Support NeoGAF

[jayj]

So almost a week ago tried to get a refund on a digital purchase that was so poorly described it led me to believe it had content it didn't have. Everyone else shows you what is included with digital packages, Nintendo, Xbox, Steam, ect, you can always see exactly what is included with the bundle, but not on Playstation, you have to rely entirely upon the description. Anyways, after waiting over a half hour to chat with some customer service agent to request my refund, after I already had to wait until business hours to even attempt to chat with them, they told me that it would take up to 5 days to process a request for refund and that I would receive an email. Well 6 days later I finally got that email, and here it is:

Hi (my name),

Thank you for contacting PlayStation Support.

As outlined in our PlayStation Store Cancellation Policy, in addition to your rights relating to faulty goods, you can change your mind and cancel your digital content purchase for 14-days after the transaction date so long as it has not been downloaded or consumed.

After investigating your request, we have identified that the content you have requested a refund for does not qualify under our Cancellation Policy, either because it was purchased more than 14 days ago or because it has been downloaded or consumed within 14 days from purchase. Therefore, we are unable to offer you a refund for this purchase.

I understand this is not the outcome you were hoping for, however you can read more about our Cancellation Policy here: https://www.playstation.com/legal/playstation-store-cancellation-policy

Please reference your case # ******* if you need to contact us about this again.

Thanks,
The PlayStation Support Team

Now keep in mind how it A: hasn't been over 14 days, I sent the request the same day I bought it, and B: I haven't even downloaded the content or the game that I got it for, with absolutely no playtime, trophies, or anything. So they blatantly lie to me about why they're denying me a refund, and just send me a canned response that honestly feels like a slap in the face and an insult to my intelligence. Yeah, I might be able to escalate this further, but honestly, I am treating this as a lesson on how Sony apparently has the worst customer service in the business, and why I should just generally avoid doing further business with them whenever possible. Thought I should at least share this experience so others can see how they treat their customers, and this is only the second time I have ever requested a refund for a game despite having bought digital content from them since the PS3 era.

 

[Loomy]

I haven't even downloaded the content or the game that I got it for, with absolutely no playtime, trophies, or anything

How do you know it didn't contain what you expected if the description didn't mention it and you didn't play it to find out it didn't contain the things you expected?

Also, what did you download, what did you expect and what was the reality?

We can't do anything about Sony's refund policy but we can at least talk about your actions/expectations.

 

[Punished Miku]

I endured a week of hell over something trivial 10 years ago and never got it resolved. Just a disaster speaking to anyone at Sony. A week. Multiple calls. This is completely unheard of. F.

Nintendo I had an issue with my debit card this year. The customer service rep was phenomenal and intelligent. He explored 4 different potential causes and wouldnt let it go until it was fixed. Still no refunds. C+

Xbox I get multiple refunds a year within 10 min. Havent had to talk to them about anything else yet. B+

 

[MirageMew2]

I quite literally got myself banned on PSN for a week after dealing with customer support, admittedly a bit short tempered (after their equally shit solution mind you). I don’t remember the specifics but my second ticket after the ban I was refunded for the original complaint lol

Decided never to bother with PlayStation support again

 

[reinking]

I have not really returned anything to any of the console online stores. I do remember having an issue with Xbox years ago where they took my credit card info from the Microsoft store and updated my Xbox account with it and charged me for Xbox Live without my permission. I was not able to get a refund for that but I was able to have them remove the CC info. I have returned things to Steam. Easy peasy. I have never had a return refused from them.

 

[bender]

They are easily the worst. Short of pre-orders, and even those are a hassle to cancel, be sure you want what you are purchasing. I'm curious what the OP purchased and why it was confusing.

 

[BiohazardX95]

they refunded me a game once instantly, they said I downloaded it (which I didn't) and it was a one time exception.

 

[KimDongHwan]

OP I agree completely, that part of trying to understand what a game is or includes based on the description is still there, is up to the publisher on how they describe it or if they want to describe it at all.

I remember having one of those battles with them, it was like the only time since PS1 I ever had to contact them and it was also super bad experience, even though I was refunded they try to play it as a one time favor they were doing when I kept explaining it was an issue on their side and that I could prove with screenshots (which I couldn't upload to the website )

 

[bender]

OP I agree completely, that part of trying to understand what a game is or includes based on the description is still there, is up to the publisher on how they describe it or if they want to describe it at all.

I remember having one of those battles with them, it was like the only time since PS1 I ever had to contact them and it was also super bad experience, even though I was refunded they try to play it as a one time favor they were doing when I kept explaining it was an issue on their side and that I could prove with screenshots (which I couldn't upload to the website )

Sadly you'll not be able to get a refund in the future as that one-time exception is a scarlet letter on your account.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Just imagine if Sony owned a brick and mortar store. One of those stores where you might get a refund if you hassle the store manager long enough, but the standard policy is: No refunds. All sales final.

