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Apple introduces 14-day no questions asked refunds for App Store & iTunes in EU countries

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Apple has recently introduced a new 14-day no questions asked return policy for iTunes, App Store and iBooks purchases in Europe including the UK, Germany, Italy, France, and many other EU countries.

Apple’s terms and conditions for the stores previously stated users had the right to withdraw from a transaction “without charge and without giving any reason until delivery of the product has started.” That meant purchases were all but final apart from some exceptions handled by Apple support.

Now, Apple has updated its terms to include a specific no questions asked 14-day return window that includes all purchases apart from gift cards:

Right of cancellation: If you choose to cancel your order, you may do so within 14 days from when you received your receipt without giving any reason, except iTunes Gifts which cannot be refunded once you have redeemed the code.

Apple states it will refund users within two weeks of receiving notice of cancellation either through its Report a Problem feature (pictured above) or a written statement.

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Refunds for exceptions like failed delivery of content or technical problems were previously handled on a case by case basis through Apple support, which is how Apple continues to handle refunds for software and iTunes content in the US, Canada and most other countries outside the EU. In these locations, Apple states that “all sales and rentals of products are final” and only approves refunds at its discretion for exceptions like those mentioned above.

The changes appear to be related to a new consumer rights directive in the EU that introduced a required 14 calendar day right of cancellation or return period for both goods and services purchased in EAA countries.

In comparison, Google’s Play Store offers a two hour return window for apps, but Google’s support document doesn’t mention the new 14-day return window. It does, however, offer EU customers a longer 14-day cancellation period for music subscriptions compared to just 7 days elsewhere.

The guidelines from the European Commission have been in place since June, but Apple just this month updated most of its terms and conditions documents online. That 14 day period is extended to a year if a business fails to properly inform consumers of the return period, according to the directive.

(via iFun.de)

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Comments

  1. Taste_of_Apple - 9 years ago

    I would love to see this implemented in the USA.

    • sukhhkahlon - 9 years ago

      it works in us.. i bought a movie bundle and opened a case the same day, apple got back to me and my refund of 250$ was back on my itunes card…i was surprised .. and i just saw this news..no wonder this is a #1 company in the world, you have to be #1 in customer service too.

      • Paolo Di Landro - 9 years ago

        But was there a “I would like to cancel this purchase button?”

  2. Exception to the right of cancellation: You cannot cancel your order for the supply of digital content if the delivery has started upon your request and acknowledgement that you thereby lose your cancellation right.

    Meh :\

    • whitfieldn - 9 years ago

      Precisely. They could – as Amazon does with Autorip – simply make it clear that by downloading you forgo your right to cancel.

      The directive specifically allows for digital goods to be handled in this way. So, blaming the EU – as doubtless some will – is plain wrong.

      Apple has chosen to do this. They didn’t actually need to.

    • Paolo Di Landro - 9 years ago

      If you are saying you cannot cancel if you have downloaded, that can’t be true because I just cancelled some purchases, including IAPs, that were refunded but downloaded before

      • whitfieldn - 9 years ago

        No, I’m saying that that’s how it could be done, within the new EU rules.

        The way Apple has done this would allow, for instance, someone to download a GPS app like TomTom, use it on their week’s holiday, and then get a full refund.

        That’s stupid, and not required by the EU rules. All they have to do is make it clear “Once you download this app, you have no automatic right to cancel”

        You would still be able to request a refund for things like broken downloads, or other reasons. But the no quibble refund that is normally a right in distance selling does not have to apply to downloads.

  3. This should not be allowed. Many people will take advantage of that. I’m from Europe and the European Union is pissing me off even more day by day. EU thinks how good they behave but they seriously hurt developers with this and who is going to pay for that? Many people behave like if the developers were just machines and they don’t need any money to live.

    • Brian Hoffman - 9 years ago

      How about all the developers of shit apps that screw users by taking advantage of no refund policy? Get out of here with this crap.

      • How about those users who want a refund even when they like the app? Think..

      • Chris Coleridge - 9 years ago

        So how about a 1 or 2 day return policy then? 14 days is absurd, especially for an ebook.

      • Gregory Wright - 9 years ago

        C’mon, most apps are dirt cheap. So what if you purchase one that you end up not liking. Its not worth the effort to attempt canceling.

      • @Chris: That’s what I was thinking.
        @Gregory: Some of the apps may not be good. Yes, then it’s acceptable to ask for a refund but many people will take advantage of this and will refund apps that are great.

    • whitfieldn - 9 years ago

      I know it means scrolling all the way to.page 65 of the guidance PDF linked above, but the EU does allow specifically for waiving the right to a refund with downloadable goods.

