Americans who bought the PS Vita prior to June 1st, 2012, will be getting a refund from Sony due to misleading advertisement stating that the unit would "revolutionize gaming mobility" and a lot of other claims that turned out to be untrue.
Sony Computer Entertainment America has therefore settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and qualifying customers will have their choice between a $25 cash/credit refund or a $50 voucher for games and services.
FTC writes:
"Sony claimed, for example, that PS Vita users could pause any PS3 game at any time and continue to play the game on their PS Vita from where they left off. This feature, however, was only available for a few PS3 games, and the pause-and-save capability described in the ads varied significantly from game to game...."
There is also a 3G version of PS Vita and that didn't live up to the promises either, and FTC says:
"Sony's PS Vita ads falsely implied that consumers who owned the 3G version of the device (which cost an extra $50 plus monthly fees) could engage in live, multi-player gaming through a 3G network. In fact, consumers could not engage in live, multiplayer gaming.... In reality, most PS3 games were not remote playable on the PS Vita."
If something similar will happen i Europe remains to be seen, but no one has tested the claims against consumer protection laws over here. But after this, there might be an interest to try it out. The Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, Jessica Rich, ends by saying:
"As we enter the year's biggest shopping period, companies need to be reminded that if they make product promises to consumers - as Sony did with the 'game changing' features of its PS Vita - they must deliver on those pledges.
The FTC will not hesitate to act on behalf of consumers when companies or advertisers make false product claims."
Thanks, MCV.