 

[jayj]

How do you know it didn't contain what you expected if the description didn't mention it and you didn't play it to find out it didn't contain the things you expected?

Also, what did you download, what did you expect and what was the reality?

We can't do anything about Sony's refund policy but we can at least talk about your actions/expectations.

A bundle under the same name for the same game is available on Steam and despite that the content I got off the Playstation Store was only half of what you get on Steam. The description just vaguely described how you would be getting all the DLC, even though it only included a couple of items.

All of this could be avoided if Sony did what everyone else can apparently do and simply show you what is included with bundles, or have customer service that doesn't make you wait almost a week just to lie to your face and screw you over.

 

[bender]

A bundle under the same name for the same game is available on Steam and despite that the content I got off the Playstation Store was only half of what you get on Steam. The description just vaguely described how you would be getting all the DLC, even though it only included a couple of items.

All of this could be avoided if Sony did what everyone else can apparently do and simply show you what is included with bundles, or have customer service that doesn't make you wait almost a week just to lie to your face and screw you over.

What was the DLC?

 

[Loomy]

A bundle under the same name for the same game is available on Steam and despite that the content I got off the Playstation Store was only half of what you get on Steam. The description just vaguely described how you would be getting all the DLC, even though it only included a couple of items.

All of this could be avoided if Sony did what everyone else can apparently do and simply show you what is included with bundles, or have customer service that doesn't make you wait almost a week just to lie to your face and screw you over.

Which DLC, specifically?

 

[Topher]

What was the DLC?

Which DLC, specifically?

I asked the same question the last time he made a thread about this. No answer.

Hmm, what DLC bundle is it?

 

[TGO]

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

Xbox I get multiple refunds a year within 10 min. Havent had to talk to them about anything else yet. B+

You don't actually have to talk to them at all, there's is a dedicated/automated refund page:

Xbox Support

support.xbox.com

 

[DrumNBassDanTTV]

they refunded me a game once instantly, they said I downloaded it (which I didn't) and it was a one time exception.

You are lucky, they are known for not refunding any games/dlc

 

[cash_longfellow]

How many of these threads are you going to rock out OP? Come on now

 

[Topher]

You don't actually have to talk to them at all, there's is a dedicated/automated refund page:

Xbox Support

support.xbox.com

Shouldn't have to talk to anyone. If the requirements are met then it should be automatic.

 

[StereoVsn]

Yeah, Sony’s customer service is by far the worst. I make damn sure I know what I am getting and am careful about PSN purchases. They just suck.

Nintendo is better, but still good luck with refunds.

EA is mediocre but better then Sony or Nintendo.

MS and Steam are pretty good on the other hand. Haven’t had an issue with these two after they put in automated refunds.

 

[TGO]

It's the same dude

 

[adamsapple]

You don't actually have to talk to them at all, there's is a dedicated/automated refund page:

Xbox Support

support.xbox.com

The thing I like about this approach is that on the page you can see an itemized list of all your recent purchases and which ones are eligible for blanket refund or which one require conditional approval, usually things which are 14 days or more older.

 

[ReBurn]

You don't actually have to talk to them at all, there's is a dedicated/automated refund page:

Xbox Support

support.xbox.com

I used that back in December when I forgot to check my cart before paying for it and accidentally bought something I didn't realize was in there. The refund was issued instantly. It was pretty nice.

 

[graywolf323]

I asked the same question the last time he made a thread about this. No answer.

I wonder why they didn’t just bump their original thread…

 

[Three]

It's the same dude

yeah, I'm not sure why he didn't just post the update in the same thread:

It's amazing how bad Sony is when it comes to PS Store refunds

When I want to do a return on Steam, I just send them a message, and so long as it hasn't been over two weeks or played for two or more hours it gets refunded. When I want a game refunded on Xbox, I just send a request, only takes me a minute, and the game gets returned under similar...

www.neogaf.com

Not sure what just paraphrasing the title and posting the exact same subject/topic with an update achieves but yes they suck with refunds

 

[cash_longfellow]

Seriously, are we really going to act like this poster isn’t a burner account?

 

[Topher]

I wonder why they didn’t just bump their original thread…

Or why the OP won't tell anyone what DLC it is. Keep someone from potentially making the same mistake.

 

[FoxMcChief]

That sucks. I can’t say I’ve ever had a bad experience with them. Then again, I don’t think I’ve had a bad experience with any of the console tech support.

 

[cash_longfellow]

Or why the OP won't tell anyone what DLC it is. Keep someone from potentially making the same mistake.

I truly have no idea how OP has dodged ban hammer right now. Pretty impressive if anything lol

 

[ReBurn]

Seriously, are we really going to act like this poster isn’t a burner account?

I'm gonna pretend he's a secret agent. That more interesting.

