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dgree03

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 8, 2009
1,177
0
Lets say I buy an app and with 24hours I dont want it anymore... can I get a refund?
 
I have used Android for more than a year (since it first came out), and for me, the iPhone (both hardware and software) is superior in almost every way.

This is one exception. On the Android, after you purchase an app, you can just uninstall it within 24 hours to get a refund.

It would be great if Apple can implement some kind of automated refund system. I would try more apps if that happens. Having a free lite version of an app serves a similar purpose for me, but not every app has that option.
 
I have managed to get an agreed over one app that did not do what it said it would. I get the impression (rightly or wrongly) that it does not happen terribly often.
 
I have managed to get an agreed over one app that did not do what it said it would. I get the impression (rightly or wrongly) that it does not happen terribly often.

Yes, too much risk is assumed by the consumer when he has no way to directly determine the quality of the product. Descriptions and reviews are not useful enough. It is barely acceptable when the apps are priced very low, but when it is something like 7.99 or 9.99, I would like at least a lite version to try.
 
I have used Android for more than a year (since it first came out), and for me, the iPhone (both hardware and software) is superior in almost every way.

This is one exception. On the Android, after you purchase an app, you can just uninstall it within 24 hours to get a refund.

It would be great if Apple can implement some kind of automated refund system. I would try more apps if that happens. Having a free lite version of an app serves a similar purpose for me, but not every app has that option.

Yea thats why I asked, I have a nexus and I can try out apps for 24 hours and if I dont want it I just uninstall it and it gets refunded back to my account... why wouldnt apple implement something like that???
 
I downloaded the wrong app by mistake. It was a printing app and the same developer had another app with the features that I wanted. I explained this to Apple and they offered to credit me the price of the app. I then deleted it and downloaded the correct app. I think they felt that was being legit and because i wanted to download another app from the same developer they could see that it wasn't some scam I was truing to pull

Contact apple and explain your situation. Be pleasant and polite and if you're reasonable they will work with you.
 
My iPod Touch died and I had to reinstall my apps because I never bothered to back anything up. I lost wifinder :( over this. Any way, the procedure for restoring apps from the app store is to "buy" them again. You don't find out until after you "buy" them whether or not the app store remembers you already paid for them.

I wound up paying for Docs2go premium b/c I didn't remember which version I already owned. I had paid $5 for d2g when it first came out and was an early adopter so I never paid $9 for this app. I complained to Apple and they gave me 5 song credits. I will never redeem them because the song credits actually create a "safety buffer" when I buy an app. I always get an extra popup telling me my credits don't apply to apps and asking me if I want to buy the app. At that point, I can click cancel if I've picked the wrong app to restore. More recently, I see the app store shows "free" for the cost of any upgrades for apps I've already purchased. If I get a chance, I'll check to see if I pick a paid app that I've since deleted, if the price changes to "free" just before I go to redownload it. This would be a big help to avoid paying double for similarly named apps.

There is a much worse issue emerging. In app purchases are not tracked by Apple the same way app purchases are and after my iPod Touch reset, I had to pay Poemflow all over again. I should definitely have not had to do this. Beware making in-app purchases! Save your email receipt in case your device resets and you lose the stuff you paid for or you'll be buying it all over again. As in-app purchases for tens and even hundreds of dollars roll out on the iPad this issue really needs to get resolved.

Of course what makes the most sense is cash money refunds if the customer is not satisfied. Apple needs to do this but I don't know what it will take to get them to do so. Perhaps if Android sales continue to accelerate and iPhone sales are somewhat flat when the 4G comes out, Apple might pull their heads out of the sand and take care of some shortcomings like app store refunds. But if iPhone 4G sales are strong and Apple continues to set profit records, who can blame them for being slow to respond to things like this even though we wish they would get right on it?
 
I'm not an attorney or anything but I believe that consumers MUST be offered the option of a return on any item unless the seller clearly indicates otherwise in a conspicuous place.
 
I'm not an attorney or anything but I believe that consumers MUST be offered the option of a return on any item unless the seller clearly indicates otherwise in a conspicuous place.

The iTunes policy is "all sales final". I don't have a link or quote, but it should be in the website or disclosure when you install iTunes.
 
I don't know why, but this post reminded me of this old story from when the App Store first started.

"Armin Heinrich has released an app on the iTunes App Store called I Am Rich [App Store]. The $999.99 application displays a red icon on your iPhone and iPod touch to remind others that you were able to afford it. As the developer notes, "it's a work of art with no hidden function at all."
195117-rich.jpg


Update: I Am Rich has been removed from the App Store."

https://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/08/05/are-you-rich-buy-this-999-99-iphone-app/

6 of the 8 people who bought this app requested a refund from Apple and got it, the other 2 apparently liked the app and were satisfied. Apple won't advertise this, but they will issue you a refund on any content from iTunes, as long as you don't abuse the policy or make it a habit.
 
There DEFINATELY should be a way to refund for crap apps... with so many apps in the app store its hard to find out what is good and functional for your needs and what is crap and non functional.

A refund policy would also increase exposure to apps because people would be more inclined to buy apps that have zero to no reviews or that have bad reviews. Also people would probaly spend more money on a single app if they had a 48 hour trial period to see if it works for them??
 
I just really hate the fact that if you reinstall an app you bought, it still says "buy" until its confirmed by basically taking the chance in rebuying the app. With multiple apps that have the same functionality Im supposed to remember which one i bought 6 months ago??
 
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