Digital Refunds Coming to Xbox One and Windows 10
Today we learned that when you purchase an app or game on either Xbox or Windows 10, you will soon be able to refund it without having to call customer service begging for one from a cranky Microsoft support representative.
It will actually be a simple process to request a refund:
- Go to account.microsoft.com and sign-in.
- Select Payment & Billing from the top menu.
- Select Order History.
- Find the purchased app or game, then select Request a refund.
There is a bit of a catch as the following conditions apply for those seeking a refund:
- Games and apps are only eligible for refunds within two weeks of purchase if you have less than 2 hours of usage across all accounts on that device.
- DLC, season passes, and DLC are not eligible for self-service refunds.
- The game or app must be downloaded and launched at least once before requesting a self-service refund.
- You must wait at least one day after the game or app’s launch before requesting a refund.
- Certain Windows 10 apps may not be eligible for a self-service refund. Presumably at developer’s requests.
- Microsoft emphasizes that it reserves the right to block access for users who abuse self-service refunds. So, people who repeatedly purchase, then refund games simply to test them out are likely to find themselves with a ban.
With the increase in digital sales over the past few years, we knew this day would eventually arrive. Reality is it’s likely cheaper to offer an automated method for obtaining these refunds. It appears Microsoft will utilize some sort of algorithm to ensure the system isn’t abused. So we recommend you don’t abuse this and use it as some kind of game demo opportunity.