Digital games and your consumer rights in Australia

Games bought as downloads, subscriptions and in-game items are still purchases from a business. This guide explains, in general terms, what the Australian Consumer Law offers, how to raise a problem, and where to go if the seller does not help.

Prepared by the BHP CONSULTING editorial team. Last reviewed 1 October 2026. General information only, not legal advice.

The basic position

The Australian Consumer Law contains consumer guarantees that apply automatically when consumers buy goods and services from businesses. They include that goods are of acceptable quality, match their description and are fit for any purpose the business said they were fit for. A business cannot contract out of them, so wording such as "no refunds" cannot remove them where they apply. The ACCC is the national regulator and publishes guidance for consumers; state and territory consumer protection agencies also handle complaints.

The same law prohibits misleading or deceptive conduct in trade. That applies to how games and in-game items are advertised and described, and to sites like this one.

Exactly how the guarantees apply depends on the facts: what was bought, from whom, what was promised, and what went wrong. If a significant amount of money is involved, get advice from a consumer protection agency in your state or territory, or a community legal centre.

A fault, or a change of mind?

The guarantees protect you when something is wrong with what you bought. They do not give a right to a refund because you no longer want it. Many storefronts offer change-of-mind refunds under their own policies, often with time and play-time limits, but that is a voluntary policy, not a guarantee.

Raising a problem: a numbered procedure

1. Identify the seller. The business that took your money is usually the one to approach first. That may be a storefront rather than the game's developer.
2. Gather evidence. Receipts, order numbers, screenshots of the product description, your computer's specifications, and any error messages.
3. Try the fix the seller offers. Support may suggest an update, a driver change or a reinstall. Make a note of what you tried.
4. Put the request in writing. Explain what is wrong, what you have tried, and what you are asking for: a fix, a replacement or a refund. Keep it short and factual.
5. Allow a reasonable time. Note the date and follow up if nothing happens.
6. Escalate. If the seller does not resolve it, contact your state or territory consumer protection agency. The ACCC website explains how to find yours.
7. Consider your payment provider. For unauthorised transactions or goods not supplied, your bank or card provider may have a dispute process.

Keeping records that help

Most disputes about digital purchases are decided by what can be shown. Receipts arrive by email and are easy to lose among other messages, so a folder or label for game purchases is worth setting up. Screenshots of a product page at the time you bought, especially of any claim about features or compatibility, are useful if the page is later changed. Note the dates of any support conversations and keep the ticket numbers.

A worked example: an item that never arrived

When the seller is overseas

Many games are sold by businesses outside Australia. Whether, and how, Australian law reaches a particular overseas seller is a question to put to your state or territory consumer protection agency rather than one this site can answer. In practice, pursuing a business abroad is harder than pursuing one at home, so buying through storefronts with a clear refund process and a support channel you can actually reach tends to make problems easier to resolve. Check the currency and the final amount before you confirm any purchase; a price that looks low may be in another currency, and your card provider may add a foreign transaction fee.

Bans, closures and lost items

Publishers can close accounts that break their terms, and the terms usually say that virtual items have no cash value. Whether a particular closure was fair depends on the terms and the facts. If you believe an account was closed in error, use the publisher's appeal process first and keep a record. Buying or selling accounts and items outside the game's own systems is a common cause of closures and a common route for scams.

Scams that look like purchases

Some problems are not consumer disputes at all but scams: unofficial sites selling cheap codes that turn out to be stolen or fake, "top-up" services that ask for your login, or sellers on marketplaces who disappear after payment. These do not carry the protections of buying from a legitimate business. Report them to Scamwatch and contact your bank promptly if money was taken. The Australian Cyber Security Centre also accepts reports of cybercrime.

Before you buy: a checklist

• Your computer meets at least the published minimum requirements, and the operating system is supported.
• You know who the seller is and how to contact them.
• You have read the refund policy, including any time or play-time limits.
• The price is clear in AUD, including the full amount for any currency bundle.
• You are buying from the publisher or a recognised storefront, not a reseller of codes or accounts.
• You have kept, or will keep, the receipt.

Common questions