Can Switch purchases be refunded?

Nintendo has never exactly been on the cutting edge in terms of modern conveniences. Yes, the company is constantly pushing boundaries and innovating, but those are always in mechanical or “gimmicky” ways like motion controls or how the Switch can be both a home consoleand a handheld. Other things, like online play and features, tend to be afterthoughts or archaic implementations on the Switch. We hope that the Switch 2 will be another small step forward in this area, but for now, we should just be happy Nintendo lets us even play online.

Nintendo is certainly happy to let us buy games online, though. The eShop is full of amazing games, from first-party hits to indies, all available at the touch of a button. But sometimes you might buy a game by accident, decide you don’t like it, or feel the need to get a refund for some other reason. Other systems have their own requirements and systems for getting refunds on digital purchases, but what about Nintendo? If you buy a game digitally on the Switch, are you stuck with it or is there a way you can get a refund?

Can Switch purchases be refunded?

Nintendo shows its age with an archaic policy

There’s no denying that buying a Switch game digitally is more convenient. Sure, the Switch doesn’t have a ton of space on it, but a simple SD card can allow you to fit a ton of games onto it very easily. Plus, at least when we’re talking about Nintendo first-party games, the physical games almost never go on sale so there’s no advantage to buying the cartridge if you’re not a collector. Except for one thing, which is returning or selling your game. That’s easy enough with a physical product, but when it comes to a digital purchase on the Switch, Nintendo has a strict no-return policy.

According to the official Nintendo Customer Support page, all digital content purchased through the eShop, whether it is a full game or DLC, cannot be refunded or exchanged for any reason. This includes buying the wrong game, not liking a game, or accidentally purchasing a product on the Switch. Instead, Nintendo advises players to:

• Do more research on a game via the game’s store page.
• Check out screenshots, trailers, and reviews to get a better idea of whether or not you will like the game before making a purchase.
• To prevent any accidental purchases by kids, it directs you to use its parental controls to set purchase restrictions.

All we can do is hope things change when the Switch 2 arrives

Naturally, these are not helpful or realistic solutions for the vast majority of people. No amount of research can let you know if you will like a game before you actually play it, and telling parents to set parental controls isn’t helpful after the fact. In an age where digital purchases have vastly overtaken physical media, Nintendo needs to come up with a more consumer-friendly refund policy that gives exceptions for purchases made in error. We hope this is something that is reevaluated by the time the Switch 2 comes out, but knowing how Nintendo seems to march to the beat of its own drum, we aren’t holding our breath.