Apple Closes Loophole Allowing People To Sample Movies, TV shows, And Apps For Free

Two weeks ago, Apple changed its refund policy for iTunes and App Store purchases in the EU, allowing customers up to 14 days to make a return "without giving any reason."

Apple altered its return policy to adhere to a new EU mandate for digital downloads.

We were quick to point out that Apple's new policy would essentially allow customers to sample and download content for free, as there was always the option to return a purchase for a full refund two weeks later. This could turn into an issue for app developers in particular, as customers could gain full access to an app, try it for two weeks, and rinse and repeat every two weeks.

Apple has thought up a solution to this potential problem, however, and we've learned that customers who abuse the new return policy will be met with a notification that asks the customer to confirm that the purchase is final if they download it within 14 days of clicking "Buy."

Mac developer Rosyna Keller posted a screenshot of the notification on Twitter (via 9to5Mac).

While we don't know how many refunds trigger this notification, it looks like Apple is taking steps to limit potential abuse to the policy.