Nintendo is being sued by customers seeking tariff refunds

Two customers have filed a class-action lawsuit against Nintendo, alleging the company stands to unjustly enrich itself by both raising consumer prices due to US tariffs and then claiming refunds from the government for those same tariffs.

The lawsuit, filed April 21, 2026, in the United States District Court’s Western District of Washington, was brought by California-based Gregory Hoffert and Washington-based Prashant Sharan. The plaintiffs claim Nintendo increased prices on Switch products after the US government imposed controversial tariffs, then benefited when a court ruled those tariffs unlawful.

According to the complaint, “Unless restrained by this Court, Nintendo stands to recover the same tariff payments twice—once from consumers through higher prices and again from the federal government through tariff refunds, including interest paid by the government on those funds.” The lawsuit seeks to force Nintendo to return any tariff refunds it receives to affected customers.

The dispute stems from April 2025, when Nintendo announced price increases on Switch 2 accessories—including controllers, charging grips, and docking stations—raising prices by $5-10 due to tariff-related “changes in market conditions.” Nintendo has already filed its own lawsuit against the US government, seeking refund of tariffs paid with interest.

Some other major US importers, including FedEx and UPS, have reportedly indicated they plan to pass tariff refunds back to customers. The lawsuit suggests Nintendo’s approach—potentially keeping both elevated prices and government refunds—could establish a concerning precedent for how companies handle tariff reimbursements.

Nintendo is being sued by customers seeking tariff refunds

Sources