Apple vets everything sold on iTunes very carefully and is pretty clear that all iTunes purchases are final. But what happens if you purchase an app that just didn't work or has problems downloading or some other significant issue? Then your purchase may not be as final as Apple's terms and conditions make it sound.
Not too long ago I was looking for an app to solve a particular hassle I frequently encounter when conducting business on my iPhone. I researched online and read many reviews in the App Store before choosing an app that was highly recommended in several places online and had a large number of non-spammy four- and five-star reviews that seemed like they were written by legitimate users. None of the bad reviews set off any red flags. All in all, this seemed like a solid app and I decided $9.99 was small change for the amount of hassle this app promised to save me.
Except the app didn't work.
At all.
Fortunately I was able to get a refund through iTunes. If you've had a similar experience, here's how you can get a refund too:
Get a Refund Through iTunes
Sign in to iTunes.
Go to Account>Purchases>See All.
Purchases are grouped by date. Find the batch that contains the app you want a refund for and click on the gray arrow to the left.
Click the Report a Problem button.
Click Report a Problem next to the app you want a refund for.
This will take you to the Apple Website; sign in and choose from the list the issue that best fits your problem with the app and then provide a description of the problem in the field below.
Click Next.
The next screen will tell you if you are eligible for a refund for this App.
Click Request Refund and then Done.
Get a Refund Through Apple.com
On Apple's website, go to Support>iTunes>Account and Billing>Billing>Report a Problem.
Sign in.
Click on the Report a Problem button next to the item you want a refund for.
Select the problem that best applies and provide the details of the problem in the Description field.
Click Submit.
If you are eligible for a refund, Click Request Refund and then Done.
If I've left out any details or you know of another method for getting a refund, let me know in the comments!