Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe (SIE Europe) have been ordered to pay AUD$3.5 million in penalties by Australia's Federal court over false and misleading representation regarding refunds.
SIE Europe will have to pay AUD$3.5 million ($2.4 million) in penalties, it's been ordered by Australia's Federal court. The company made "false and misleading representations on its website and in dealings with Australian consumers about their Australian Consumer Law rights" the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said in a statement.
Sony Europe made misleading representation to four customers who believed they had purchased faulty PlayStation 4 games. Sony's customer service agents told them over the phone that Sony Europe was not required to refund the game if the game is already downloaded or if 14 days had passed since the purchase.
However, ACCC state that consumer guarantee rights do not expire after the game has been download and more importantly, do not disappear after 14 days or any other arbitrary date claimed by a store or game developer.
Sony
Sony breached the Australian Consumer Law by telling one of the four customers they don't have to provide a refund unless the game developer authorised and also by telling another player that Sony Europe can only offer a refund in PlayStation currently, not real money.
What Sony told players was completely false does not reflect the consumer guarantee rights afforded to Australian consumers under the Australian Consumer Law, ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
Sony Europe admitted liability and made joint submissions to the court with the ACCC. Sony will also pay the commission's legal costs.
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