In Fortnite (PC, PS4, iOS & Xbox One) introduced an option to return purchased skins with Patch 3.6. However, the developers took the refund option offline shortly after. What are the reasons for this, when will it return, and when can you finally sell skins in Fortnite?
What happened? The developers of Fortnite introduced an inconspicuous new feature in Patch 3.6. This allowed you to return items that you purchased with V-Bucks within 30 days. The bucks were refunded in full. However, shortly after the feature went live, the developers disabled it again.
Battle Pass exploit is likely the reason you can’t return skins
Why was the exchange function removed? The reason for deactivating the refund option has not yet been officially confirmed by Epic. However, rumors are increasing on Reddit and Twitter.
It is quite likely that it was an exploit involving a specific Battle Pass offer. You could buy 10 levels of the Battle Pass for 900 bucks. Curiously, this purchase was also refundable – you were only supposed to be able to return cosmetic items.
Customers then received the 900 bucks back AND still kept their Battle Pass progress. A clear exploit that could have cost Epic a lot of money, especially with Season 4 and a new Battle Pass around the corner.
When will the skin refund come back?
What is the current status? The developers are still working on a solution to the refund issue.
Aside from the first tweet on the topic from April 24, 2018, no new statement has appeared. However, we will continue to monitor the situation and report when something happens.
Players want more freedom in returning items
What can be improved? The option to refund items was generally welcomed by fans. However, many were puzzled by the limitation.
You could only exchange items that you had bought in the last 30 days. Many complained: “I still have an old dragon glider that I don’t like anymore” or “I really wanted to return the old cuddly bear from Valentine’s Day; I hardly play it.”
Fans are therefore demanding an unlimited exchange period when the feature goes back online. Additionally, many players would appreciate having more than just 3 lifetime exchange options. Three refunds per year or even one per month would be preferred by many players.
At least many fans hope that Epic will compensate for the faulty feature by granting a few more returns when it functions again.
Refund, no sale or trade
Will skins also be available for sale or trade? On Twitter, Reddit, and others, there is an increasing desire to sell skins directly. Or that by returning them, you can somehow unlock the respective skins again in the shop. However, none of this is possible with the return option!
- You will only be able to return items and receive the original amount back in V-Bucks.
- The returned items will disappear; they will not suddenly be available again in the shop.
- So anyone who wants to have the returned item back later must wait until it appears again in the daily shop rotation. That may take a while.
- This also applies to your friends. The coveted Valentine cuddly bear will not suddenly appear in their shop if you return it!
