Ok, long post coming up. Sorry.
I spoke with U.S. Sony support tonight. Here is a rundown of what happened:
7:33PM: Telephoned 800-345-SONY (
http://us.playstation.com/corporate/contactus/). I believe I used the menu tree to get to the "redownload" or "activation issues" area. It tells you to dial 0 to speak with someone. I did this.
7:38PM: I get Person 1 on the line. I am very clear about my question: "If I have a PS+ subscription and I download a free game while the subscription is active and then let my subscription lapse, does that free game become available again if I then renew my subscription at a later date?" He tells me he believes that is the case, but will check with someone to be sure.
7:40PM: Person 1 comes back on the line and he tells me that he's been told "If you renew within 30 days, you will still have access to those games." I explain that this is contrary to the plain meaning of Sony's posts on its blog and official support documents in other regions (mentioned HK). He says the blog is unofficial. I counter that, regardless, Sony employees appear to have misrepresented the terms of the service. Person 1 offers to check with a supervisor. I speak to him last at 7:45PM.
7:50PM: Person 1 has passed me off to Person 2, a supervisor. I explain my question carefully again, citing again the statements on the PS Blog. She says that she believes that all games will reactivate when the subscription is renewed, even if it has lapsed for any period of time. However, she offers to check into it for me, and I agree to go on hold again.
7:55PM: Person 2 comes on and reads me what she says is some internal documentation. I believe the clause she read me sounds very similar to parts of this:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/09/10/playstation-plus-faq/
Regardless, it appears to confirm that
everything should reactivate when a subscription is renewed, even if it has lapsed. She also says
that the documentation makes no mention of a period of time between the end of the original subscription period and the renewal.
She tells me I can find this if I just go to us.playstation.com and search for PlayStation Plus. I say that I cannot find this, could she please tell me where, so I have it for my own records.
8:00PM: Person 2 tells me she's going to put me on hold and search for the documentation on the pubilc PS site.
8:04PM: Person 2 comes back to tell me she's still looking, but can't find it anywhere. She offers to put me on hold some more, and I agree.
8:15PM: Person 2 comes back and says she only found the part of the Terms of Service (for PSN generally, I believe) that refers to subscriptions. It does not, she confirms, describe the terms for PS+.
She offers to get a specialist on the line to speak with me. I agree and go on hold one more time.
8:30PM: Person 2 is back and can't get a specialist. She does say that they will get back to me in 1-2 business days (Thursday or Friday, hopefully) and takes my phone number (cell), email address, and PSN ID. I also get a reference number for my case, which she says will have attached to it electronic copies of all her notes from the phone call tonight.
We discuss that I should call back on Monday, at the latest, if I haven't heard from anyone. I am to use my reference number as a means to get someone on the case directly.
8:35PM: I thank Person 2 and hang up.
------------------
Ok, so Sony U.S. appears to believe precisely what they've been saying publicly. That is, the policy is that free games renew when you renew your subscription.
What now?
.
