If you’ve been playing Fortnite for a bit, you might have heard the rumor that buying or selling Fortnite accounts is illegal.
If so, it’s probably because of this tweet by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney in 2018:
This may seem like an extreme response, but it’s actually quite common.
In fact, one Reddit user says he had to pay $1,000 to get his account back after someone else bought it from him and then sold it on eBay.
Another Reddit user claims they were banned for trying to sell their account on Craigslist, because “buying and selling items online is completely illegal.”
So what’s going on here? Is it really illegal to buy or sell Fortnite accounts? If so, why? And how can you tell if you’re breaking any laws?
The Truth About Buying/Selling Fortnite Accounts
In truth, it doesn’t appear that being caught doing something like buying or selling Fortnite accounts could result in jail time or fines. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), companies are allowed to ban people from their platforms, provided that banning is done with appropriate notice and a chance to appeal.
However, there is no law against people simply selling their accounts, and it’s not illegal to buy or sell your own account. The issue with selling your own account comes when you try to resell it. That’s where things start getting complicated.
Legality of Selling Your Own Account vs. Reselling Another Person’s Account
When we talk about buying and selling accounts, we usually mean buying or selling another person’s account. But technically speaking, selling your own account isn’t inherently illegal. You just need to do some research first to make sure it’s legal.
First off, the FTC has strict guidelines for sellers who want to sell their own accounts. As long as you aren’t offering the account for sale to other users, and you aren’t advertising the account for sale to other users, you should be fine.
It’s also worth pointing out that even though buying and selling your own account isn’t illegal per se, it’s still generally considered a bad idea. For example, you could be violating the terms of service for your platform. And if you don’t know what those terms of service require, it’s best to ask!
If you’re looking to buy or sell your own Fortnite account, you’ll likely find better success at places like Reddit, forums, or Facebook groups. If you’re looking to buy or sell another person’s account, you’ll likely find better success at sites like eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace.
What Happens When You Breach Platform Terms Of Service?
On top of that, most social media platforms have rules that prohibit the purchase and sale of accounts. These platforms often ban users who break these rules, which means that if you breach platform terms of service, it could trigger a ban. Even if the platform allows you to buy and sell your account, breaching platform TOS could see you banned.
For example, Discord, the popular chat app, prohibits the sale of accounts. So if you breach platform TOS and attempt to sell your account, you could find yourself banned.
But what happens when you buy or sell an account without knowing that you’re breaching the TOS? Well, you could end up in hot water.
Let’s say you buy your friend’s Fortnite account. They decide to leave the game, and you want to keep playing. You log into your new account and discover that the password is wrong.
You contact your friend and ask them for their password. They refuse to give it to you, and you report them to the company. A few days later, you hear that they’ve been banned from their platform. The company tells you that since you purchased the account, you broke the TOS.
As far as you know, you didn’t know that you were violating the TOS when you made the transaction. So you’re basically guilty until proven innocent.
Going through the legal status of the purchase and sale of the account is a must for the people. A person needs to be really careful while purchasing the same from the fortnite account shop. If the person will do the checking of the detail in advance then the chances of loss will reduce.
How Can You Protect Yourself From Getting Banned?
Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to protect yourself from getting banned when you buy or sell your own account. In theory, you could always wait to buy or sell your account until after signing up for the platform. But that won’t work very well.
For example, you could be tempted to buy your friend’s Fortnite account before they sign up for the app. Then, once they go through with the process, you could easily buy the same account from them.
Or, you could be tempted to buy your friend’s Fortnite account before you know what the terms of service are. Then, once you discover what those terms are, you could try to sell your account to them.
Ultimately, it’s impossible to avoid making mistakes when you’re dealing with people you don’t trust. And it’s almost impossible to prevent yourself from getting banned when you’re dealing with people you don’t trust.
However, if you follow these simple tips, you’ll reduce the chances of getting banned significantly. First, make sure you know exactly what the terms of service are for your platform. Second, only buy or sell accounts from people you trust and feel comfortable working with. Third, be wary of scams.
And lastly, if you ever get banned from a platform, don’t panic. Contact support immediately and explain what happened. Chances are, they will let you continue using your account.
