According to a frustrated iTunes user, Robert Herskowitz, Apple doesn’t handle refunds very well.
Shortly after purchasing the single Whataya Want From Me by Adam Lambert from the iTunes store, Herskowitz noticed that he’d been billed for the song twice. No big deal. Apple will clearly see that it made a mistake and refund his $0.99 right? Apparently not.
Your request for a refund for “Whataya Want from Me” was carefully considered; however, according to the iTunes Store Terms of Sale, all purchases made on the iTunes Store are ineligible for refund. This policy matches Apple’s refund policies and provides protection for copyrighted materials.
It’d be one thing if he bought the song and decided he didn’t really like it, but getting charged twice for one song – even if it only sets him back a measly 99 cents – is unacceptable behavior for such a well respected company. And they wonder why people pirate music…
Long story short, Apple has successfully earned itself another lawsuit. Herskowitz filed the suit on April 27 and is currently awaiting the court date – you can follow the case docket to keep updated as things progress.
I love Apple, but I have to admit, its customer support sucks. I’ve run into a few problems in the past, and it seems like (if you’re lucky enough to get an un-automated message) they usually just send you a useless excerpt from a related help page on the site and add a line or two of personal conversation.
Who knows how the case will turn out in the end – for more details and to view the full lawsuit, you can visit Tech Law.
