Unconfirmed: Apple To Be Forced Into Supporting App Store Trials In Taiwan
June 27, 2011
Have you ever asked Apple for a refund for an app you accidently downloaded or didn’t like? How'd that experience go? Was it better than a root canal? Now those living in Taiwan might soon be able to get full refunds for apps purchased through the App Store with no questions asked, according to news first reported by The Economic Times.
According to Taiwan’s consumer protection law, customers are entitled to a seven-day trial period when an item is purchased online. As such, on June 8, Taiwanese officials contacted Apple and Google to demand each change their app refund policies. While Apple reportedly agreed to the policy, Google refused and stopped offering paid apps in Taiwan in its Android Market. Accordingly:
The capital city's government found that Google and Apple had violated the law and on June 8 ordered them to alter their trading rules. "Google refused to change its rules," Betty Chen, the head of a consumer protection at the city government, said. Apple changed its rules. Under the terms of service for Google's Android Market, consumers are allowed only 15 minutes to decide whether they want a refund after buying an app online. In reaction, Google suspended the sale of its paid apps to Taiwan consumers, according to Chen, who described the move as "unfriendly".What does this mean for the rest of us? That really depends. Obviously, if a local government demands that a company offer refunds, Apple seems to be fine with it; Google, not so much. However, we haven't found any indication of whether Apple is already implementing this policy, or if they're going to make it really easier to get refunds. For those of us not in Taiwan, Apple's current Terms Of Service are pretty clear: Refunds are next to impossible. Surprisingly however, the Taiwanese Terms have not been updated recently, and as far as we can tell, are similar to the American version. The document states:
Therefore, it seems likely that Apple will simply be more flexible on refunds for Taiwanese users. It doesn't seem like they'll actually implement an easy way to try apps for free. For the rest of us, it should also be noted that Apple isn't 100 percent against refunds in practice, despite its policy. If you are really looking for a refund, we'd suggest contacting Apple via email or phone. Do not, however, attempt to contact them through the App Store Support Page. In our opinion, this will get you nowhere. Will it work? You'd be surprised. We've heard from readers who claimed to Apple they accidentally purchased an $16.99 iBook or $9.99 iPad game, and at the minimum received a store credit. What are your thoughts? Leave your comments below.
- Paid Subscriptions are non-refundable.
- If a product becomes unavailable following a transaction but prior to download, your sole remedy is a refund. If technical problems prevent or unreasonably delay delivery of your product, your exclusive and sole remedy is either replacement or refund of the price paid, as determined by Apple.
- Prices for products offered via the Services may change at any time, and the Services do not provide price protection or refunds in the event of a price reduction or promotional offering.
- Gift Certificates, iTunes Cards, Content Codes, and Allowances, in addition to unused balances, are not redeemable for cash and cannot be returned for a cash refund (except as required by law); exchanged; resold; used to purchase Gifts, Gift Certificates, or iTunes Cards; used to provide Allowances; used for purchases on the Apple Online Store; or used in Apple Retail Stores. Unused balances are not transferable.