Comments on: Apple’s iPhone App Refund Policies Could Bankrupt Developers

By: Apple’s questionable App Refund Policies « Mind over Matter

Apple’s questionable App Refund Policies « Mind over Matter — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:51:07 +0000

[...] Source: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/25/apples-iphone-app-refund-policies-could-bankrupt-developers/ [...]

By: clh

clh — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:09:06 +0000

It isn’t apple’s fault if people program a crappy app that people want a refund on. Apple does deserve a share of the commission even if it is returned since they are doing all the marketing and advertising for the developers.

By: PHK Corporation

PHK Corporation — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:23:35 +0000

A bigger problem may be for the end user to continue to use the app after they get a refund. To prevent and circumvent this end-user abusiveness, would be to code a registration and app validation within the application that checks against your web server database. Then if an end-user requests a refund, and they continue to use the app, you have legal recourse against both Apple and the end-user, then it is time to seek out competent counsel.

By: Diunis

Diunis — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:18:24 +0000

Software has never been refundable. I have bought many apps from the Apple Store and I would never ask for a refund. I have bought good and bad apps. Everytime I buy an app I use it untill I am bored which is always within a few hours. This I can imagine would be hell for the developers If I wanted my money back everytime. I have a friend who is a cheap bastard and loves to use software and return it.

My 2 cents:

1. Apple should charge for hosting if your app doesn’t sell within a 30 day period just like hosting companies give you a 30 day trial on ecommerce sites.
2. Build higher standards for app approval.

Unless you are being payed by either companies this is a business issue and has nothing to do with who likes Apple or MS. Sometimes there are people working at the top that want the money now which is not always a good decision for the company. I think that Apple has a great product on there hands and should think of long term.

By: Pete

Pete — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:25:43 +0000

No way Hosay, no one has monetised a platform like this before….

Apple may be the big bad guys in this regard but they’ve created an industry that helps developers make $$.

Suck it up and make better apps!

By: FireFish

FireFish — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:02:09 +0000

Unfortunately, we’re like cattle being pushed around by goat herders. Don’t like it? Who cares. We know you aint goin’ no where.

I hate that mentality.

By: Is the iTunes app store just a “get rich quick” scheme? | The random utterances of David Arno

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:22:36 +0000

[...] to the seemingly random way they reject apps. Then there are the stories that the developer must repay the full cost to the customer (including Apple’s cut) whenever a refund is provided. This week though, Apple plumbed new depths of piss-taking over its handling of its [...]

By: aubrey

aubrey — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:15:27 +0000

i don’t need $1M. i’d be happy with $10k in app sales. i make most of my income providing technical leadership and strategic technology integration for commercial and government customers, and so far, all my clients’ apps are free. they use them for marketing and visibility.

By: Steve Jobs | Werbeblogger – Weblog über Marketing, Werbung und PR » Blog Archiv » Steve Jobs

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:32:06 +0000

[...] Zahlungsgemütlichkeit und unfaire Refund-Politik gegenüber Developern (hier und hier) und insgesamt so kapriziöses “Muahaha! I am Nero!”-Daumen-runter-Daumen-rauf-Verhalten [...]

By: project111 - seriously apple?

project111 - seriously apple? — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:30:08 +0000

[...] iphone app developers get bad deal with apple.This makes me question the fun app Ryan and I are working on. I certainly don’t want to lose money on it, that just seems wrong. Of course I feel confident that no one would want to return our app because it’s *that* awesome, but you never know – . One would think Apple would want to promote developing of iphone applications, but if they are going to treat the developers like crap, where’s the incentive? [...]

By: Joseph

Joseph — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:18:16 +0000

“If developers don’t want to write for the iPhone platform, they don’t have to.”
I don’t intend to.

Also, regarding hosting costs: based on a few other people’s estimates, I have calculated that, in 2005, it cost web hosts about 1 cent per 70MB transferred. Since then, the cost has almost certainly dropped.
There is no way that Apple needs 30% of sales just to “cover hosting costs.”

By: ronald

ronald — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:30:29 +0000

i love iphone… i love apps too… but i hate the apps that cost so much and doesnt even worked… so i think having then refund 100% of the app price is good enough so they can stop selling apps that doesnt even work…

i love apple products… but i think they are overpriced… and some of their products are ridiculously stupid… just like the new earphone for the new iPod shuffle… they made it that way so when your earphone breaks in 3 months (just like how they designed the iphone earpiece) you have to buy the same earphone from them which cost over 30dollars because if u buy an earphone that’s not Apple its not going to work because it doesnt have the stupid control that their earpiece has…

with MS, i think their products are just fine… but i still love apple products… beecause MS products looks cheap…!!! lol

By: E-vidence » Blog Archive » Prochaine série d’articles sur Android

Fri, 22 May 2009 16:32:27 +0000

[...] Votre application doit être remboursée ? Ils gardent leur commission. [...]

