If you have a PSN account and an e-mail address you may have recieved the following e-mail from Sony a few days ago:
If You Had a PlayStation Network, Qriocity, or Sony Online Entertainment Account Before May 15, 2011,
You Could Get Benefits from a Class Action Settlement.A settlement has been reached with the Sony Entities about the illegal and unauthorized attacks (the “Intrusions”) in April 2011, on the computer network systems used to provide PlayStation Network (“PSN”), Qriocity, and Sony Online Entertainment (“SOE”) services. The Sony Entities deny any claims of wrongdoing in this case, and the settlement does not mean that the Sony Entities violated any laws or did anything wrong.Who is included? The Class includes everyone in the US (including its territories) who had a PSN account, a Qriocity account, or an SOE account at any time before May 15, 2011.What does the settlement provide?There are various benefits, depending in part on what type of account(s) you had. Benefits you could get (if you qualify) include:
- Payment equal to paid wallet balances (if $2 or more) in PSN or SOE accounts that have been inactive since the Intrusions,
- One or more of the following: a free PS3 or PSP game, 3 free PS3 themes, or a free 3-month subscription to PlayStation Plus (once valid claims exceed $10 million, class members will still be eligible for one free month of PlayStation Plus),
- A free month of Music Unlimited for Qriocity account holders who did not have a PSN account,
- $4.50 in SOE Station Cash (amounts will be reduced proportionally if valid claims exceed $4 million).
Identity Theft Reimbursement: If you had out-of-pocket charges due to actual identity theft, and have documentation proving that the theft was caused by the Intrusion(s), you can submit a claim for reimbursement up to $2,500. Reimbursements will be reduced proportionally if the total amount payable on all valid claims would exceed $1 million.
How can I get benefits? To get benefits, you must file a claim form. Claim forms are available at WWW.PSNSOESETTLEMENT.COM. You can also request claim forms from the Claims Administrator by writing to PSN-SOE Settlement, PO Box 1947, Faribault, MN 55021 or by calling 1-877-552-1284. The earliest deadline to file a claim is August 31, 2015, or 60 days after the settlement becomes final and effective. Visit the website for more details on submitting a claim online or by mail.
Your other options. Even if you do nothing, you will be bound by the Court’s decisions. If you want to keep your right to sue the Sony Entities yourself, you must exclude yourself from the Settlement Class by April 10, 2015. If you stay in the Settlement Class, you may object to the settlement by April 10, 2015. For instructions on how to exclude yourself from the Class or object to the settlement, please seeWWW.PSNSOESETTLEMENT.COM.
The Court will hold a hearing in this case on May 1, 2015, to consider whether to approve the settlement, and a request by Class Counsel for fees, costs, and expenses up to $2,750,000. You or your own lawyer may appear and speak at the hearing at your own expense.
For more information or Claim Forms:
WWW.PSNSOESETTLEMENT.COM or 1-877-552-1284
PARA UNA NOTIFICACIÓN EN ESPAÑOL, VISITE NUESTRO SITIO DE INTERNET.
In other words, if you had a PSN (and other Sony accounts but we’ll focus on PSN here) during the 2011 hacks, which they euphemistically refer to as “the intrusions”, you are entitled to some restitution as part of a class action settlement.
Unfortunately, this applies to US residents only as of this writing. Sony, like a child who is being forced to share their toys, is trying to do this in a way where they have to share as little as possible. That is to say, they want to make it as hard for you to get the things you are entitled to as possible. So how can you get your free game, theme, or PS Plus months? Well, this is where we come in!
Step 1: Figuring out what you get
If you
1) Never accessed your accounts again due to the hack, you are entitled to whatever money was in your wallet. This is as long as that balance was at least $2, if you did not have $2 in the wallet, then you are not eligible to get a refund.
2) If your account was active and you do not currently have PlayStation Plus, you are entitled to a free 3 month subscription to the service (which will become a 1 month as soon as the value of claims reaches $10 million so you better hurry up if this is what you want) OR a free game for the PS3 or PSP game OR 3 free themes for your PS3 (why would you do this?)
3) If you HAVE PlayStation Plus, you get either a free game for the PS3 or PSP OR 3 free themes for your PS3
Your choices of games are:
- Dead Nation™ (PS3)
- inFAMOUS™ (PS3)
- LittleBigPlanet™ (PS3)
- Super Stardust™ HD (PS3)
- rain™ (PS3)
- Puppeteer™ (PS3)
- Invizimals™: Lost Kingdom (PS3)
- God of War® HD (PS3)
- LittleBigPlanet™ (PSP)
- ModNation™ Racers (PSP)
- Patapon® 3 (PSP) Killzone®
- Liberation (PSP)
- WipEout® Pure (PSP)
- Syphon Filter®: Dark Mirror (PSP)
The themes are:
- WipEout® HD Dynamic Theme
- UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception™ Dynamic Theme
- TOKYO JUNGLE™ Dynamic Theme
- The Last Of Us™ Dynamic Theme
- Ratchet & Clank® Dynamic Theme
- UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves™ Dynamic Theme
I recommend getting the three months of PS Plus if you don’t have it, or wait until it expires to file if you don’t have any games you mind missing in your PS Plus library. The deadline to file is in August of 2015 after all.
4) If for any reason you suffered any financial loss due to the hack (such as costs related to identity theft) you can submit a claim to be reimbursed up to $2,500. This is another of those deals where the payouts will start to diminish after Sony has paid a certain amount, so if this is the case for you, file early.
Step 2: Getting what’s yours
All right, now that you know what you want its time to file. Sony will direct you to this page, which makes it sound like you need to file by mail, but you can actually do it online by clicking here. Once you are here it is a simple matter of filling out the fields. Make sure you check the the boxes in the last page or it will not let you submit the claim.
Step 3: What about that cash from my ID theft?
This one is a little more archaic. In order to get this (assuming you qualify) you must fill out a physical form and mail it to Sony. You can find the form here. Once completed mail it to the address below. Sony does not ask you to do this, but just in case I would dig up any records that can help you make your case. Do not volunteer them, but have them on hand just in case.
PSN-SOE Settlement
PO Box 1947
Faribault, MN 55021-6090
Step 4: So my stuff is in the mail right?
Not quite. Sony has a final hearing scheduled on May 1st. If the judge approves the settlement, then they will begin distributing the items at that time. There is a chance that the settlement will be denied, in which case it would be back to the drawing board for Sony. If you are unsure of submitting a form until the settlement is confirm, no worries, you have until August 31st, 2015 to file.
Either way, don’t let this pass you by. It IS compensation for Sony’s lack of care with your personal information, and as we know Sony has not gotten any more careful with it in the years since this incident. Maybe some financial pain will give them the nudge they need… probably not. Infamous was pretty good if you managed not to play it… so there’s that.
