Sony Lowers The Last of Us: HD's Price, Refuses to Offer Refunds - Update

[Steven Bogos]

Sony Lowers The Last of Us: HD's Price, Refuses to Offer Refunds - Update

If you pre-ordered The Last of Us: Remastered from Sony's PSN store before today, you'll be out $10.

Update: Adam Boyes, Sony's VP of Publisher & Developer Relations, has assured PSN customers via Twitter that they will, in fact, be getting a $10 refund.

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/amboyes/statuses/480561154238861312]

Original Story: Here's a new one. While most video game stores try their best to reward pre-order customers, with incentives such as exclusive content and discounts, Sony has now flipped the tables, and is actively punishing anyone who pre-purchased The Last of Us: Remastered on the PSN store. Sony lowered the price of the game from $59.99 to $49.99 this weekend, so you would naturally assume that anyone who already pre-purchased the game for the more expensive price would be refunded $10, right? Wrong. Sony is refusing to offer any kind of refund whatsoever for early purchasers.

"Sorry for the inconvenience but a refund is not possible," said Sony customer service representative "Jose G" when an irate customer contacted PSN's technical support. He pointed to some fine print on the PSN pre-order page, which specifically states:

YOU MAY NOT CANCEL A PRE-ORDER AT ANY TIME AND REFUNDS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDERS, SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAWS.

Meanwhile, gamers who pre-ordered the game from other outlets, such as Amazon, are being offered a $10 refund to reflect the change of the game's price.

It's a pretty crappy situation to put your fans in, as it will most certainly dissuade gamers from pre-ordering from PSN in the future. However, I won't be surprised if Sony comes out and makes an exception to its pre-order policy just this once, if enough people kick up a stink.

Source: PS4 Daily [http://ps4daily.com/2014/06/last-of-us-ps4-price-drop/]

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[StriderShinryu]

It doesn't impact me at all as I didn't pre-order either digital or physical copy, but that's a pretty big dick move there Sony. As well as Sony is doing in other aspects of relation to consumers, they just don't seem to quite get the whole digital marketplace thing yet (see the prices and terms in PS Now for instance).

 

[mechalynx]

Oh, come on, Sony, you were doing so well. It's not like those few customers will set you back all that much.

Edit: isn't this against some law? If the product is not yet delivered, isn't the customer within his/her rights to cancel the purchase?

 

[Steven Bogos]

Oh, come on, Sony, you were doing so well. It's not like those few customers will set you back all that much.

Edit: isn't this against some law? If the product is not yet delivered, isn't the customer within his/her rights to cancel the purchase?

In Australia at least, consumer law states that the merchant is legally obligated to offer a refund if the product is faulty or not as advertised. In this case, the product is certainly not as advertised, as it has changed from the initially advertised price.

Australians have actually successfully managed to utilize this law in regards to video games in the past. For example, EA had to offer Australians refunds for SimCity (2015), which was "faulty" at launch, despite EA policy specifically stating that it will not offer refunds for any reason (at least, at the time)

 

[Section Crow]

Jeez, one would think during the early days of a new console launch you wouldn't try to rattle your fans faith.

Can't wait till this is used as more fodder for the console wars, informed hatred makes for good reading.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I don't pre-order anything unless it's like a five dollar down payment or something. I will never pre-order a game at full price because I'm too worried that this sort of thing will happen.

Pretty bad move, Sony.

 

[RealRT]

Sony, yes, you're at the top, but you have to work hard to stay at the top and you're not making it easier by this.

 

[zelda2fanboy]

I learned this lesson awhile ago with disappointing preorders over the years. Too bad the people involved had to get screwed out of ten dollars to know never to trust strangers with their money. Why not wait another 6 months and get it for $30? It's just one more incentive against buying games right when they come out. Now, let's hear them bark about how horrible used game sales are when they use crummy tactics like these.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

So Sony wants us to no longer trust Sony, then. That's a lesson I'll take with me to my grave! Thanks, Sony!

 

[Brian Tams]

If I remember correctly, Angry Joe mentioned in his post E3 vlog that as soon as TLOU HD was announced, he immediately preordered it.

I can't imagine he'll be too happy about this.

 

[JarinArenos]

This just in, random Joe Shmo in customer service lacks authority to make exception to standing company policy, or imagination to elevate the issue. In other news, water still wet.

I suspect this will get backed off in the next few days.

Edit: Aaaand apparently I was a notable pessimist. Knew this wouldn't last.

 

[Ajarat]

Who would have known that Eric Cartman would be so right...

That's why I never pre-order, that's why I avoid 'band-wagons' and hype, that's why I never trust corporate interests. When I buy something, I know exactly what I'm buying, because I'll wait for the reviews (and fixes, ghaaaa!) and even if needed pirate for a demo. I'm what business hate and fear most, an informed and discerning shopper.

Your welcome to follow suit, or, in the spirit of the Cartman reference, Bon Appétit!


Edit: Good luck in the upcoming class-action suit coming your way Sony... just a wild hunch.

 

[Karathos]

Random customer service rep #582225829 isn't going to have the paygrade to make this kind of decision, and will obviously lean on by-the-book regs that are stated on the preorder site. This isn't even goddamn news.

I work at a department store, and we get these special cases every day. The average-peon-worker at any company generally cannot make this kind of judgement call and is at risk of losing his job and/or getting very harshly warned by the higher-ups. Whenever a case like this pops up at work, we call on-duty supervisor and he/she gets to handle it (usually in the customer's favour, too!). Should be obvious stuff, but we live in the age of sue-sue-sue-whine-sue when you can't immediately have your way.

And even if the decision remains final after review by the higher-ups at Sony, the lesson here is simple. Read the fine print when you make these purchases, and don't preorder. If they were willing to preorder the game for the first price, it pretty clearly means they were willing to also PAY that same price. Now they are, even though others are paying less. Boohoo?

Shit happens, moving on.

 

[Ipsen]

I'm not hearing that the pre-orders are made to pay for the more expensive SKU. Perhaps the pre-orders are (or will be) converted to the price drop?

Optimism aside, this is why, while Gamestop being Gamestop, if I have to pre-order something, it's there. At least there, I can cancel and take back my deposit if I don't like or can't pay for a game, before or after release.

 

[Maxtro]

I thought it was standard for companies to refund you the difference if a product goes through a price drop before it gets released.

Really stupid on Sony's part for trying to be different. This will bite them in the ass.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

dat moment when even steam has a better refund policy, atleast when it comes to pre-orders

 

[oldtaku]

Never preorder. Anything. Unless it's the night before and you want to preload or you can get a sweet 25% off deal. How dumb are you? Especially on this one where a discount for PS3 owners SHOULD be coming but if you were desperate enough to order immediately you don't deserve one.

 

[RedDeadFred]

And this is why I NEVER PRE-ORDER

This.

Even when I know that I'm going to love the game (Skyrim), I still never pre-order, just in case the game magically sucked and the devs were only showing the good parts. Potentially getting fucked is not worth the minute bonuses pre-ordering provides.

 

[Haru17]

Sony lowers the price, which is an inarguably good thing. People willingly spent $60 on it, they knew they were spending that money on it. On the other hand the inequality is off-putting. On the other other hand it's just $10. Don't preorder, the end.