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Microsoft Mistakenly Sold Fallout 4 For Free On Xbox (polygon.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the gaming-the-system dept.

On Thursday the $110 Deluxe Edition Bundle of Fallout 4 appeared in the Xbox store priced at $0.00. The Escapist reports that "The mistake went viral, and there's no telling how people were able to take advantage before the error was corrected..." An anonymous reader shares their report: If you grabbed Fallout 4 for free on Xbox One, it will be disappearing from your account... Microsoft has confirmed that any copies obtained due to the error will have their license revoked, and the games will disappear from the user's Xbox One library.
Now Microsoft is telling affected users that "your free download will no longer work. For the inconvenience we will deposit $10 by the end of June in your Microsoft Account."

4 of 260 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Stupid thinking by chipschap · · Score: 1, Informative

    Microsoft had no legal obligation to let people keep the free game, and those who obtained the game for free didn't have the legal expectation of being allowed to keep it.

    Of course, Microsoft could have been nice about it, and gained tremendous good will and positive public relations. But then again, that wouldn't be the Microsoft we all know and love. (I don't consider a $10 store credit being particularly nice about it.)

  2. Re:Stupid thinking by Darinbob · · Score: 4, Informative

    On the other hand, Microsoft would have had to pay Bethesda for the lost revenue, as it's not their game to give away for free even if they wanted to.

  3. Re:Microsoft, like their Microsoft NBC... by Khyber · · Score: 3, Informative

    "Try that at a brick and mortar store."

    The store would get sued for false/deceptive advertising and lose. The court would find that the onus is on them to ensure accurate pricing AT ALL TIMES per consumer laws.

    Source: I've worked tons of brick and mortar stores.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  4. Re:Microsoft, like their Microsoft NBC... by Dahamma · · Score: 3, Informative

    Hah, WORKING at a store it pretty much the worst qualification for claiming to know consumer law I have hear (well, maybe besides "I have bought lots of stuff!")

    The court would almost definitely find for the store in any lawsuit - because they HAVE. Pricing errors are NOT bait and switch. Like many legal definitions, bait and switch requires INTENT.

    GO look it up. Even Consumerist doesn't think it's bait and switch: https://consumerist.com/2014/0...