Sony And Nintendo Agree To Stop Billing Unused Game Subscriptions In The UK

CMA welcomes the increase in Sony and Nintendo game subscriptions. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Following in the footsteps of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have stopped paying for unused game subscriptions in the UK.

On Wednesday, April 13 on the website gov.uk, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has investigated and is concerned about people being tied to automatic subscription payments.

The country's CMA has secured a deal with Sony. Sony has agreed to implement measures to protect customers who have not used their membership for a long time but are still paying.

Sony will contact these customers to remind them how to stop their payments, and if they continue to not use their membership, Sony will eventually stop accepting further payments.

Additionally, CMA is also involved with Nintendo, which changed its business practices during the investigation so that the Nintendo Switch Online Service is no longer sold with automatic updates set as the default option.

This means that people will not automatically enter into contract renewals, addressing some of the CMA's concerns about people being locked out.

"As a result of our investigation, a number of changes have been made across the sector to protect customers and help address concerns about subscription auto-renewal," said Michael Grenfell, Executive Director of Enforcement at CMA.

The changes have led CMA to end its investigation into the online gaming service that began in 2019. The investigation has focused not only on auto-renewal, but also on difficulties getting refunds and possible unfair subscription terms.