#178: Customer Escape Hatches

After taking credit ;) for Apple’s experiments in search improvements I dive into a few changes to the App Store that could improve doing business in the store.

Make the App Store Refund policy more obvious

I really don’t understand why Apple makes the refund process so opaque and awkward. I know from my own experience in physical stores that a clear and easy refund policy helps drive sales. It is far better than a ‘trial-mode’ because it sustains the value of the app (rather than giving it away for free then asking for money later). However, it still maintains that escape hatch for purchases unsure of whether they really want the app.

I’d love two things, neither of which are actually policy changes.

Educate App Store customers about what the policy is and ideally phrase it in clear terms.

I’m sure there is an internal policy within Apple customer support, but I haven’t been able to find a clear explanation of it. The legalese Term