 

[bender]

 

[cash_longfellow]

I'm gonna pretend he's a secret agent. That more interesting.

 

[demigod]

So instead of bumping your old thread, you made a new one and still refusing to tell us what you bought. Yeah, I’m sure everyone in this thread has sympathy for you.

 

[Punished Miku]

A bundle under the same name for the same game is available on Steam and despite that the content I got off the Playstation Store was only half of what you get on Steam. The description just vaguely described how you would be getting all the DLC, even though it only included a couple of items.

All of this could be avoided if Sony did what everyone else can apparently do and simply show you what is included with bundles, or have customer service that doesn't make you wait almost a week just to lie to your face and screw you over.

Modern store listings are a little confusing. Not to just always say "Xbox" but they do have something on every bundle. Scroll down twice and each item in the bundle is listed separately and it shows if you own any item in the bundle individually. I frequently have to check this on Xbox store for any bundles because I forget if I own something sometimes.

 

[LectureMaster]

Sorry to spew out the f words but they are so fucking awful.

I bought the Uncharted Legacy collection PS5 disc upgrade at launch but didn't feel like playing it until recently. Only to found some how my license was lost when I inserted my UC4 disc it asked me again to purchase the upgrade.

I contacted the customer services and showed my original purchase receipt and order number, thinking this would be an easy fix. Holy crap, they magically made this such a sickening experience .They were literally copy pasting some online instructions, asking me to rebuild my database, reset the console, and even ask me to completely initialize my console, erasing 4 TB of data. I said they were bonkers if they think I'm gonna erase all data just for a 10 dollars upgrade.

At last, they said okay we will escalate your case to our engineers and here is the ref number.

It's been 20 days I have heard a single shit.
PS has been my main platform for past ten years, accumulated a 900+ library but this moment it just feels so repugnant.

Prolly gonna switch to Steam at some point.

 

[gothmog]

I too had a bad experience with a game on Sony platform.

 

[Topher]

Thread title change: Sony Bad Experience Support Group [OT]

 

[Punished Miku]

I too had a bad experience with a game on Sony platform.

That can't be possible.

 

[Shake Your Rump]

Did OP buy some furry hentai DLC or something? Why does he repeatedly refuse to specify what he bought?

I got my “one time Sony refund” back in 2016. So, now I just don’t buy digital PSN stuff unless I am 100% sure I don’t mind potentially losing my money on it.

 

[Codes 208]

Yup, a couple weeks ago i was using my ps5 controller on my pc but it was still somehow linked to my ps5 and I accidentally bought the anniversary edition of skyrim (since i was in the opening menu for whatever reason)

Didnt even try to fight it. Ive fought with sony before and this woudlve been a painful indever for a $20 refund. At that point i was just like fuck it, live and learn.

 

[lh032]

as a hardcore PS fan, yea i do agree their customer service suckass.

i dont think their CS exist in south asia

 

[Justin9mm]

I've been complaining for years about PlayStation's consumer policies, no one gives a shit until something affects or happens to them. Their refund policy is fucking stupid and the fact that they don't have any other system other than physically contacting customer service the old school way is fucking ridiculous. This is why I'm against digital only. If prices were more competitive, they actually had better practices like Steam when it comes to digital content then maybe people would be a little bit more accepting. But no, they want to squeeze every dollar they can out of you, leave you with no choices, it's the very definition of anti-consumer. Here in Australia the difference between a physical new release and digital new release can be $30-$50. It's fucking mental.

 

[FrankWza]

despite having bought digital content from them since the PS3 era.

OP hates arrogant Sony

 

[AGRacing]

I dealt with Sony, Microsoft and Epic once each inside the last 2 years.

Sony for a software refund they did eventually complete after I won a totally unnecessary and pointless argument. (Its bad when you still have a bad taste in your mouth after they did what you asked… that is what we call an unforced error). 2 stars.

Microsoft for a Series S warranty repair for my son. They replaced his console inside of a week with a brand new one at no cost to me and apologized. 5 stars.

Epic.. refunding a purchase Avatar after I got it free with some AMD hardware purchase. I was completely honest with them. They reviewed and processed the refund request almost IMMEDIATELY and fucking congratulated me on getting the game for free. 5 stars + 1 bonus for being fuckin’ delightful.

 

[*Nightwing]

 

[demigod]

Yup, a couple weeks ago i was using my ps5 controller on my pc but it was still somehow linked to my ps5 and I accidentally bought the anniversary edition of skyrim (since i was in the opening menu for whatever reason)

Didnt even try to fight it. Ive fought with sony before and this woudlve been a painful indever for a $20 refund. At that point i was just like fuck it, live and learn.

How did you let that happen? I have to enter a password to buy.

 

[mitch1971]

This is sony in a nut shell.

Recieved a spam message about buying dodgy ps cards from a specific url.

