J.D. Hodges

I mistakenly placed an Amazon App store order. I thought the app was a “free app of the day” but turned out to be full cost 🙁

Much to my surprise, I could find no readily apparent way to get a refund. This came as a shock because Google Play (Android Market) and Apple (iTunes app store) both allow time limited refunds.

So naturally, I contacted Amazon about getting a refund:

—————
03/29/12 09:34:30
Your Name: J.D. Hodges
Order Id: DXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXX03
Comments:
Hello,
I clicked the wrong button and mistakenly purchased the following app:
Lights Off – The Original Game [Apps for Android], Price: $0.99
Order #: DXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXX03

Please cancel this order as I have no desire to purchase this app.

Also, please let me know if there is an easier or more direct way to cancel mistaken app purchases. Thank you!

Best regards,
-JD
—————

Here is the Amazon customer service representative’s response:

Hello,

Thank you for writing to us with your concern.

As a standard policy, Appstore purchases aren’t returnable.

However, because this was an accidental purchase, I’ve issued a refund in the amount of $0.99. This refund should go through within the next 2 to 3 business days and will apply to the payment method used for the original purchase.

Once processed, you can see your refund here:

www.amazon.com/gp/digital/your-account/order-summary.html?orderID=xxx

Also, at this time, there is no direct way to cancel app purchases.However, I’ve considered your comments as feedback and forwarded them to the concerned department as we make future improvements.

The Kindle Team will carefully review your comments.

I hope this helps! We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept incoming e-mail.

To contact us about an unrelated issue, please visit the Help section of our web site.

Best regards,

S.V.
Amazon.com
Your feedback is helping us build Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company.

Conclusion: Contact Amazon to get a refund for a mistakenly purchased app

It is very surprising that as of March 2012 there is no way to get a refund without contacting a human being at Amazon. In this aspect the Amazon app store is lagging behind its competitors. Thankfully though, the process is still fairly simple (login to your Amazon account, go to the “My Account” page, and go through the support links to the “Contact Us” page)

Here are some screenshots showing the process: