It seems free Joy-Con repairs and refunds for customers who already paid to have their faulty controllers fixed may be limited to the United States if previously reported internal documentation is anything to go by.

UK news website Metro reveals there has been "no change in policy" within the UK, with certain customer support staff located in Europe seemingly unaware of recent developments within the US.

Readers have sent us in chat transcripts showing Nintendo UK refusing to make repairs for free and a call ourselves to the support centre proved that no one there had been told to offer free repairs or refunds.

According to NintendoSoup, a Reddit user known as Toboid contacted Nintendo's customer help in the UK and asked if they were eligible for free Joy-Con repairs. This was the official response:

Unfortunately not... A statement was released by Nintendo of America acknowledging known issues with Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers. Our Nintendo UK process remains the same - to provide recommended troubleshooting

At this point in time, other branches of Nintendo located in different regions, may or may not follow through with free fixes. The situation is reportedly the same in France. However, in the same Reddit thread mentioned above, user flame03 from the Netherlands explained how they had spoken to Nintendo yesterday and begun the process to get their Joy-Con fixed:

I'm in the Netherlands (also EU) and I got my switch in May 2017. According to EU laws, beyond the 1 year factory warranty and beyond the 2 year store warranty. I chatted with Nintendo yesterday and they started the process to repair the joycons free of charge and no shipping costs.

They requested me to print out a shipping label and send the joycons in a box to them. (Pre paid shipping label).

The class action lawsuit was filed by the American law offices of Chimicles, Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith against Nintendo of America.

CSK&D has filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo of America, Inc. (“Nintendo”) for claims relating to alleged defects in the Joy-Con controllers that are part of Nintendo Switch gaming consoles. The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleges that the joysticks on Joy-Con controllers are defective, leading users to experience drift issues.

It remains unclear if the internal policy, reportedly revealed by Vice, will be rolled out to regions outside of America.

Customers will no longer be requested to provide proof of purchase for Joy-Con repairs. Additionally it is not necessary to confirm warranty status. If a customer requests a refund for a previously paid Joy-Con repair [...] confirm the prior repair and then issue a refund.

Metro noted how Nintendo's American branch had "failed to publicly acknowledge the change in policy", so it is believed there is a "possibility" that Europe and other regions have not yet got the memo.

What's your own experience been like so far? Leave a comment below.