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Apple Offering 7-Day Refund Policy on App Store Apps in Taiwan

igazza said:
yea so we can kill all the developers..
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Who cares? Consumers should be able to get a refund on an app that they are not happy with.

Apple do not offer a refund system to all users because they only care about taking money, not giving it back.
 
I agree with the 1 hour time limit.

If you can't figure out that the purchase is non-functional within an hour, chances are it works, but you are just having buyer's remorse.

I don't think 'total crap' should qualify as an excuse to return an app. Only if it doesn't work period, or it is completely not what was advertised. Again, that is a vague line, but something you should be able to figure out in an hour.

Also, I'd track user returns to see habitual violators. If one user keeps returning purchases, then put a system in place to prevent this. This is mainly an issue if you allow more than a 1 day period.
 
Sander said:
Of course. But it would be strange if I came back to the pub and said "Hey, remember that beer I bought here last week..? I really didn't like it after all, I'd like my two bucks back." Likewise, I wouldn't expect to be able to try out a new kind of beer (say, a Belgian triple), and be entitled to a refund if I didn't like it. I may decide not to drink the rest of it, and just remember not to order this type again and stick to Budweiser next time.
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Well, the beer analogy falls in that your enjoyment of a beer lasts a few minutes and then it's gone. Coming back a week later to complain wouldn't work because your enjoyment period is long gone. Your window of "I've sampled it but haven't had time to enjoy it yet" might only be those first few sips. But, within that window, I would expect to be able to return/exchange if something was wrong with the product.

Sander said:
But I always figure that the price is less of half a beer, so it won't even occur to me to ask for a refund. If I can afford an iPhone, I can afford the measly 99c.
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Well, sure, so can I (and I have thrown away my share of 99-cent app purchases). But just because I can afford to throw away (some) money doesn't mean I like it or there's no better option. To use your beer analogy, sure, there are times I order something and decide I don't like it, and I chalk it up to "oh well, guess I won't order that one again". But if the pub offered you a free sample first, wouldn't you take it?

People say this will hurt developers -- I disagree. I think it will be the exact opposite. There are lots of apps out there that cost in the $10-20+ range that I would really like to give a try, but I'm afraid to because, while I can toss away a 99-cent app without too much concern, I'm going to be much more careful about throwing away $10-20 (or more). So right now, none of those developers are getting any of my money. But, if I could be assured that I could try out the apps first and then buy the one I like, then at the end of the trial periods, one of those developers gets my money.

A few examples I can think of right off the top of my head: "AirPrint to any printer" type apps. Various VNC/remote/virtual display apps. Groundspeak's $10 geocaching app. All of which I will buy, if I could only try them first to make sure I like them.

Same applies to the Mac App store, by the way. Just look at the uproar over FCX. I'd be happy to spend $299, but only if I can have some assurance that I'll like it.
 
WestonHarvey1 said:
$10 in 2 years really is nothing. That's good that it has made you more cautious when buying an app. You became a good consumer at the modest cost of $10.

This is a spoiled age. In the 90s you could easily blow $80 on a really bad Super NES game. What people expect for $0.99 really is ridiculous.
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It's also about punishing developers who release crappy apps. For me, that would only be $0.99, but if enough buy a crappy app, the developer might make a lot from it.
 
Time and time again I've heard the argument that iOS is a better platform because those using it are affluent, more willing to pay for apps, etc. But now some people are actually arguing that these would abuse a refund policy and kill the revenue stream for developers.

And maybe they are right, the iTunes Match threads are filled with people giddy about the idea that they would be able to match their pirated songs and get them uploaded into the cloud.
 
AaronEdwards said:
Time and time again I've heard the argument that iOS is a better platform because those using it are affluent, more willing to pay for apps, etc. But now some people are actually arguing that these would abuse a refund policy and kill the revenue stream for developers.
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Axe to grind much? I think the facts bear out that the majority would like to have a way to purchase music, apps, etc. legitimately.

AaronEdwards said:
And maybe they are right, the iTunes Match threads are filled with people giddy about the idea that they would be able to match their pirated songs and get them uploaded into the cloud.
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There are always unethical people in any group. How would this be any different? Are you assuming every person who downloads iTunes for free is always identical from a moral or ethical standpoint? I think you are painting with an overly broad brush.
 
AaronEdwards said:
Time and time again I've heard the argument that iOS is a better platform because those using it are affluent, more willing to pay for apps, etc. But now some people are actually arguing that these would abuse a refund policy and kill the revenue stream for developers.
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I don't know about more affluent, but the fact is that it is mighty convenient that each iTunes account is linked to an active payment card such as a credit card. In the old days, if you wanted to buy an app, there were potentially many steps you'd have to take: go to the app website, register an online account, create a password, type in your credit card number, wait for the email confirmation, copy/paste a serial number, download a new purchased app binary to sync to your device, etc. Not exactly inconvenient, but now all you need to do is press one button, enter one password, and it just happens. It is very convenient and very easy to do, which encourages impulse sales.

