Nintendo has stated it will not refund customers for tariff fees it passed on to them, asserting that purchasers received precisely what they agreed to pay. This position comes as the company faces a class action lawsuit seeking refunds for price increases implemented in August 2025, which were a direct result of tariffs on goods entering the United States.
While a US court later deemed these tariffs illegal in February 2026, Nintendo has since sued the US government for a refund of these fees, including associated interest. The lawsuit filed on behalf of consumers argued that Nintendo had an obligation to return the overpaid amounts. However, Nintendo's latest filing counters this by stating consumers were never coerced into making a purchase. "Nintendo or one of its retailers set a price for each product, and consumers decided whether that price was worth paying," the filing reads. "Those who bought Nintendo’s products received exactly what they bargained and paid for: a console, game and/or accessory at a price to which both parties agreed."
The company also pointed out that it did not increase the prices of all its products, suggesting it did not fully profit from passing on the tariff costs. "Instead, Nintendo imposed modest and selective price adjustments, and it chose to bear the costs of tariffs on some of its most popular products of 2025, including its flagship console, the Nintendo Switch 2," the filing continued. Nintendo concluded its opposition by emphasizing that consumers were free to explore alternative options if they found the price increases excessive. "If a consumer did not want to pay the advertised price, they were free to abstain from purchasing the product or seek out competing products."
It remains uncertain whether the class action lawsuit will proceed to trial. Nevertheless, Nintendo's stance indicates no intention to reimburse customers, even if it successfully recovers its tariff expenditures from the government. This approach may help Nintendo manage the ongoing memory crisis and potentially avoid further price increases for the Switch 2 later this year.