      All Apple had to do was a simple check box like “I understand by downloading the right to a no quibble refund within 14 days is waived”

      It’s not a problem caused by the EU. It’s one of Apple’s own making

    • Robert - 9 years ago

      I’ll simply pull my apps off of those countries , once I see one refund in my reports. good luck finding apps in those countries

    • Mr. T (@t87) - 9 years ago

      For people who like an app won’t request a refund because when the purchase is cancelled, iTunes won’t offer updates to that app anymore. I am a dev myself striving to create a couple of quality apps, and am extremely glad as a consumer that this law will kick developers, very many from China for example, that create utter fucking garbage apps, out of their pitiful existence.

  4. Do we have numbers on how much was refunded (or how many purchases were refunded) for 2014? Curious to see how much higher it will be in 2015 with these new rules.

  5. Any list of countries applied?

  6. benrhayader - 9 years ago

    How does this work technically speaking ?
    Is the person who has been offered a refund still able to use the software afterwards ?

    • That’s the problem with Apple’s app signing and iTunes. The purchased app remains 100% functional. IMO, to make a process like this work, they need to implement a fool-proof license/download revocation system (which is insanely difficult to do).

      • benrhayader - 9 years ago

        Thanks for the Info. This is not good news…
        License revokation seems like overkill, but Apple could offer something like a trial button, and run some client-server check each time the app launches, verifying it is authorized.

    • Robert - 9 years ago

      one faint hope, is that I know a few months back Apple made it, that they can not update or re-download those they cancelled,

      • zammitluke - 9 years ago

        A few months ago? This is how it has worked since the very first app was refunded years ago.

      • Robert - 9 years ago

        @zammitluke
        few months ago or years ago, doesn’t change the fact that people are able to continue using what they got refund for, this is very laughable and definitely subject of jokes

  7. 2 weeks seems excessive. I’d be happy (in the US) for 15 minutes just to try apps before I buy. I’m sure that will happen someday but who knows when.

  8. Mark Granger - 9 years ago

    As an app developer, I would like to see this simply be a feature of the app store. Try any app for up to two weeks and then do nothing to keep it or cancel if you don’t like it. I want users to be able to try the full versions of my apps. I think more people would try the apps if they knew they could cancel the purchase if they did not like them.

    Any word on how they handle in-app purchase cancellations in Europe? I am thinking about those apps that let you buy consumables.

    • Check out your response compared to a fellow app developer above who said he will pull his apps out of the stores if even a single thing is returned.

      10/10 my friend.

    • Paolo Di Landro - 9 years ago

      In app purchase cancellations are handled as easily as other cancellations for Apps

      • Jesse Riemens - 9 years ago

        So does it mean when you buy for example a huge amount of in game money, and then refund it, you can buy it again and have infinite money?

      • Paolo Di Landro - 9 years ago

        Yes exactly, which is what some people will inevitably do

      • Jesse Riemens - 9 years ago

        That wil become huge losses for Apple. Has anyone found some kind of limit whatsoever?

    • Robert - 9 years ago

      people download in-app purchases at no time for free , no need to worry about cancelling them, unless you implement the complicated security check described in Apple sample codes, take a look around on the web you’ll find out. I’ve hooked up in-app purchases to some code on my web site and saw viola tens of in-app purchases downloads every day without me getting paid, so I definitely suggest the complicated sample code :)

  9. Heather Burns - 9 years ago

    Under the CRD there is a 14 day no-questions-asked right to return an item, but this applies to physical goods, not digital goods.

    European consumers do now have the right to “return” a digital item under the CRD, but the law is very clear that this right ends upon commencement of the download, whether that is physical or automatic. Consumers must be advised of that fact before they commence the download in order for the site or app to remain in compliance.

    This means that Apple has either conflated the physical and digital sections of the law, or they have made a choice to go above and beyond what the law requires by creating a 14 day “try and return” policy for digital items.

    In other words, don’t blame this on the CRD or use it as an excuse to have a go at the EU, as the law has clearly been misinterpreted and misunderstood in this instance.

  10. Brendan Kaboom - 9 years ago

    This does not work for in app purchases does it? Otherwise thats utter garbage. Also what about games the user plays my game for 14 days and said meh I want a refund. Puts me out of pocket.

  11. Linda Baltes - 8 years ago

    I bought an app called picmonkey….today, I don’t like it and would like a refund…how do I go about that. HELP

  12. Dave Everitt - 8 years ago

    Unfortunately Apple don’t make this clear at all in their purchase confirmation emails: “You have purchased [APP_YOU_PURCHASED_HERE] on 26 May 2016 and acknowledged that if you download this iOS App within fourteen days of buying it, you will no longer be eligible to cancel this purchase.” Also, there’s no explanation about how to get a refund. However, I’ve previously done this successfully with two apps that simply didn’t work.

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Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.