05-11-2018, 11:20 AM
Sony updates warranty terms following FTC warning
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sony-updates-warranty-terms-following-ftc-warning.jpg" width="200" height="200" title="" alt="" /></div><div><p>Sony has updated the terms of warranty for all PlayStation systems sold in the U.S. and Canada today, following a warning issued by the Federal Trade Commission over a 1957 law that governs what companies can and can’t include in their manufacturer warranties.</p>
<p>If this sounds familiar, Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/316485/FTC_warns_that_yes_those_warrantyvoiding_stickers_on_consoles_are_illegal.php">were three of the six companies</a> to receive warning letters last month indicating a 30 day turnaround to remove language that implicitly states or implies “warranty coverage is conditioned on the use of specific parts of services.” </p>
<p>The “warranty void if removed” label on all their products, according to the FTC, violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act which gives consumers the right to use non-first-party parts in repairs. <a href="https://support.us.playstation.com/articles/en_US/KC_Article/Warranty-Updates-for-U-S-and-Canada-PlayStation-Systems">To reflect this, Sony changed </a>the language used to describe its terms of warranty.</p>
<p>“Our previous warranties stated that the warranty does not apply if the warranty seal on the product has been altered or removed,” reads the other major change. “Our updated warranty states that the warranty does not apply ‘to damage caused by’ opening the product or to damage caused by service performed by someone other than a representative of SIE or an SIE-authorized service provider.” </p>
<p>Lastly, Sony has included a clause that guarantees free return shipping for in-warranty consoles, as well as repaired and factory-recertified consoles in the U.S. and Canada. This applies to all products Sony supports, including the PS4, PS3, PS Vita, and PSVR. The updated warranty also covers products bought before this change.</p>
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<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="http://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sony-updates-warranty-terms-following-ftc-warning.jpg" width="200" height="200" title="" alt="" /></div><div><p>Sony has updated the terms of warranty for all PlayStation systems sold in the U.S. and Canada today, following a warning issued by the Federal Trade Commission over a 1957 law that governs what companies can and can’t include in their manufacturer warranties.</p>
<p>If this sounds familiar, Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/316485/FTC_warns_that_yes_those_warrantyvoiding_stickers_on_consoles_are_illegal.php">were three of the six companies</a> to receive warning letters last month indicating a 30 day turnaround to remove language that implicitly states or implies “warranty coverage is conditioned on the use of specific parts of services.” </p>
<p>The “warranty void if removed” label on all their products, according to the FTC, violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act which gives consumers the right to use non-first-party parts in repairs. <a href="https://support.us.playstation.com/articles/en_US/KC_Article/Warranty-Updates-for-U-S-and-Canada-PlayStation-Systems">To reflect this, Sony changed </a>the language used to describe its terms of warranty.</p>
<p>“Our previous warranties stated that the warranty does not apply if the warranty seal on the product has been altered or removed,” reads the other major change. “Our updated warranty states that the warranty does not apply ‘to damage caused by’ opening the product or to damage caused by service performed by someone other than a representative of SIE or an SIE-authorized service provider.” </p>
<p>Lastly, Sony has included a clause that guarantees free return shipping for in-warranty consoles, as well as repaired and factory-recertified consoles in the U.S. and Canada. This applies to all products Sony supports, including the PS4, PS3, PS Vita, and PSVR. The updated warranty also covers products bought before this change.</p>
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