Reported to Sony as per their instructions. Replied, thanks for highlighting the account, we will investigate.

Recieved a message a few days later. Same message, different user name.

Reported to Sony. Replied, Repeat reports can get your account temporarily banned.

Fuck you Sony.

 

[demigod]

I've been complaining for years about PlayStation's consumer policies, no one gives a shit until something affects or happens to them. Their refund policy is fucking stupid and the fact that they don't have any other system other than physically contacting customer service the old school way is fucking ridiculous. This is why I'm against digital only. If prices were more competitive, they actually had better practices like Steam when it comes to digital content then maybe people would be a little bit more accepting. But no, they want to squeeze every dollar they can out of you, leave you with no choices, it's the very definition of anti-consumer. Here in Australia the difference between a physical new release and digital new release can be $30-$50. It's fucking mental.

Yeah, their store and policies are ran by cavemen. Like seriously, even a monkey can do better. They need to fire the people in charge. I’m surprised we don’t hear much complaints from folks living in the EU about this. How fast do they refund y’all?

 

[StreetsofBeige]

So almost a week ago tried to get a refund on a digital purchase that was so poorly described it led me to believe it had content it didn't have. Everyone else shows you what is included with digital packages, Nintendo, Xbox, Steam, ect, you can always see exactly what is included with the bundle, but not on Playstation, you have to rely entirely upon the description. Anyways, after waiting over a half hour to chat with some customer service agent to request my refund, after I already had to wait until business hours to even attempt to chat with them, they told me that it would take up to 5 days to process a request for refund and that I would receive an email. Well 6 days later I finally got that email, and here it is:

Hi (my name),

Thank you for contacting PlayStation Support.

As outlined in our PlayStation Store Cancellation Policy, in addition to your rights relating to faulty goods, you can change your mind and cancel your digital content purchase for 14-days after the transaction date so long as it has not been downloaded or consumed.

After investigating your request, we have identified that the content you have requested a refund for does not qualify under our Cancellation Policy, either because it was purchased more than 14 days ago or because it has been downloaded or consumed within 14 days from purchase. Therefore, we are unable to offer you a refund for this purchase.

I understand this is not the outcome you were hoping for, however you can read more about our Cancellation Policy here: https://www.playstation.com/legal/playstation-store-cancellation-policy

Please reference your case # ******* if you need to contact us about this again.

Thanks,
The PlayStation Support Team

Now keep in mind how it A: hasn't been over 14 days, I sent the request the same day I bought it, and B: I haven't even downloaded the content or the game that I got it for, with absolutely no playtime, trophies, or anything. So they blatantly lie to me about why they're denying me a refund, and just send me a canned response that honestly feels like a slap in the face and an insult to my intelligence. Yeah, I might be able to escalate this further, but honestly, I am treating this as a lesson on how Sony apparently has the worst customer service in the business, and why I should just generally avoid doing further business with them whenever possible. Thought I should at least share this experience so others can see how they treat their customers, and this is only the second time I have ever requested a refund for a game despite having bought digital content from them since the PS3 era.

I find it amazing that any company selling digital downloads would even have draconian polices. As crazy as it seems, Steam probably has the best policies despite Gabe controlling most of PC gaming. You'd think he'd put a greedy hammer down at some point and clamp down on refunds. But isnt their policy something like you can refund it within 2 hours of gaming? Digitally refunding a customer (for a good reason, not a gamer trying to scam) is a million times easier and less costly for the company.

During Xmas, I refunded a gift one of my nieces didn't want (shoes too small). So literally on Dec 27th I printed off a return slip, slapped it back on the original shipper box in came it and dropped it off at a Purolater spot two blocks away with free prepaid label. Their stated policy says be patient and wait for 14 days for it to process and get a refund. I got the refund back on my credit card on Jan 8. despite it being post Xmas rush, New Years Holiday was in there too, and everything was done in 12 days.

Costco is the pinnacle of customer service. Years ago, I bought my bro Hockey Hall of Fame tix. He and his fam didn't get around to using them and then Covid happened. The Hall of Fame reopened in the summer 2020 but they gimped it by shutting down any activities involving humans cross contaminating things like the goalie and shootout kiosks. Since the attraction was gimped and his fam wasnt feeling like doing shit that might spread covid I told him give them back to me and i'll see if Costco will take them back. I know Costco is great with returns, but I've never returned tickets. I called them up and asked for refund. Guy says let me check, puts me on hold for a couple minutes, comes back and say youre good to go. Refund accepted. I think what the they do is a background systems check to see if the tickets have been used. I refunded the tix like a year after I bought them for him.

 

[Antwix]

Why won't OP tell what game bundle it was? Yeah Sony's cs is awful. Pretty much known at this point. But either OP has a weird hobby of hating on Sony cs or he bought some gay embarrassing weeb shit.