Apple Blacklisting Users Who Abuse The iTunes App Store Refund System

Getting refunds on app purchases are a great way for you to try out an app, decide whether or not you like it before returning it and getting your money back. This is compared to the old way where you’d have to pay for it, find out you don’t like it, and well that’s too bad. Unfortunately app refunds are also a great way for people to try and game the system.

For example if you only needed an app for a one-off use, you could download the app, use it, and get a refund. Unfortunately Apple does not appreciate people gaming the system have begun to blacklist customers who they think are trying to find a loophole around the refund policy they have put in place.

Users who have been blacklisted as asking for too many refunds are now greeted by the message which reads, “I acknowledge that if I download this app within fourteen days of tapping ‘Buy,’ I will no longer be eligible to cancel this purchase.” Basically what this means is that either they don’t download the app, or pay for it and don’t expect their money back.

It is unclear as to how many times you must have asked for a refund, or if you ask for too many in a certain period of time before you are blacklisted. It is also unclear if this blacklist is temporary or if that particular iTunes account has been permanently marked, but either way if you were thinking of gaming the iTunes App Store, you might want to think again.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple
Tags: Apps