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iPhone App Store needs a very IMPORTANT change. Read on...

Wow, that was fast. I just got an email from Apple saying that they've reversed the charges on my card. They also stated that the iTunes terms and conditions state "all sales are final" and this would be a "one-time exception"

The email suggested that I should use the shopping cart so that I can take my time with the purchases and only buy when I'm ready (which only works from the desktop version of iTunes and this wasn't even the problem.)

I *know* I bought "Where To?" and it had the same icon and description that I remember, so I thought I was safe to hit buy again and I assumed it would download for free.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

I agree with the OP on this one.

Only seeing the "price/Buy now" button can be confusing enough for experienced iPhone users, so I can only imagine how many new users don't understand how it works.

Two changes:

1) A new "Re-Download" or "Re-Install" option instead of price. Make it a different color too for easy ID.

2) A quick list of apps purchased on this iTunes account. Maybe under the "Upgrade" Tab. You click it and it returns with a list and next to each app is a status button. ("Installed" or "Re-Install").
 
Why do you people have your credit card on file? I've had mine off for a few months and never got charged for anything I thought I downloaded before.
 
For a good example of how this could be implemented better, see the "Manage My Kindle" function on Amazon. It provides a list of everything you've purchased, with a "Send To" drop-down next to each item. The drop-down lists each Kindle device or app you have registered, including iPhone and iPad. Select a device, and it immediately sends the item to that device.

- Dennis
 
TruckdriverSean said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)
Only seeing the "price/Buy now" button can be confusing enough for experienced iPhone users, so I can only imagine how many new users don't understand how it works.
Click to expand...

Add me to that. I was a new user a month ago and had to ask another friend who has been an iPhone user for some time whether I would be charged again as it looked like I might. I can only imagine what a new non-tek savvy user without any iPhone experts around would think. Apple should absolutely improve this!
 
(Sorry in a rush and couldn't afford to read through all other replies if someone else has mentioned this)

If you think you have bougt an app before you can click add to wish list and if you have previously purchased it, an error message will pop up saying you can't wishlist this app or something - just a crude tip to check if you have bought it or not :)
 
I emailed Apple regarding the situation with re-buying the app on accident. Here's what I said:

The problem is, I wasn't near my computer and there is no indication on the iPhone that I'm going to be charged because I only wanted to re-download what I know I've already purchased.

Thank you for the refund, however.

I guess from now on, I'll have to wait until I get home to sync my iPhone with iTunes to avoid accidentally buying something I already paid for.

Sent from my iPhone
Click to expand...

This is how Apple responded to my email:

Thank you for contacting iTunes Store Support, my name is Ross. I understand you were refunded for a duplicate purchase when you were not warned of this impending purchase. I can certainly appreciate your concerns, therefore I have attached some information on how you can reset your iTunes Store purchase warnings.

The iTunes Store has built-in warnings that you can disable if you want. One of these warnings alerts you when you try to purchase a title you've already purchased. Another allows you to disable a message if you no longer wish to see it.

If you have disabled these warnings and now would like iTunes to warn you about your purchasing activities, you can reset the warnings for your account. Here's how:

1) Make sure you're using the latest version of iTunes. It's available free of charge from the Apple website:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download

2) Open iTunes and sign in to the iTunes Store, if necessary.

3) From the Store menu choose View My Account. Enter your password and click View Account.

4) The Account Information screen will appear. Click Reset Warnings, then click Done.

Thanks again for contacting iTunes Store Support. If you have any further difficulty related to this issue feel free to reply to this email for further assistance.

Sincerely,

Ross
iTunes Store Customer Support
Click to expand...

This reply doesn't solve my problem, so here's how I responded to this email:

I reset my warnings and tried downloading another app that I previously purchased. The warning alert isn't a problem. I *do* get the alert when I try to download something I already purchased but that warning ONLY appears AFTER I tap "buy". So if I tap buy and the warning doesn't appear, there's no technical way to stop myself from purchasing the app.

By the way, there is no warning for buying an app for the first time (on the iPhone). Try this yourself if you do not believe me.

Sent from my iPhone
Click to expand...

I'll update you with their response when they give it.
 
Yep, happened to me a couple times. Definately need to change the process up. To the OP, please follow up to what their last response would be. Thanks.
 
iBooks has a page in the app that has a list of previous purchases.

Sounds like they should just put this in all their apps.
 
TrumpetGuy said:
It think Apple changed the policy so that you can't redownload apps for free to prevent people from sharing apps by logging in on other peoples phones. I'm pretty sure it's been this way since iOS3
Click to expand...

