Retailer's PS4 Preorder Ransom Illegal Says Trading Standards

[fix-the-spade]

Except they can't do that because they rely on retailers like them to sell their console and games. They are smart in allowing the local authorities to handle it. Sony shouldn't be put in the position of handling trade law in any local country.

They also rely on the retailers to uphold their reputation by proxy, whether Sony would do it or not is irrelevant, they don't want to be seen to practice price gouging. If Sony don't step on the practice when a small retailers is doing it, the larger retailers could start trying the same trick, which could have disastrous consequences for Sony as it sees their price advantage over the Xbone evaporate.

Also, Simply Games are packaging third party hardware as part of a 'Playstation 4 bundle' which is nothing to do with Sony, but sounds official and SG make no effort to point out that it's unofficial. Apple (and Nintendo, Asus, Samsung etc) would go apoplectic if they caught retail partners selling cheap third party tat under even the vague guise of an official bundle, Sony would be justified doing the same.

Simply Games is a small retailer, stomping on them would be irrelevant in terms of Sony's total supply, even if they weren't there is always another supplier. Sony need to remind them who owns the product that generates the demand.

 

[RikuoAmero]

So just to make sure I'm understanding this correctly, Random Joe paid a deposit of say 50 pounds, and Simply Games said he could pay the rest on launch day? Except now, SG have gotten less units than they expected, so now they're saying to all the Random Joes that the amount that they owe is now higher than what's on their receipt, which is supposed to be a contract? Let me guess, SG also plan to keep the deposit when Random Joe rightly doesn't pay what is now extortion in my opinion.

 

[Simalacrum]

Wait, so they're telling people who've already pre-ordered the product to give them more money?

Yeah? thats clearly illegal. Someone call the police.

 

[weirdee]

Whatever their justification, it's rampant profiteering and I hope enough of Simplygames customers tell them to go fuck themselves for them to rethink this bullshit.

yeah, even if this isn't a criminal offense, neither is causing a big stink over them being commercial scalpers

 

[Amir Kondori]

Except they can't do that because they rely on retailers like them to sell their console and games. They are smart in allowing the local authorities to handle it. Sony shouldn't be put in the position of handling trade law in any local country.

They also rely on the retailers to uphold their reputation by proxy, whether Sony would do it or not is irrelevant, they don't want to be seen to practice price gouging. If Sony don't step on the practice when a small retailers is doing it, the larger retailers could start trying the same trick, which could have disastrous consequences for Sony as it sees their price advantage over the Xbone evaporate.

Also, Simply Games are packaging third party hardware as part of a 'Playstation 4 bundle' which is nothing to do with Sony, but sounds official and SG make no effort to point out that it's unofficial. Apple (and Nintendo, Asus, Samsung etc) would go apoplectic if they caught retail partners selling cheap third party tat under even the vague guise of an official bundle, Sony would be justified doing the same.

Simply Games is a small retailer, stomping on them would be irrelevant in terms of Sony's total supply, even if they weren't there is always another supplier. Sony need to remind them who owns the product that generates the demand.

That is just not realistic. If this became a wide spread problem then I am sure Sony will step in. There have always been issues like this when the demand outstrips the supply of a new console. It sounds like Sony is not going to have a huge problem manufacturing PS4's and we won't be supply constrained for too long after launch.

Then this stuff will clear up and this issue will become a small footnote. If what this particular company is doing is really illegal, and lets be honest, unless you specifically put money down on a single system pre-order and then were told that you could only buy a bundle which I don't know if that is exactly what happened or not, then the proper regulatory agency needs to get involved.

 

[s_h_a_d_o]

"Sony is not and would not force anyone to buy something they don't want... We value our consumers and offered the bundles precisely to give them choice and value. And the key word there is choice."

That's rich, coming from those responsible for the OtherOS bait-and-switch.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

oh just another day at the apple stor-wait...

but for real, this is some supply/demand horseshit, hope the customers tell them to go fuck themselves.

 

[Stevepinto3]

It's bad enough that the UK already gets screwed on the exchange rate, but now a retailer has to go and force prices even higher?

That's about $700, nearly enough to buy TWO PS4's in the States. To non-Americans that have to put up with this crap, I am very sorry.

 

[Lightknight]

Unless there was a clause stating that Simplygames could increase the price or drop the customer in the pre-order contract the law will side in the customers case on this one.

Exactly, what an awful retail site.

They have no knowledge of contract law. Even if they had a clause hidden within its bowels of consumer rights it may not hold up.

Problem is, since it is only $400-$600 in value it isn't worth an attorney. So this will be state pursued or will have to be class action. Tough luck there.

 

[Roxas1359]

yea, I dont think PS4 has region locking, so I suspect a number of people would cancel and order from Amazon or Gamestop.

It doesn't, Sony hasn't implemented region restrictions on their consoles since the PSP came out, the PS2 was their last region locked home console. Well, for physical media anyway, digital is still separated but that's the same for all other companies as well.

OT: That is rather shameful and downright disgusting for them to do that.

 

[jpoon]

Damn, that really sucks for the UK folks. Best thing you can do is call these fuckers up and make a huge deal out of it, get this in the eyes of the reporters and they'll hopefully fuck over simplygames as bad as possible. Also, maybe cancel your preorder and take it elsewhere, these shitheads do NOT deserve your money, as much as that sucks to do...

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

They should be able to charge whatever they want, but once a purchase is made, that's that, a product is sold for an agreed price. What assholes.

 

[MammothBlade]

I just read this comment:

I don't care. Cancel your order and be done with it.

I am starting to understand why people are increasingly turning against comments online.

Because they tell people to take personal responsibility for their own purchasing decisions?

Honestly, I hope that simplygames are f**ked both ways though. Let them lose customers AND have a heavy fine slapped on their heads for price gouging. Screw profiteering rip-off merchants.

 

[Zeterai]

I don't.. did nobody else notice the really shady thing they're doing?

They aren't getting less PS4s than they were expecting. They pulled PS4s out of their own stock, added them into third party packages and bundles, and are telling the people who pre-ordered that they're not getting enough PS4s. Because THEY allocated them to different uses. They made their own shortage, and are charging people for it.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

I just read this comment:

I don't care. Cancel your order and be done with it.

I am starting to understand why people are increasingly turning against comments online.

And where exactly did you find this particular gem? Was this from some random Joe or from a SG staff member?

 

[Starke]

Wait, so they're telling people who've already pre-ordered the product to give them more money?

Yeah? thats clearly illegal. Someone call the police.

The police would point you to the court, the court would point you to congress, and congress would slap SG on the back and wipe away a single tear of pride as they say "They grow up so fast"

EDIT: The real problem here is this; most customers are probably gonna go along with it out of sheer apathy.

You forget, this is going on in the UK, not the US.

 

[Strazdas]

Since when does the American Congress run a videogame retailer?

consdierign they are on forced holiday now they may as well earn money somehow, right?

I know that doesn't fly in Canada. You advertise one price, you sell it for that price or less. Companies try to get around that by including bullshit fees.

I heard the biggest problem in there is that the prices in stores are shown as pre-tax and thus person has to personalyl calculate all the taxes to know its actual price. this sounds complletely dridiculous to me coming from a country where the price show is the price you pay everywhere.