Google Play nows offers 14 day refund window for purchased services if you're in the EEA
Starting today, the Google Play 48-hour refund period has been extended to a full 14 days in the EEA. The change was made to comply with EU law that gives consumers a 14-day "cooling off" period for online purchases.
There is a plethora of apps and services available in the Google Play Store. Some of the best apps require you to put some cold, hard cash down. Thankfully, the return window allows you to get your money back if you're not satisfied with your purchase. Google is making some changes to how these return policies work in the European Economic Area (EEA).
In the past, EEA users had a 48-hour window on Play Store refunds. This is how it is currently for the rest of us. After that 48-hour period, you were stuck negotiating a refund with the app developer. Services you purchased through the app were subject to the same rules. Starting today, the 48-hour period has been extended to a full 14 days in the EEA. The change was made to comply with EU law that gives consumers a 14-day "cooling off" period for online purchases.
It's important to note that the 14-day period is for "digital services." There is still a 2-hour refund window for app purchases. The extended period is for buying in-app subscriptions and other services via Google Play. The example Google gives is if you buy file storage services on Google Play, you can cancel the purchase within 14 days for a full refund. The difference between "digital content" and "digital services" is a little tricky. Read the full description below.
Content vs Services
Digital content. Under the law, you have an automatic statutory right of withdrawal from contracts for purchases of digital content, such as apps, games, in-app items, or other media like movies or music. The same applies when you purchase a subscription for digital content within an app. However, when you purchase or subscribe to digital content with Google Play, you agree that the digital content will be available to you immediately, and you acknowledge that, as a result, you waive your automatic statutory right of withdrawal. Therefore, you will not be eligible for a refund (or any alternative remedy) unless the digital content is defective, unavailable, or doesn’t perform as stated.
In the case of a subscription for digital content, if you don’t want to subscribe anymore, you can cancel your subscription. You will still have access to the subscription until the end of the period you have paid for.
Digital services. Under the law, you have an automatic statutory right of withdrawal from contracts for the purchase of digital services for 14 days after you make the purchase. For example, if you buy file storage services on Google Play, you can cancel the purchase within 14 days for a full refund. You can request a refund here, or use this form to withdraw. After the first 14 days you will not be eligible for a refund (or any alternative remedy) unless the services are defective, unavailable, or don’t perform as stated. However, you can cancel your subscription, and the cancellation will be effective from the start of the next payment period. You will still have access to the subscription until the end of the period you have paid for.
Source: Google Via: Android Police
