Returning An App In iTunes
By Earlier this week I inadvertently purchased an app by clicking its “Buy” button when I’d intended to click through to see its product page. I’d never gone through the return process and suspect many other devs haven’t either, so I recorded a rough screencast. View in low-res below, or in higher-resolution at Vimeo:
The number of steps and the un-obviousness of it seems likely deters casual returns from people who’ve not previously returned an app.
I’m absolutely convinced that they’re trying to slow people down. I had to do it once, too, in a similar situation, and not only did it take a ton of steps and time, but the final email from them said (implied, maybe?) that it was the last time they’d do it for me.
Part of the problem, it seems, is that they don’t take the app away from you. I assume that somehow they simply don’t have the means. As such, folks could buy apps, get refunds, and go on using them day after day, still getting upgrades and everything.
It also likely explains the low return rate of our apps: the percentage is way, way tiny, and even if I think we build the coolest things in the world, we still get some one-star reviews, I imagine from folks who’d prefer to return if if they thought they could.
Thanks Dan, this is good information.
Btw did the refund happen immediately or was it approved by a human ?
I agree with Matthew’s suggestion that the store should make it easy to get refunds (and when refunds happen, the app should be removed from the user’s account)
I think I only received one refund-request this year and it was from a guy who bought our latest app on itunes before realizing that he cannot run it on his Nano device. At the time, I redirected him to an itunes customer support number and their support-website, but this video will come in handy if I get any more such requests.
The “Report a Problem” option is also potentially confusing for customers of your app. One of my customers expected the report about a problem he was having to eventually reach me for resolution (he also posted a negative review). He didn’t bother following the numerous trails to Support in the App Store description and in the app itself. I make myself very accessible to customers and respond quickly, but he was convinced I was ignoring him because Apple didn’t forward the report and his contact information to me.
My latest release of that app now includes an in-app email view where customers compose/send email messages directly. It was through that mechanism that I finally heard from the customer so I could address his concern. It will be a feature of all future upgrades and apps from me.
I was notified around a day after I submitted the request that it was approved.
As such, folks could buy apps, get refunds, and go on using them day after day, still getting upgrades and everything.
I suspect that would cause their account to be flagged and, potentially, cut loose. Apple aren’t going to stand for any abuse of that sort 🙂