author: Krzysiek Kalwasinski
Old PS Plus Subscribers Complain on Sony's Policy [UPDATED]
Early subscribers to the new PS Plus don't like Sony's approach to charging for upgrades to the service. Especially those who paid for the subscription in advance.
Source: PlayStation on YouTube.
Update
Sony has spoken out on charging extra when converting a regular PS Plus subscription to Extra or Premium. According to a post on Twitter this was happening due to a technical error. After the issues hs been fixed, the fees for upgrading the service are to take into account the previous discounts.
"Due to a technical error, Asian gamers who previously renewed their PlayStation Plus subscription using discounts were incorrectly billed when upgrading the service. The error has been fixed and those affected will receive a refund. Thank you for your patience."
Not everyone is convinced by Sony's explanation, but it is good to know that in the future there will be no such problems. There is still the issue of users who have paid subscription for many years ahead. As noted by one Twitter user, a better solution would be to shorten the length of the service in exchange for a better version. However, Sony has not yet commented on this issue, so it appears that the need to pay a fee proportional to the remaining time of the active subscription remains valid.
Original message
The new version of the PlayStation Plus subscription is now available in some parts of the world. Promptly, first opinions about it appeared, and unfortunately they are not the best. It appears that users who previously subscribed several years in advance, will have to pay dearly to upgrade to a better version. Unless the rules do not change by the time of release in other countries.
Frustrated Asian gamers
Editors of PushSquare came across the first reports on Reddit, where users using Asian accounts shared their observations. From the information provided, it appears that during the subscription upgrade they were forced to pay a fee proportional to the remaining active subscription time. And that is without being able to choose for what period one wants to upgrade the service.
Going forward, Sony does not honor previous discounts that we may have enjoyed when renewing our subscriptions. When you upgrade to a better version of the subscription, an amount is added to your billing to make up the difference resulting from the use of discounted prices. All those who once wanted to save a lot of money, may bitterly regret it now.
Changes are needed
Similar information can be found in the FAQ section, even on the official website. Under the question "How do I upgrade my PlayStation Plus subscription to PlayStation Plus Extra or PlayStation Plus Premium?" we find the following answer:
"When the new PlayStation Plus membership plans launch, you will be able to upgrade to a plan with more features and benefits. When you upgrade you will be charged a pro-rated fee to level up the remaining time on your existing membership to the desired level. For example, if you purchased a 12-month membership five months ago and have seven months left, you will need to pay a pro-rated upgrade fee to upgrade your remaining seven months to the desired plan level. Then on your next payment date, you will be charged for the standard price of the membership plan level that you upgraded to at your current payment frequency.
If it looks like this when the new PS Plus debuts in the rest of the world, the outcry from gamers will be huge. People who at one time renewed subscriptions until, say, 2030, will have to pay a huge amount of money when upgrading to a better version.
The best solution for subscribers would be the option to rename the service. Someone with a Classic Plus subscription for 3 years could, for example convert it 1.5 years of Premium. As it stands, Sony is also punishing its most dedicated customers.
More information on PlayStation Plus can be found here: