14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has recently amended its iTunes Terms and Conditions to stipulate that a customer can ask for their money back within 14 days from the purchase date, with no questions asked.
The Right of Cancelation section included in the company’s Terms and Conditions for purchases made in the iTunes music store and app store states that “if you choose to cancel your order, you may do so within 14 days from when you received your receipt without giving any reason, except iTunes Gifts which cannot be refunded once you have redeemed the code.”
Developers may need to reconsider monetization practices
This has reportedly scared application sellers and musicians whose works can now be “consumed” without paying. A user could download an expensive app, use it for a period of two weeks, and then ask for a refund.
For example, there are numerous applications whose features can be used produce other end products, like video creation software. The user can shoot and edit a movie in the two-week timeframe, export the film, and then ask for his / her money back.
If the new terms can be exploited to their detriment, coders may need to adjust their monetization methodology.
Musicians take the biggest hit
With music, it’s even worse. Because iTunes music no longer uses digital rights management (DRM), a customer can buy an entire album, ask for a refund, but still keep the songs. It has been said that the practice could even be used to manipulate rankings.
Upon reporting on Apple’s amendment to the iTunes Store Terms and Conditions, Softpedia warned that users could be tempted to abuse the system. We’re sad to say that it seems we were right.
Apple may be hard pressed to change the Terms and Conditions yet again. As it stands, the company risks scaring off developers and artists whose content make the iTunes Store so popular.