Users can buy items from Roblox’s in-game shop using Robux, an in-app currency that can be purchased with real cash; however, the company is being accused of removing users’ items without issuing refunds.
Popular gaming platform, Roblox is being accused of ripping off users by removing items they bought from the in-game Avatar shop without providing refunds. The lawsuit was reportedly filed by a Michigan dad, John Dennis, and his daughter, anonymously known as Jane Doe, on 25 May 2021.
Roblox is not just a single game, it is a collection of 18 million games known as “experiences.” These “experiences” are created by independent developers. The game was recently listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a $44 billion direct listing. The platform has around 32.6 million daily users, with the majority of the gamers said to be under the age of 16.
According to Insider, Doe allegedly bought digital pajamas and jeans from the Avatar shop using Robux, the in-game currency. Doe’s pajamas and jeans were removed from her account but she did not receive a refund. Users can buy Robux at 400 Robux for $4.99, and 10,000 Robux for $99.99.
Roblox does remove items that violate its content moderation policies. This includes the use of a copyrighted logo and posting explicit images, amongst others. The items Doe bought from the store reportedly did not contain offensive or trademarked content. The items were de-listed from her inventory without explanation.
According to one of the attorneys representing Dennis and his daughter, Lilly Hough, Roblox is de-listing items to attempt to generate additional revenue from its users.
“(The company’s) decision to sell first and ‘moderate’ later has (an) obvious monetary benefit for Roblox. By the time defendant has deleted items from the Avatar shop and users’ inventories, it has already taken its 30% commission from the sale,” Hough wrote in the court filing.
Roblox allegedly did not respond to a request for comment from Insider on its content moderation and refund process. However, the company’s prospectus does indicate that “content submitted by developers and creators, including images, models, meshes, and audio, goes through a multi-step review process before appearing on the platform.”