Retailer Sends Free PlayStation Vita Units, Then Threatens Legal Action

Christmas came early for quite a few people in the UK who had ordered a £19.99 of PlayStation Vita game Tearaway from online retailer Zavvi. The retailer mistakenly shipping the Tearaway plus PlayStation Vita bundle to a few customers who effectively ended up with a free handheld gaming console. When a retailer messes up in such a way, in which customers aren’t responsible at all, one might expect that the retailer will honor the mishap and bite the bullet. Zavvi seems to have an entirely different idea, after notifying users that it had mistakenly sent the units and asking for them to be returned, it sent a “final notice’ threatening legal action against customers who didn’t send their units back.

Zavvi’s notice gave customers until 5 p.m. UK time today to contact them and arrange for the mistakenly shipped units to be picked up. Those who fail to do so are told that the reserves “the right to enforce any and/pr all legal remedies available to us.” What Consumer, a consumer advice website, says that as per the Distance Selling Regulations, those who have received unsolicited goods “are entitled to treat them as an unconditional gift,” and are free to do with them as they choose. What do you think, should the retailer just accept the loss and not threaten customers with legal action? After all, the customers weren’t involved in the PS Vita units being mistakenly shipped from its warehouse. [Image via Eurogamer]

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Gaming
Tags: playstation vita, PS Vita