That was a temporary change.
 
jambobowron said:
(Sorry in a rush and couldn't afford to read through all other replies if someone else has mentioned this)

If you think you have bougt an app before you can click add to wish list and if you have previously purchased it, an error message will pop up saying you can't wishlist this app or something - just a crude tip to check if you have bought it or not :)
Click to expand...
Not if you're on the go.

See post #16.
 
jambobowron said:
(Sorry in a rush and couldn't afford to read through all other replies if someone else has mentioned this)

If you think you have bougt an app before you can click add to wish list and if you have previously purchased it, an error message will pop up saying you can't wishlist this app or something - just a crude tip to check if you have bought it or not :)
Click to expand...

Not from the iPhone or iPad.
 
confused

Hi, I am new to iPhones and iTunes, and even with 25 years in the software industry, I am confused by this mess Apple have made.

My wife's iPhone broke - the silence switch and volume control stopped working - so the local apple store exchanged it for a new one (3Gs 16gb)

She had bought a few apps - fortunately no music (no way we will be doing music with iTunes, too much hassle).

Now when we log on to the iTunes account on a computer (authorised, whatever that means) we can see the apps she bought, but there is no way to re-download them or anything. Syncing the phone with iTunes does nothing either (for contacts, the phone is synced to an Exchange account, and also to a Google calendar, which work well).

The new phone has no idea the apps have been purchased, and when I go into the App store it just seems to go through the normal buy process. I stopped at the point where it asked for the password, as it seemed likely it was going to do an actual purchase.

The 'Genius' store that replaced the phone gave no instructions on what to do and there is nothing useful on the internet that I can find, about how to re-download apps to a replacement phone.

Please does anyone know if its possible, and how to do it if so?
 
jez6363 said:
Hi, I am new to iPhones and iTunes, and even with 25 years in the software industry, I am confused by this mess Apple have made.

My wife's iPhone broke - the silence switch and volume control stopped working - so the local apple store exchanged it for a new one (3Gs 16gb)

She had bought a few apps - fortunately no music (no way we will be doing music with iTunes, too much hassle).

Now when we log on to the iTunes account on a computer (authorised, whatever that means) we can see the apps she bought, but there is no way to re-download them or anything. Syncing the phone with iTunes does nothing either (for contacts, the phone is synced to an Exchange account, and also to a Google calendar, which work well).

The new phone has no idea the apps have been purchased, and when I go into the App store it just seems to go through the normal buy process. I stopped at the point where it asked for the password, as it seemed likely it was going to do an actual purchase.

The 'Genius' store that replaced the phone gave no instructions on what to do and there is nothing useful on the internet that I can find, about how to re-download apps to a replacement phone.

Please does anyone know if its possible, and how to do it if so?
Click to expand...

Just purchase it. It will say you've already paid for it, and to push "OK" to redownolod it. You won't get charged twice.
 
jmann said:
Just purchase it. It will say you've already paid for it, and to push "OK" to redownolod it. You won't get charged twice.
Click to expand...

Well - I decided to try it - even though I had to verify my card again, and it really really looked like it was taking payment. But at last dialog, after you confirm the buy, it said I already had it, so your advice was exactly right, thank you.

No way on earth that a user would do that unless someone told them to though.

Apple are kings of usability - but in some areas they truly have created an steaming mess...
 
I agree with you 100% on this issue and I look forward to hearing Apple's response. I can add another condition where this is an issue - in app purchases. On applications like Navigon you can purchase Traffic alerts in the app. If you have multiple iphones on your account you do the in app purchase on each of the phones, selecting BUY, then you get a message that it has already been purchased. Works as you would expect.

This doesn't hold true though for the weather application My-Cast. If you do the in app purchase of the lightning data ($9.99) on other iphones on your iTunes account, you will be charged for each phone on your account. This is the only app I have seen this behavior of charging for each phone on the account.

So if you make an in app purchase and intend on using it on multiple phones, you have no way of knowing whether or not you will be charged multiple times.

Also it is total crap that you were told that this is a one time deal, like they are doing you a favor. Apple could clear this up. They know what is purchased.


Amino Man said:
I emailed Apple regarding the situation with

I'll update you with their response when they give it.
Click to expand...
 
Its a good idea, but I think that Apple doesn't actually access any of your personal account information until you type in your password, and so doesn't know what you've purchased, just what you have on your phone already.

Than's not to say that they can't change that (I think they should), but just it seems that the way it currently works doesn't allow for the App Store to display this type of information
 
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