What to do if your Nintendo account has been banned

Ok, don't panic. You woke up and grabbed your Nintendo Switch, only to find that your Nintendo account has been banned. This is a problem. You can't play online and you can't access the Nintendo Store. All you wanted to do is play a little Splatoon and now you find yourself kicked out of the clubhouse. I agree this is a terrible turn of events. However, depending on the reason for your ban, you may have some options. Here is what you can do if you find yourself with a banned Nintendo account.

Look it up

If you truly have no idea why you might have been banned then you might want to consider trying to gather a little more data. If you were presented with an error code when you tried to connect then you can go to the Nintendo Support page here. Enter the error code into the search bar and see if it turns up any results. Sometimes you can get a little better idea of why the ban was implemented. Nintendo can be a little less clear about its reasons for specific bans as compared to other consoles so it might be difficult to find out why you were booted.

Look into your heart

For the most part, Nintendo does a pretty good job when it comes to policing its online realm. Usually, if someone is banned, it is for good reason. Nintendo likes to maintain a pretty wholesome online environment for the kids. If you did something to dirty that environment, it could be just cause for a ban. This isn't the wild wild west of the normal internet. Players should keep their adult content to themselves. Other reasons for banning can include the use of stolen credit cards or the use of unsanctioned mods on hardware. If you are certain that your ban was unjustified then you had probably better move to the next step.

Get in touch

If you are looking down the barrel of an unjustified banning, then you should get in touch with Nintendo for help. For the most part, Nintendo has one of the friendlier and more understanding support teams out there. You can contact Nintendo support by going to this link or you can call them directly at 1(800)255-3700. If you're going to call them, take a few deep breaths and put on your friendly voice. Anger and panic usually doesn't get one very far toward getting what they want. Be patient and try to explain the issue as clearly as you can.

On occasion, a ban is just a suspension which means that you will just have to wait it out until you have access again. Whatever the reason for your banning, I feel your pain. Hopefully, with a little patience and faith, you will be back online in no time.

Have you been banned by Nintendo before?

What did you do to remedy the problem? We would love to hear about it in the comments.