SONY PS2 issue.

[ZapZilla]

<posted in software, no responce yet, and I'm impatent just now.>

I bought my son a PS2 for his 16th b-day on the 10th, and just today he dropped and badly scratched a game DVD disk.

I am a PC gamer and know little about the game console universe, but I have damaged PC game CDs before and have always been able to send in the original game CD and get it replaced/exchanged for a nominal fee of $10 or so.

I thought that SONY would have a similar policy for returning/exchanging a PS2 DVD game disk, but NO.

My son called PS2 tech support at 1-800-345-SONY(7669) and was told by a cust serv rep that they would only replace a disk if was damaged by their PS2 console. I called back and spoke to a supervisor and was told the same thing--No user damaged game disk exchange period!

I asked the supervisor to go to her superiors to confirm the no exchange policy and she said she would email me if there is any change in her understanding of SONY policy.

I have come to AnandTech for my research.

Any one else have this situation?

Do the other game console companys have a similar no exchange policy?

Are DVD disks in general more susceptible to scratch damage than CDs due to the smaller track size on the DVD?

I find it hard to believe that SONY doesn't have a damaged game disk exchange policy.

 

[Locutus of Board]

I dunno

 

[SSP]

I think the policy is fair. If you break it, its your problem. I had no idea I can send damaged cds to companies and have them exchange it for a small fee. Anyway, thats just my opinion.

 

[SuperSix]

I don't see why Sony should have to replace it, he dropped it, he damaged it.
I think you are being unrealistic in your expectations.

 

[Alienwho]

Seems fair to me. It's not like it had a warranty or anything.

 

[lupohki]

Nah, I think they should replace it in goodwill like PC games, but have you pay a small fee to cover the cost. When you pay the $50 or so for a game, you're paying for the content. The physical CD isn't worth anything. But if that's their policy, I guess you have to live with it.

 

[Josh]

It's your fault, why would they replace it? If you smashed the system with a hammer you'd think they replaced it? However -- you could try fibbing (but I don't suggest it).

 

[Noirish]

i agree w/ most responses so far.
if every compan has to be responsible for customers' mistakes, they will be out of business.
you should think about this issue in their perspective.
would you be willing to send out replacements for all similar cases?

could that be applied to consoles as well?
maybe even cars?

they simply don't have to unless it's their mistake, in that case, there will be recalls.

just my 2 cents.
tell your son to be more careful next time.

 

[ZapZilla]

Why then do PC game companies have damaged CD exchange policies?

I don't have a DVD+RW drive, so I can't yet burn a backup DVD copy, like I could for a CD.

Such a policy makes perfect sence to me. I'm not trying to rip 'em off, I send 'em back the original $50 game DVD, and they send me a replacement for an additional$10.

I'm happy, and the company makes a profit, and nobody gets ripped off.

Kids use these game DVDs and paying $50 to replace the game due to a scratched disk is ludicrous, and expecting a kid not to scratch a disk is ludicrous too.

I ask again, are DVD disks more susceptible to scratch damage?

 

[DaLeroy]

Don't see you point actually....You broke it, the company didn't break it and they didn't supply a defective disk. They aren't responsible anymore!

 

[SSP]

I'm happy, and the company makes a profit, and nobody gets ripped off.

They are losing 40 bucks in profit. I think it depends on each company... I mean come on! This is Sony were talking about. They have no good will.

 

[Aenygma]

Sorry you be SOL.. that is their policy, and the other major players are the same.

 

[Cooltech2k]

What I Think is screwed is not so much that they wont replace it, but that if you copy the disk it's illegal...

 

[SuperSix]

<< What I Think is screwed is not so much that they wont replace it, but that if you copy the disk it's illegal... >>



Not if it's for archival purposes.

 

[ZapZilla]

I don't agree with the &quot;they are out $40 in profit&quot; reasoning, as they would have $50 + $10 = $60 and I would have ONE game disk.

Like I said, I know very little about the console game universe, and if I'm SOL, then so be it, but I think that such a policy should exist.

Also, as the value of a DVD game disk is in the &quot;intellectual property&quot; of the disk and not in the disk material, the argument that orangel poses doesn't hold water with me.

 

[SuperSix]

<< I don't agree with the &quot;they are out $40 in profit&quot; reasoning, as they would have $50 + $10 = $60 and I would have ONE game disk.

Like I said, I know very little about the console game universe, and if I'm SOL, then so be it, but I think that such a policy should exist.

