Watchdog BBC PlayStation 4 Network PSN

Sony's no stranger to Watchdog, the BBC consumer awareness show that's been running in the UK for over 30 years. One legendary report saw the PlayStation 3 taken to task following the yellow light of death scandal, but it's the PlayStation Network that will be subject to an Anne Robinson-fronted grilling in tonight's episode.

The story will focus on the organisation's reluctance to refund a digital purchase made after a user's account was purportedly stolen. The Japanese giant's stance on digital refunds is such: you can't have one unless the content in question is defective. However, where fraudulent transactions are concerned, many organisations bend the rules. SCEE is, apparently, not one of them.

As summarised on NeoGAF, PlayStation 4 owner John Lappin noticed that he'd been charged £39.99 for a PS3 title – despite never owning one. This, obviously, gave him proof that the transaction had been made by someone else – and following an investigation, the platform holder agreed. However, it refused to offer a refund, as per the details outlined in its Terms of Service.

This prompted a back-and-forth between the manufacturer and Lappin, in which the organisation essentially admitted that the transaction was likely made fraudulently, but because this couldn't be proved conclusively, he was refused a refund. He eventually contacted the BBC, prompting the Watchdog investigation that's set to be aired tonight. And he's now got his refund.

It's a bit of a black eye for the platform holder, which has had to front up some pretty negative headlines of late. Sony's yet to comment on the report officially, but we're sure that it will make a statement as part of tonight's programme, pointing out that Lappin did, eventually, get his money back. Not everyone's going to have the help of a TV investigation, though, eh?

[source neogaf.com, via eurogamer.net, rllmukforum.com]