The process should be simple. You bought the game, there are no game-breaking bugs, everything is fine system-wise, but it just didn't click for you. Moreover, it hasn't even been two hours since you clicked download. By all accounts, you should have all consumer rights, especially since it's a digital product. But to make our lives harder, Sony does not allow any refunds, let alone one under two hours of play.
Exceptions that prove the rule
However, there have been situations when Sony itself said here’s your money back. In both cases, the culprit was actually the developer. The infamous Concord and Cyberpunk 2077, which was unplayable in its original release. In both cases, Sony, in collaboration with the developers, allowed everyone to get their money back. Of course, we won't rely on a game being a total disaster or unplayable to ask for our money back! What if you bought something, didn't even download it, and then changed your mind in just a few minutes? In that case, you have the right to a refund, but if you clicked download, forget it.
Trial as a luxury, and is the grass greener on the other side
The generous Sony has decided to “allow” us a trial, but it’s hidden in the most expensive tier of the PlayStation Plus subscription, because why wouldn't it be? However, it’s important to emphasize that this only applies to some games. If the situation were, for example; You bought the most expensive tier we offer? You can try all our games (or a large majority)! Things would be much, much better, but reality is not like that.
How does the competition view this? The PC gaming world more or less functions digitally, but through Steam, the most popular platform, you have the right to a full refund if you play the game for under two hours. While browsing the forum, I came across examples where some received their money back even after playing over those two hours. In my opinion, that’s completely fair and correct; if they are strict about the minutes you spent in this new digital world, you have more than enough time to try it out and potentially say This is not for me. The main competitor, Microsoft’s Xbox, offers more or less the same principle. The Japanese giant Nintendo has managed to be even stricter than Sony; they have an unwritten policy that they can grant you a refund once in a lifetime if you are persistent enough.
Legal "loophole" or how to lose your rights
What does the law or EU say about all this? Sony has found that classic anti-consumer loophole. According to European regulations, you have the right to withdraw from an online purchase within 14 days. However, there is a catch: that right ceases the moment the 'execution of digital content' begins. Sony maximizes this because the moment you click download, you have legally signed that you waive your right to a refund. While Steam interprets those same laws in favor of players (acknowledging that two hours of gameplay is not 'full consumption'), Sony uses them as a wall you cannot jump over. The law is there, but it is written in a way that allows corporations to sell you a pig in a poke, as long as you start pulling it out of the bag.
The death of physical copies and life on a license
We are also witnessing the death of physical copies right before our eyes. We are rapidly moving towards a world where such types of purchases are taken away from us and we are pushed towards digital copies (which in some situations we do not actually own but have a license for!?).
PlayStation started selling only the digital version in the fifth generation of its console, and then if you still decide on a disc, you can pay extra for it. What when they say on the sixth Well, you know, disc? What is that?
Video games are getting more expensive, time is getting shorter, so I have also done a good part of my collection like this; bought the physical version, completed the game, and sold it on Njuškalo, and so on.
In summary? Sony does this because it can. Regulation, reading the law, and this allows it, technically they are not committing any crime, they are not forcing anyone to buy something they do not want. They have every right to enforce their rules in the way they want (and that the law allows). Our consumer right is to choose how to spend our money, and if someone offers us better protection for the purchased product, we should consider where we will spend it. No one knows what the future holds, but if this continues, I will not be pleased with how that future will look.
*The views expressed in columns and comments are personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial team of Virus.hr portal
