Sony caused “unnecessary disappointment”
Still sore about that “competition” where you could “win” the chance to buy a 20th Anniversary Edition with Sony and GAME last year?
You’re not the only one.
You may recall that the competition – initially designed to reward loyal fans – became something of a hot mess when some people began cheating the system (possibly because several systems ended up on eBay at gobsmackingly inflated prices).
According to Eurogamer, six people contacted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), complaining that the competition had been unfair, not least because the winners were never disclosed, a breach of the competition’s own terms and conditions.
Though GAME – a partner in the competition – told the ASA that it had disqualified those it had confirmed or suspected of unfair practice, it admitted that “the unexpectedly high volume of entries” meant that five people had managed to purchase two consoles during the competition.
“Neither Sony nor GAME could tell whether consumers had accessed the link after having solved the clue, or having been sent the link,” concluded the ASA. “We considered that meant entrants who had attempted to enter by solving the clue were likely to have been disadvantaged and therefore unnecessarily disappointed”.
“Because, for the reasons given, the promotion had caused unnecessary disappointment, we concluded that it had not been administered fairly, and therefore that it had breached the Code.”
“We told Sony Computer Entertainment UK Ltd and GAME Retail Ltd to ensure that future promotions were administered fairly and avoided causing unnecessary disappointment to participants.”
The punishment? Er, told not to do it again, I think.
Sony’s knuckles rapped over PS4 20th Anniversary Edition competition [Eurogamer]
