Before the change, it was a case of contacting Apple directly, pleading your case, and hoping for the best. In other words, under the old system – or what continues to be the current system in the U.S. – a refund wasn’t always guaranteed.
The change for Europe-based Apple users sounds pretty darn helpful, it has to be said. However, it’s recently come to the Cupertino company’s attention that some users have found that the app continues to work even after the refund has been received. As the folks at 9to5Mac point out, all that actually happens is that the software gets deleted from your ‘Purchased’ account history, meaning you can’t re-download it again unless you pay. So if you’ve left it on your device, you’re good to keep on using it.
The tech company has apparently wised up to the shenanigans of those users who’ve been building up their app library through repeated download and refund requests, issuing them with a warning explaining that continued abuse of the system will result in the re-introduction of the old rules, where refunds are given on a case-by-case basis.
Apple will certainly be keen to stamp out such behavior early on, though developers striving to make a living off sales of their software will be even more anxious to see the company taking steps to eradicate the practice.
[Source: iDownload]
