Sony screws Indian customer out of warranty on new PS5 because they bought it wrong

PS5 Warranty Dispute in India

Louis Rossmann discusses an Indian customer whose new PS5 was refused warranty coverage by Sony because it was sold by a retailer Sony did not consider authorized.

The customer reportedly paid ₹70,000—slightly more than the ₹69,990 price listed by authorized sellers—for a sealed, India-market PS5 Slim. The box included a Sony warranty card with a serial number matching the console, along with a tax invoice. Instamojo, the marketplace involved, refunded the customer in full.

Sony’s Warranty Terms

Rossmann argues that Sony’s warranty information is inconsistent and difficult to find. The PlayStation India warranty page he cites requires the console to be new and intended for the Indian market, and asks for a receipt showing the purchase date and retailer’s name. It does not explicitly state that the seller must be authorized.

By contrast, a Sony India page says warranty coverage applies only to purchases from authorized dealers. Rossmann says buyers may be unlikely to find that restriction before purchasing, because it appears on a separate dealer-information page rather than alongside the main warranty terms.

Sony reportedly told News 18 that the seller, PYD Retail Pvt. Ltd., was not authorized, so the console could not be registered and warranty service would not be available.

Rossmann’s Analysis

Rossmann says the buyer had little reason to suspect a problem: the console was sealed, priced at or above the official price, and supplied with matching warranty documentation. He places responsibility on Sony to make its warranty terms clear, rather than on the marketplace, which refunded the purchase.

Rossmann also cites Indian consumer-commission cases involving Samsung phones and Sony televisions. He notes that the outcomes differ, but argues that these cases and India’s Consumer Protection Act may support the view that consumers should not be disadvantaged by unclear or inconsistently presented warranty conditions. He presents this as his analysis, not as a ruling on the PS5 dispute.

Presenter: Louis Rossmann