Sony admits to importing grey market PSPs

SONY EXECUTIVES have admitted to importing PlaySatanPortables from the recently deceased Lik-Sang.com, but stated to the BBC that 'The purchasing of PSP consoles by SCE employees would be for investigatory purposes'.

This sounds pretty inconceivable to us. Firstly, why would Sony need to purchase a significant quantity of PSPs from Lik-Sang to check the quality of goods were being shipped when one or two units would easily suffice? Secondly, why would company executives purchase the products instead of much lower-ranked quality control engineers and the like?

Something here doesn't add up. It looks more like a case of Sony execs all wanting the latest and greatest shiny kit to show off round the office, and Sony Japan wasn't playing ball - instead they were told to wait like the rest of us pesky Europeans.

Similar to some of us hardcore gamers, with a penchant for the latest gaming kit, we don't like to wait, and nothing Sony does about this will stop the exporting and importing of Sony product. If these people don't purchase the goods via Lik-Sang, they will find another source. This is a certainty.

Sony can manage to close down some of the biggest exporters of the goods, but this won't stop the smaller outlets and the Ebaying troop from continuing to export and sell Sony produced kit to the legions of gamers and fanboys alike.

This is where the main issues lie, and by killing off Lik-Sang Sony have only exacerbated the problems.

The larger more successful exporters provide a high level of service and a degree of quality assurance, coupled with bundled accessories that allow the safe and successful use of the imported product in the targeted territory. Arguably, this is what Lik-Sang did.

Now that another large import site has fallen by the wayside, more and more consumers will purchase from the smaller exporters and the Ebay hordes. These people rarely care for the safety of their customers, relying on first-time purchasers, and offering no come-back if the consumer is unsatisfied with their goods, or safety issues arise.

With the advent of the Internet, trade in the world is finally becoming global. Instead of trying to put well-run businesses out of business, Sony should be attempting to manufacturer goods that can be shipped to a world-wide audience at the same time, instead of relying on antiquated staggered launches.

This will ensure the grey market is minimalised and Sony can concentrate on producing quality products - something they have been struggling with for sometime. µ

See also
Sony forces Lik-Sang out of business
Playstation shenanigans outed, dissected
Shortages of PS3s hit US/Japan
Sony PS3 delayed in Europe