A class action lawsuit has been brought against Square Enix of America alleging unfair business practices, false advertising and unjust enrichment with regard to their long running MMORPG Final Fantasy XI.
In the suit, lead plaintiff Esther Leong of San Francisco claims that Square Enix deceived more than 100,000 customers about the game's monthly fees, penalties and restrictions. The suit seeks damages of $5 million. The nasty business which Leong charges that Square Enix engaged in includes:
- Licensing of online game software disguised as a sale
- Monthly fees to play the game
- Penalties for late payment of fees
- Interest charges for late payment of fees
- Charges while the user's acccount is suspended
- Termination of right to play for late payment of fees
- User restrictions and conditions related to the game
- Termination of game data for late payment of fees
Unfortunately, specific details of how Square Enix allegedly screwed its customers are not specified in the complaint. 1UP points out that the FFXI website lists a $12.95 monthly fee to play
DOCUMENT DUMP: Grab a copy of the lawsuit here.
-Doug Buffone, Entertainment Consumers Association intern
Comments
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
I'm beginning to suspect that you get your pearls of legal wisdom from the back of the same Fruit Loops cereal box that Ol' Doc Kefka does.
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
So, you really think that if I told you you had to pay a scrip, but you're just retarded and don't hear me, I'm guilty of false advertising? No. If Square in fact told their consumers that they'd have to pay a subscription (which they did, it's on the box, on the website, and everywhere else), then it's not false advertising when they have to pay for one, whether the consumer "thinks so" or not.
Freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, so long as it is the truth. This does not exclude anything that might hurt someone's feelings.
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
No, that's not what I'm saying. I operate from the assumption that the Plaintiffs think they have some basis to claim that they have been deceived by Square Enix. What that basis is, I don't know. I assume you don't know, either. But what I do know as a matter of law is that the mere fact that the box states that a fee is required or that the website states a fee is required or the Terms of Use state a fee is required doesn't matter so long as Plaintiffs can point to some false statement on the part of Square Enix which would have lead them to reasonably believe that no fees were required.
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
Nothing about the agreement is breaking the law. All of these terms are just like cellphone plans, and I'm sure that argument will come up in Square's defense of this. With a cellphone, if you are late, they shut your phone off until you pay it. They still charge you, plus interest, until the payment is made in full. This also includes late fees and service charges. I don't think they delete your stuff if you are late in paying, but you get my point. It's still a binding contract. The problem is that people don't read an EULA. I say it's their own fault. "I didn't read the legal stuff and handed over my credit card. Now I want money!"
The fact of the matter is that, no matter what happens, this is going to affect the entire MMO landscape, and most likely not in a good way.
Freedom of speech means the freedom to say ANYTHING, so long as it is the truth. This does not exclude anything that might hurt someone's feelings.
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
Damn, you beat me to it >.>
"Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of Heaven, Jack Thompson'll justify it in the end." - nightwng2000
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
Playonline Policy is very tricky.
Basically, say you’re a returning member and you join on the 31st of a month. You are going to get billed in full for that month and then the next day on the 1st you’ll get billed for the entire month. Basically their bill cycle doesn’t revolve around when you signed up except for your free month.
Also what many people have been complaining about say your credit card was deactivated, they are going to charge you later fees instead of just deactivating your account like anyone else.
Also you can only have a certain amount of characters which is three I believe and rest it’s a dollar for another one.
On some of the challenges for this Civil Case I think there is plenty of merit. This lawsuit has also been filed in San Francisco the Liberal Mecca of the Democratic Party. So when this case goes to appeals it will most likely go to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals which is also the most Liberal and Most overturned court in the United States and United States history which means we might see a Supreme Court case out of this which can change the landscape of all Massive Multiplayer Online games which can be a good or bad thing.
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
that's why I left POL and FFXI, because of the wacky charges(POL(I'm not mentioning the monthly fee here)) and High diffuculty(FFXI)
Watching JT on GP is just like watching an episode of Jerry springer only as funny as the fights
America has just became its own version of the Jerry Springer Show after a bizarre moment in Florida involving a carnival worker.
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
Also what many people have been complaining about say your credit card was deactivated, they are going to charge you later fees instead of just deactivating your account like anyone else.
And the solution to that problem is to change your goddamn billing information and not whine and bitch when you get late fees because they're not getting their money.
Re: Consumer Class-Action Suit Targets Final Fantasy XI
However, a company is not supposed to act as such especially let’s say if your hospitalized your information was stolen so you deactivated your card. This case does have merit, let us not forget the Billing Practices of Playonline have already been challenged in Illinois and in my state they actually have to make it easier to bill and make sure anyone can cancel their account at any time without issue.