contact Origin Help.
● Please note that nonrefundable payment methods such as Boleto and SOFORT are not eligible for the Great Game Guarantee. We will inform you if your payment method is nonrefundable during checkout.
Other Refund Rights and Remedies
● The Great Game Guarantee is in addition to any rights you have regarding returns or refunds. Please see the Returns and Cancellations FAQ and the Terms of Sale for further information regarding your refund rights and remedies.
Via Josh Whittington
Comments
19 responses to “Now Origin Does At Least One Thing Better Than Steam”
They do on certain items. My friend got a refund for his Bioshock: Infinite pre-order.
I can go on about the differences between a normal transaction and a pre-order/pre-auth one, but suffice to say, what happened with your friend and what origin is offering are two different things.
How many consumers does a change like this really affect?
In my eyes it still doesn’t make up for being forced to install Origin to play certain titles. Used it for the mass of hours I smashed into Battlefield 3 upon release and for Mass Effect 3 after that, but I’m glad to see it gone. Purchased the Humble Bundle and just gave away the Origin codes because “do not want”.
Huh? Is this legit?
20-Four (24)
40-Eight (48)
10 (10)
They cant spell twenty four (24)
Forty Eight (48)
and now for the hard one….
Ten (10)
I thinks its an issue with whatever software kotaku (not sure if it is on kotaku US’s or kotaku AU’s end) is using to make the articles, as I have seen this issue in a few places recently.
I noticed this on a Gizmodo article this morning. Wtf?
it’s a legalese thing I’ve come across before, numbers below 10 should be spelt out. I’ve never seen it in this particular split-up fashion though.
yeah this is quite standard in most style guides in publishing, spell out under ten, numerals for everything else until you get to millions/billions etc.
It’s just the way the legal community like to do things, not Kotaku.
Why they don’t just spell it out, and be done with it, I do not know
i’ve never come across this during law school or in practice, i wouldnt put it down to legalese, id put it down to EAese, I don’t care how much they change things, lets not forget that Origin and EA have still done alot of bad: a) phishing information, spyware in disguise (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Origin-EULA-PC-Gaming-Glorified-Spyware-DRM,13285.html) , b) numerous security flaws and leaks (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2416782,00.asp) c) The saga of Sim City release
This only applies to EA games… which is easy since they are the publisher. Steam would have to process a refund back through to the publisher… that could be annoying.
Also there are plenty of indie and smaller games on steam which you could easily finish in 24 hours and then get all your money back… that would be quite unfair for the developer.
Things like Gunpoint only produce about 3-4 hours of gameplay from memory, but it’s an awesome game and well worth the $10 or whatever it was.
Valve publish their own games though don’t they? It’d be the same technicality/catch as what Origin is doing, but it’d still match them
24hrs is plenty of time to complete most games. I can see this beings spammed.
buy battlefield
game for 3 hours
refund
repurchase next time you play
Its $5….. Eventually you would spend that on the download costs itself
The internet is a fairly simple-minded beast. After the initial blast of exploitation, I have no doubt there’ll be a few tidy amendments to the TOS to ensure certain patterns on any given login are held accountable.
It already says that if they decide you are defrauding them (like buying something; returning it; and then buying it again; repeat) then they dont have to give you a refund.
This was the first thing popped into my head as well, especially given the ever shrinking length of campaigns, its almost like a free rental service. Actually, I don’t know why they just don’t do that instead, charge, like, $4 per day for a game once you start playing it, perhaps even deducting the cost of your rental from the full price of the game if you decide to purchase it.
What is happening at EA? Seems they have been struck by some sort of “please the consumer” lightning or something of late?
I don’t even know what’s real anymore. Article headline has gutted me.
That’s pretty fantastic.
I hope MS and Sony implement something like this on Digital titles.
steam DOES refund.
i recently got a refund for Grid 2.
after 2 months of emailing codemasters back and forth, them trying to sort out issues, steam finally gave in and requested a screenshot of the conversations.
upon supplying that, and the fact that the game still does NOT work, steam processed a refund
It’s hard to complain about this. Finally, after 2+ years, Origin is actually trying to compete on service rather than making EA games an exclusive.
It would be intresting to see how many refunds they would have had to give out for Simshitty.
Shame they waited till after the release of Simcity to bring this out.
Quite possibly it was that debacle that kicked off the turn around in mindset.
Origin has been out for 2-3 years ? Compared to Steam, it has positively stagnated.
In fact, compared to GOG, it has been a wasteland
Iirc correctly, they did offer refunds and gave away a free game.
Wish they’d had this in place when I picked up the Mass Effect Trilogy.
Not certain items, just if it’s a pre-order and hasn’t come out yet