How to get a refund on your Android apps
Cash back
As we discussed in our comparison between the iPhone’s App Store and the Android’s Market, the Google system has one massive advantage over Apple’s – a no quibbles 24 hour refund system.
If you don’t take to a paid game or application, you can return it to the Market for a full refund, no questions asked. There’s pretty much no chance in living hell that Apple’s ever going to do something like this, but it does have some serious advantages for all concerned.
It’s essentially a safety net and built in demo system, which allows users to purchase with confidence while encouraging developers to do their best from the outset. Many iPhone games are notorious for launching before they’ re ready, then taking up the slack in updates further down the line (Watchmen: Justice is Coming, we’re looking at you).
With Google’s system, that’s going to mean practically every purchase is returned, and the Market develops a kind of organic, global, user-led quality control system.
Yes, it’s potentially open to abuse, but it’s a risk that we feel is well worth it and could really help cement the Market’s place in the paying smartphone user’s heart.
So here’s how to take your unwanted games back to the Market for a full refund.
One last thing – we’re not suggesting anything by using Guitar Hero: World Tour as an example (it’s the only paid app we’ve got on the office G1 right at this very moment). That’s for our full review to decide later on.