Will some people abuse the policy? Sure. There will always be people who look for loopholes, or download cracks or keygens. They were never going to pay up anyway. Will it hurt the sales from honest folk looking for good apps that are worth the money they paid? Absolutely not. In fact I maintain that it will help sales because people will be willing to take more risks on higher-priced apps, knowing they can get a refund if it doesn't work out.
 
notjustjay said:
I don't know about more affluent, but the fact is that it is mighty convenient that each iTunes account is linked to an active payment card such as a credit card. In the old days, if you wanted to buy an app, there were potentially many steps you'd have to take: go to the app website, register an online account, create a password, type in your credit card number, wait for the email confirmation, copy/paste a serial number, download a new purchased app binary to sync to your device, etc. Not exactly inconvenient, but now all you need to do is press one button, enter one password, and it just happens. It is very convenient and very easy to do, which encourages impulse sales.

Will some people abuse the policy? Sure. There will always be people who look for loopholes, or download cracks or keygens. They were never going to pay up anyway. Will it hurt the sales from honest folk looking for good apps that are worth the money they paid? Absolutely not. In fact I maintain that it will help sales because people will be willing to take more risks on higher-priced apps, knowing they can get a refund if it doesn't work out.
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It's not about the App Store vs websites, the comparison is made with the Android market, that's why people bring up the affluent part.

And I agree fully that a refund policy won't hurt sales from honest people looking for good apps, and that it would help with selling more expensive apps.

Too bad that there isn't a workable solution for developers of such willing to give their buyers a trial period.
 
Sander said:
It's even stranger. Occasionally I participate in a "free for a day" event with my 99c game, and the major drawback is that of the 30K downloads that day, there will be many people who are simply not attracted to the genre in the first place, and they will leave 1-star reviews. Lots of them. It takes a long time after such an event to get the rating back up by getting reviews from people who bought the game because they were attracted to it, not just because it was free.
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I know exactly what you mean. You go from the occasional "I want my 99 cents back" to hundreds of "I want the minute of my life you wasted back!". Nothing sends the entitlement crowd into a fury like a free app.

I suppose it makes sense. If you really think you're owed something, then you really mean it - not just a bargain basement price, but FREE. And it had better be DAMN GOOD.
 
Steve121178 said:
Who cares? Consumers should be able to get a refund on an app that they are not happy with.

Apple do not offer a refund system to all users because they only care about taking money, not giving it back.
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1. You should - they are making the apps you use.

2. Why?

There's plenty of things everyday that I'm not 'happy' about for various reason, but I don't walk around expecting to be compensated for it. If you have a legitimate reason to be refunded (crashes, false app descriptions etc) then email Apple and get your money back. Not being 'happy' with something doesn't entitle you to a refund.

3. Wrong. Apple does offer a refund system, to everyone.
 
prestomusic said:
Not being 'happy' with something doesn't entitle you to a refund.
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It should. If consumers are not happy with something here in the UK they can usually get a refund, be it a practically anything from food items to an item of clothing. Software should not be exempt.

It might also encourage developers to produce higher quality apps. Lets be honest here, a high percentage are atrocious and do not justify the cost. Developers get too much protection, about time things change in favour of the consumer.
 
Steve121178 said:
It should. If consumers are not happy with something here in the UK they can usually get a refund, be it a practically anything from food items to an item of clothing. Software should not be exempt.
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Most distance sales have a cooling off period of 7 days by law in the UK- you can return the product without giving a reason. But that law gives exceptions, one of which is software unless it is in a sealed package. You don't have the general right to return something you don't like in UK law, distance sales are an exception.

I used to work in a shop and had to listen to crazy consumer rights that customers thought they had. One of my friends had a customer tell him he was breaching her human rights by refusing to sell something that was wrongly priced!
 
WestonHarvey1 said:
I suppose it makes sense. If you really think you're owed something, then you really mean it - not just a bargain basement price, but FREE. And it had better be DAMN GOOD.
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Indeed. As a developer reading some of the app store reviews, you need quite a thick skin. It's also quite aggravating that you cannot contact the reviewers. Sometimes you get a one-star because someone complains about a missing feature which is, in fact, available.

If the 30% "restocking fee" is debited to the developers, I would be very scared about the refund policy. You could easily end up in the negative that way.

I notice that the 99c performs as a small "barrier" for people to think a few seconds before they decide to buy. If getting a refund is a one-click affair, I'm afraid this will attract the "hoarders" who will simply download everything, re-using their one-time 99c payment over and over again.

I'd much rather have the "auto-buy after x amount of time unless canceled" implementation, because then we won't have to deal with the lost 30%.
 
I think Apple should provide a new option for developers so that they can decide whether their apps are going to be returnable in 1hour or 1day or 7days or not returnable. Developers should have the control. When the app is displayed in app store, people can be more cautious if the app is not returnable.

Simple single ruling is not fair to developers(obviously) and nor to customers (some apps require days to try).
 
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