It’s easy to regret an app purchase, but it sure is hard to get a refund from Apple if you’re disappointed. Previously, iOS users had to directly contact Apple to get reimbursed for erroneous purchases, and even then, Apple didn’t always issue the refund. Now it seems the company is changing its tune — in Europe, at least.
The latest version of Apple’s iTunes Store terms states that refunds will be made to users within 14 days of their purchase, even if no explanation for the return is given. The new policy applies to all items purchased through the App Store, iTunes, and iBookstore in the U.K., Germany, Italy, and France, with a few exceptions.
“If you choose to cancel your order, you may do so within 14 days from when you received your receipt without giving any reason,” Apple’s terms state. “Except iTunes Gifts which cannot be refunded once you have redeemed the code.”
Apple will process the refund in two weeks’ time after it receives the cancellation notice from the customer. Users can apply for a refund via the “Report a Problem” section or a written statement mailed to Apple’s European headquarters in Luxembourg. In the rare instances that this feature doesn’t work, the company encourages customers to contact iTunes Support as they normally would.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. and elsewhere, iOS users are stuck with their purchases unless they want to duke it out with Apple. It’s unclear whether the new refund policy will branch out to other countries in the near future.
