Apple Now Allows European Customers Up To 14 Days To Return A Digital Purchase 'Without Giving Any Reason,' And That Could Spell Trouble For App Developers

Thanks to Apple's new 14-day, no questions asked return policy for iTunes and App Store purchases in the EU, it's now incredibly easy for people to get a refund. The new policy could also lead to people "sampling" purchases only to return them shortly after.

Apple used to offer refunds on purchases up "until delivery of the product has started," but Apple's new refund policy in the UK, France, Italy, and Germany allows customers up to 14 days to ask for a refund "without giving any reason," according to 9to5Mac.

Here's the wording of Apple's new return policy, which essentially lets anyone sample an iTunes or App Store purchase and return it two weeks later.

Right of cancellation: If you choose to cancel your order, you may do so within 14 days from when you received your receipt without giving any reason, except iTunes Gifts which cannot be refunded once you have redeemed the code.

So why did Apple make the change?

It looks like Apple is complying with a recent consumer rights directive specific to Europe that requires a "14-day right or withdrawal period" for goods and service sold in the EU.

This two-week return window could become a headache for app developers, however, as customers would be within their rights to download and try an app for thirteen days, only to to return it for a full refund on the fourteenth "without giving any reason."