Nintendo Argues Customers Not Due Tariff Refunds

Nintendo urged a court to dismiss a lawsuit demanding it pass tariff refunds on to customers, asserting that purchasers of its products have no legal right to these funds. In a motion filed yesterday, Nintendo argued that the plaintiffs are "asking this Court to invent a legal duty out of whole cloth to retroactively re-price completed sales simply because the legal landscape has changed." The company stated that the plaintiffs "have no legal entitlement to the tariff refunds Nintendo stands to receive."

The class-action lawsuit was initiated in April by two customers who aim to represent all US residents who purchased Nintendo products between February 2025 and February 2026. The plaintiffs, identified as Gregory Hoffert from California and Prashant Sharan from Washington, filed their complaint in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington. Their allegations include unjust enrichment and violations of the Washington Consumer Protection Act, specifically its prohibition against unfair or deceptive acts.

Nintendo's legal team contends that the company is not obligated to refund customers for tariffs that were previously paid on imported goods, even if those tariffs are later reduced or refunded by the government. The core of Nintendo's argument is that completed sales transactions are final and cannot be retroactively altered based on subsequent changes in trade policy or tariff rates. The company maintains that any refunds it receives from the government are its own property and do not create a new obligation to its customers.