Sony Fined $2.4 Million for Refusing to Refund Faulty PlayStation Games

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has imposed a fine on Sony Europe, of which Sony Australia is a subsidiary, for false and misleading statements to its consumers. The Federal Court of Australia ordered Sony to pay $2.4 million (AUD $3.5 million) in fines.

The court ruled that Sony Europe misled four consumers who had purchased “low-quality” games on the PlayStation Network. Players were told by Sony’s representatives that they are not entitled to a refund on faulty games if the game was downloaded 14 days after purchase, which is contrary to Australian consumer protection law.

Rod Simms, president of ACCC, stressed that the information provided by the corporation is not true.

“Consumer guarantee rights do not expire after a digital product has been downloaded and certainly do not disappear after 14 days or any other arbitrary date claimed by a game store or developer,” he said. “Consumers who buy digital products online have exactly the same rights as they would if they made the purchase at a physical store.”

Sony Europe will also pay part of the court costs to ACCC.