Sony Agrees to Pay PS4 Auction Donation After High Bidder Runs

StewShearerOld

Geekdad News Writer
Jan 5, 2013
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Sony Agrees to Pay PS4 Auction Donation After High Bidder Runs

The winner of $129,000 PS4 Anniversary auction has abandoned their high bid.

Late last month, roughly $129,000.

Unfortunately, Sony revealed today that the auction's high bidder, when called upon to pay up, apparently cut and run from their self-inflicted bill. That being the case, the company has announced that it won't be the doing the same. While it understandably intends to delay the sale of the 20th Anniversary console, SCE has affirmed that it will hold up its end of the bargain and give the promised donation to the Japanese branch of Save the Children. Added to that money will be an extra 23,120 yen raised via Sony's "PlayStation Love Tweet" drive which added 20 Yen to a charity pot every time someone Tweeted to the campaign. 1,156 Tweets were received in total.

If we're being honest, it's not really all that surprising that Sony would still donate the money even with the high bidder backing out. When you're a multi-billion dollar corporation, it makes much more sense to just write a $129,000 check rather than face the reams of bad press that would come from refusing to give money to an organization like Save the Kids on account of a technicality. Regardless, charity is always good and we think it's still fair to give Sony a bit of kudos for doing the right thing when the situation offered a conceivable out.

Source: Dual Shockers


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Demagogue

Sperm Alien
Mar 26, 2009
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Agreed, a PR save is a PR save, but it doesn't change the fact that it was a good thing to do. They might have their flaws, but when Sony or any company does something good, it is important to highlight that too. The world isn't always full of gloom and doom.
 

EndlessSporadic

New member
May 20, 2009
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My policy with auctions - if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Idiots inflate bidding prices all the time and never pay up. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to auction electronics only to have the highest bidder refuse to pay or attempt to scam me.

At least Sony took the good PR move here.
 

ryukage_sama

New member
Mar 12, 2009
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Maybe Sony can get Norse Corp. to track down the high bidder, unless of course they figure out that the whole story is a setup by Sony to make themselves look better.
 

Braedan

New member
Sep 14, 2010
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It's all a conspiracy! Sony paid a guy to post a bid, and then run away so they could soak up good PR! Obama is behind all of it!
 

J Tyran

New member
Dec 15, 2011
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Braedan said:
It's all a conspiracy! Sony paid a guy to post a bid, and then run away so they could soak up good PR! Obama is behind all of it!
Thanks Obama!

Seriously though its a good move from Sony, the SCE division is doing well at the moment anyway and good press is good press. Even with that slightly cynical attitude the charity gets the money and can put it to good use which is the most important thing anyway, whether they did it out of generosity or for pragmatic purposes is irrelevant as the charity benefits whatever the reason for the donation.
 

llubtoille

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Apr 12, 2010
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Would have thought it would just go to the 2nd highest bidder, perhaps with Sony donating the difference. Depends how they did the auction I suppose.
 

Daaaah Whoosh

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Jun 23, 2010
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Wait, so you can just bid for things and not actually pay up? How is that possible? Why aren't people going on ebay and bidding a million dollars for everything? There's got to be some sort of legal action that can take place.
 

Gennadios

New member
Aug 19, 2009
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I just don't see consoles in this day and age being collectibles. NESses can stay functional for decades, more advanced consoles just ended up with more parts that can brake.

These things are PCs now, companies need to drop pretenses of them being collectibles. I give #00001 10 years at best, not worth $130k.
 

Lightspeaker

New member
Dec 31, 2011
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Daaaah Whoosh said:
Wait, so you can just bid for things and not actually pay up? How is that possible? Why aren't people going on ebay and bidding a million dollars for everything? There's got to be some sort of legal action that can take place.
Pretty sure on ebay you get banned for doing that. Which means you'd have a hell of a time doing it on "everything".


On topic: Good on Sony but I guess its a drop in the ocean for them for some nice PR. Still the right thing to do but I'm surprised it didn't go to the second highest bidder.

Captcha: "Ups a daisy" That is...a remarkably concise summary, captcha.
 

JET1971

New member
Apr 7, 2011
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And it's tax season... So they make a donation for a tax break and it had nothing to do with saving their image.
 

mistwolf

New member
Feb 1, 2008
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Now give them the PS4 too. I'm betting an org like that could find it a loving home. :)
 

Strazdas

Robots will replace your job
May 28, 2011
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Ah, great, lets donate money to scammers that are trying to profit from reselling consoles based on release number.
 

Excludos

New member
Sep 14, 2008
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Daaaah Whoosh said:
Wait, so you can just bid for things and not actually pay up? How is that possible? Why aren't people going on ebay and bidding a million dollars for everything? There's got to be some sort of legal action that can take place.
Of course its not legal. An oral contract is still a binding contract. however they need to find the guy first. This is much easier on ebay where you can't bid without giving them your credit card