By: A

Fri, 08 May 2009 20:33:44 +0000

Apple doesn’t need to recoup anything because these apps are what are driving iphone sales.
Nobody asked apple to limit distribution to their own iphone store. That’s the biggest limitation on what iphones can do right now, is apple’s strict control of what people can develop and how they can develop it and where they can distribute it.
If it costs apple so much money that they need to keep 30% and force refunds from the developers, than maybe they shouldn’t force people to use their app store.
It’s dirty to keep the 30%. What about the developer’s overhead and all their time developing the app. This is all the money they’re getting from this while apple gets the phone sales plus they get commission on the wireless contracts.

By: Slamnik

Slamnik — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:34:35 +0000

Actually, Apple is checking and approving each and every application before publishing. So what is actually ‘poorly’ developed app? And if I am not mistaken, customer can ask for refund even if he is bored with the app.
BTW can you ask for refund if you find dead pixel on your MacBook? Try it…

By: Tristan Krautz

Tristan Krautz — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:23:29 +0000

Why should Apple take on the financial risks of a poorly developed app just because they have a huge pile of cash? I suspect that this clause is designed to protect Apple from apps that are poorly developed or do not meet customer expectations.

The quality of the app is the responsibility of the developer and they should bear the risks associated with this. The quality of the App Store is the responsibility of Apple.

By: Jake

Jake — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:56:29 +0000

@jeff:
I wanted to read it. What made you think that anyone wants to read your comment?

By: ruronny

ruronny — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:32:09 +0000

What I think most people are missing here is what Apple is really doing to the devs. First and foremost every other company that take returns anticipates this and builds it into the initial cost. Where do you think people come up with prices? It’s not just a made up number someone thought looked good. There are a lot of factors built into it. The fees Apple gets from credit card companies both on the purchase and return should be accounted before ahead of time. This way should someone return the product they can either break even. Why should they make money on something when someone returns it?
I think they should charge a 30% commission on purchases. They made a product and should profit from it. The messed up part is that they are getting paid twice. They get 30% form the same AND 30% from the return. The dev of a crappy app should go bankrupt from people not buying or returning their product, not from them having to pay Apple when they haven’t even actually made any money. Also, 90 is an outrageous amount of time for a return. Can you return a car you drove after 90 days? A bed you’ve been sleeping in? No. You should have a trial period, maybe a week or so, but certainly not three months. Also, I’d be interested to see this (since I think the Iphone is really really overrated, and yes I have used it. I just would never return anything since I don’t waste my money on something before I know what I’m buying). I would imagine that I could buy a game, play it for three months, return, wait a couple of weeks and buy it again. Then when bored, just return it again, over and over and over. So now Apply keeps making money, the developer losses money, and I don’t have to pay a cent. Good job Apple for screwing the people that support you.

By: bsharp

bsharp — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:28:21 +0000

Doesn’t Amazon have the same policy? If I return a product to Amazon, doesn’t the seller have total responsibility to refund the amount of the sale? I don’t think Amazon is required to refund anything, including the shipping costs.

I could be wrong.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 07:15:35 +0000

amen

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 07:13:36 +0000

don’t make a shitty app & expect to get paid!
Thats pretty thin.
Make an app that the masses will love except a few who just want their money back
I paid 12.00 for an app that was supposed to sync my Exchange tasks from glorious microshaft, & it worked for crap .. did I ask for a refund ? no, they made it better .. thats how shit should be done ..

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:23:32 +0000

I have to say wow!!! How many of you are in business for yourselves?????

People will screw you with the drop of a hat when you’re in business…. ya because they have big pockets right, b/s without apple there would be no apps for developers and no chance to make it big for something stupid like a beer app…… and don’t even tell me anyone else would have gotten into the game without apple. They are all just copying the leader, APPLE and trying to profit off there success.

I’ve had all the rest they suck, the iphone has revolutionized the way my company does business go APPLLE!!!!!!

By: doraemon6688

doraemon6688 — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:27:53 +0000

lol … Apple can go to hell with its out-of-date iPhone … who cares anyway now that Nokia has the 5800 … and the upcoming N97 … there is just no comparison on what you get for your money … its all about the “money” and “value”

By: Chris Jacobsen

Chris Jacobsen — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:26:03 +0000

While I do agree that its pretty lame to have to pay back money to Apple that you never got in the first place, I don’t think its going to bankrupt any developer that is making quality products. In addition, any time you’re signing something that has to do with YOUR money you had better be reading the fine print. Regardless of how absurd something may be, they agreed to it. This will also fight the developers making a piece of crap application and charging $10, $20, or more for it to make a quick buck. If its worth it, people will keep it, but I’ve seen many of these that most users say was nothing but a rip off. They bait you with a free ‘lite’ version that seems cool, and then offer you the paid version that sometimes costs a good chunk of money (for this type of app), which ends up not doing anything useful the original didn’t.

I agree there should be a try before you buy period, but unless Apple starts doing that, which I don’t see happening, this is the beast developers must deal with.

By: Lexxgal

Lexxgal — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:38:22 +0000

You are so right, they should have read
the contract before been so quickly to sign
it. It is a money market dog eat dog world
in the electronics market. They always
READ BEFORE YOU SIGN.