Okay here's a quick quiz for you: Suppose you are lucky enough to get seated in UF on a SFO-NRT flight. You sit down and notice that your seat doesn't recline. Or your video doesn't work. A little cockroach named Wicket is crawling on your seat cushion. Whatever. The crew is kind enough to move you to a readily available empty seat (this is a fantasy quiz, after all!) that just happens to be available in United Business. This is a 3-cabin aircraft.
What happens next? Are you eligible for a refund on your paycheck because you didn't sit in First Class for the flight? Remember, you are charged $0.00 for United Business but pay the old standard travel charges for United First on a three-cabin aircraft traveling internationally.
The answer is that you are out of luck. You may not get a refund for the broken seat or the fact that you moved from First Class into United Business for the duration of the flight.
United has stated that the NRSA charges are based "on the Automated Check-In (ACI) system." Furthermore, "If an NRSA is moved from United First to United Business or United Economy during a flight, a refund will not be issued." No dice folks.