Nintendo seeks dismissal of class action tariff refunds

Nintendo has asked a federal court to dismiss a class-action lawsuit filed by customers seeking refunds for price increases the company implemented in response to U.S. import tariffs later ruled illegal. The motion, filed this week in Washington, argues that consumers who purchased products at higher prices "received exactly what they bargained and paid for" and are not entitled to retroactive rebates due to subsequent legal changes.

The lawsuit, Hoffert et al. v. Nintendo, was filed in April 2026 by plaintiffs Gregory Hoffert and Prashant Sharan. It alleges that Nintendo unjustly profited by raising prices on hardware and accessories, including original Switch consoles and Switch 2 controllers, to offset tariff costs, and then sought refunds from the government after the Supreme Court invalidated the tariffs earlier this year. The plaintiffs contend that refunds received by Nintendo should be passed on to consumers who bore the cost.

In its filing, Nintendo's legal team rejected this premise. "The common thread among Plaintiffs' claims is that it is somehow unfair that Nintendo has not retroactively adjusted its prices for completed sales in response to the outcome of the...