Also, as the value of a DVD game disk is in the &quot;intellectual property&quot; of the disk and not in the disk material, the argument that orangel poses doesn't hold water with me. >>



Your argument is failed as well.
You are seeing the value of the DVD as just the materials and a small manufacturing cost. That is a product that required a huge amount of R&amp;D, artwork, merchandising, etc. Not to mention the labor to develop it, and the subsequent department that would need to be set up to handle all the returns because someone was careless with a type of media we all KNOW is fragile.

To sum it up, sh1t happens, sack up and suck it up..

 

[Optimus]

Zap:
Critical to this is the question &quot;What Game?&quot;

Sony makes game consoles and has some owned subsidaries in game companies (989 Studios, for example).

But, for instance, if my copy of Final Fantasy 9 was ruined, its Square I would have to call, not Sony.

Unless its a Sony made/published game (such as Fantavision), then Sony would have no more responsibility to replacce it than Compaq would if you scratched &quot;Deus Ex&quot; which you played on your Compaq PC.

Which game is it? I can look up the maker/publisher for you, although that should be in the manual too.

If it is a Sony published game (Fantavision, Dark Cloud...etc) and Sony won't replace it after customer damage, you could try one of the many &quot;Disc repair kits&quot; on the market - although I can't speak for what kind of sucess you'd have.

Good luck!

 

[FrogDog]

But really they're not loosing any money at all by sending him another CD. He didn't pay $50 for the CD and the time it took for the programmers to get the gameonto the CD, he paid for the time it took for the game to be made. Well, to send him another CD they don't need to make the game again, they just need to put another game onto a CD and send it out (in essence anyways, they will obviously have games on CDs already). However I STILL agree that they shouldn't have to send you another copy if you broke it. Same goes with anything that's not on warenty.

 

[blurredvision]

You guys saying there shouldn't be a replacement program in place aren't clearly thinking this out. I agree with ZapZilla that there should be some kind of policy where you could pay a nominal fee for a replacement disc if yours gets damaged. Sure, it's not the companies fault you scratched the disc, but I look at it as a service that should be bestowed upon the cosumer. It's not like they would be losing money for everyone trying to replace their discs. Of course, they would need to setup a service where either you send the scratched cd back first, or take an approved credit card number for collateral in case you don't send the scratched disc back. No money lost, and I don't think it would expensive to set this up. Mabye just a couple of database tweaks for the support reps would be all that's needed, plus I'm sure they already have some kind of shipping dept in place as well.

 

[SSP]

Think of it this way... If they didnt send that cd to you for 10 bucks, they would make 50 bucks selling it to someone else.

 

[Alienwho]

Don't blank DVD's for DVDRW's cost like $30 a piece. (I know it wouldn't cost them that much but still)

 

[ZapZilla]

I'll suck it up, but I sure don't have to like it.

Even if the exchange cost was higher than $10, say %50 or $25, or even higher, up to full price, it would be better for one in my situation.

Right now I'm unhappy, and have unhappy thoughts toward SONY.

So why do PC game companies have such a policy, while console companies do not?

 

[Optimus]

Frogdog:
If its not a Sony published/developed game, then sending him a new disc would have to involve driving down to EB and buying him one - which would cost money!

Remember, a game developed for Sony's console only means that the developers licensed the game with Sony and put it through Sony's QA. It can be created, published and sold by any number of other companies. In that case, Sony simply doesn't have the game and of course would not replace a 3rd party product.

 

[FrogDog]

<< Think of it this way... If they didnt send that cd to you for 10 bucks, they would make 50 bucks selling it to someone else. >>

But how much would it cost them to put a new game on CD?

Edit:

<< Frogdog:
If its not a Sony published/developed game, then sending him a new disc would have to involve driving down to EB and buying him one - which would cost money!

Remember, a game developed for Sony's console only means that the developers licensed the game with Sony and put it through Sony's QA. It can be created, published and sold by any number of other companies. In that case, Sony simply doesn't have the game and of course would not replace a 3rd party product.
>>

Touche.

 

[SuperSix]

<< But really they're not loosing any money at all by sending him another CD. He didn't pay $50 for the CD and the time it took for the programmers to get the gameonto the CD, he paid for the time it took for the game to be made. Well, to send him another CD they don't need to make the game again, they just need to put another game onto a CD and send it out (in essence anyways, they will obviously have games on CDs already). However I STILL agree that they shouldn't have to send you another copy if you broke it. Same goes with anything that's not on warenty. >>



Yes, they are losing money. They press x amount of said DVD/game, they need to make x amount of profit per DVD/Game pressed. If they give one away for $10.00, and the game sells normally for $50.00, they ARE losing $40.00.

Do you think the raw materials for a Ford Taurus cost $20k?