'Alarming' number of unanswered complaints prompt warning to B.C. Fortnite fans
U.S.-based Epic Games hit with hundreds of complaints from North America, Europe
The Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about the makers of Fortnite, one of the most popular video games in the world, after receiving an "alarming" number of complaints.
Epic Games of North Carolina has received an F rating from its local BBB in response to hundreds of unanswered customer complaints, according to Karla Davis, spokesperson for the BBB's mainland B.C. branch which is raising a red flag for this province's consumers.
"The complainants have been pretty much saying the company has failed to protect customer security. There are several instances of unauthorized charges to their accounts and there's been a significant number of complaints about failure to respond in a timely manner," Davis told CBC.
There are currently 279 complaints — mainly from North America and Europe — on file against Epic Games, which also produces the popular games Infinity Blade. All but eight of those complaints were filed in 2018, and 247 have gone unaddressed by the company, according to the BBB.
"That is an alarming amount for us," Davis said of the complaints.
The concerns have come from Canada, the U.S., Germany, Israel, Portugal and the U.K.
Davis said the North Carolina BBB has made numerous attempts to contact Epic Games about the complaints.
"Every single attempt has gone without a response," she said.
Video game players should always be cautious about handing out their credit card information, and look into what companies are doing to protect private data, Davis added.
Company response
A spokesperson for Epic Games responded to a request for comment from CBC News with a brief written statement.
"Epic Games is not affiliated with the Better Business Bureau and has redirected all player submitted complaints from the BBB to our Player Support staff," it read.
The statement went on to say that the company encourages players with concerns about their accounts to contact Epic Games customer service via its website.
With files from Rafferty Baker