https://www.digitaltoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=667132
Sony Faces Class Action Lawsuit in US Over PS5 Price Hike...Are Tariffs Consumer Burden, and Refunds Corporate Gain?
American gamers have filed a class-action lawsuit against Sony regarding the price increase of PlayStation (PS) consoles.
(...)
The case dates back to 2025. At that time, Donald Trump, then President of the United States, imposed wide-ranging tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Sony raised the price of PlayStation 5 (PS5) in August of the same year, citing a difficult economic environment as the reason. Subsequently, the US Federal Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that Trump's method of imposing tariffs exceeded his authority. As a result, the federal government was obligated to refund tariffs to affected companies.
The plaintiffs are focusing on this point as a key issue. The complaint states that Sony passed on increased import costs to consumers while also securing refund rights, effectively reaping unfair profits. It argues that consumers bore the burden of tariffs, while corporations benefited from the refunds.
(...)
Depending on the outcome of the lawsuit, the scope of price increase refunds during the tariff period and the company's refund processing methods may emerge as additional points of contention.
