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> My mom went to the Apple store (a physical one) and explained the situation but still didn't get her money back. I don’t mean to sound contentious, but I thi

> My mom went to the Apple store (a physical one) and explained the situation but still didn't get her money back. I don’t mean to sound contentious, but I think most HN users realize that a retail employee is fairly powerless for things that aren’t retail. A physical store is not the proper channel for such a request. Did you redirect her to file a request online?

amelius 6y ago
I am not an Apple customer myself, so I have no idea how Apple works. I assumed that the store employee could redirect her if necessary.
- spaetzleesser 6y ago
  This is just BS. As customer you shouldn’t have to know how the company works.
  - kube-system 6y ago
    I agree that you shouldn't have to. But in the world of multinational business, navigating some of the bureaucracy is really a consumer literacy skill. You can easily find yourselves in the same customer-service traps at almost any large company if you misdirect a request. There is no doubt this is not ideal -- but it is nonetheless a nuance of the status quo. Honestly, I think Apple is better about this than their peers.
- alsetmusic 6y ago
  > am not an Apple customer myself, so I have no idea how Apple works. I think this is BS. It’s not uncommon for me to do a quick web search on behalf of a parent who is less savvy. I typically find what they’re looking for (such as the current COVID vax protocol in their city) on the first attempt. I assume you have the same ability. > I assumed that the store employee could redirect her if necessary. This is fair. I can see why this might be expected.
spaetzleesser 6y ago
There should be a clearly defined way for doing this. Right now there are a ton of “maybe” options. Maybe tweeting about it will help, maybe calling will help, maybe having a friend at the company will help, maybe somebody at the Apple Store will help. Or many times, nothing will work and you are screwed. There should be a clearly defined way for doing this instead of a faceless, opaque bureaucracy that regular people can’t understand. In this sense big tech is very similar to US healthcare. As user you are pretty much at their mercy. Maybe they feel like helping, maybe not.
- zepto 6y ago
  There is a clearly defined way. The invoice email for each app has a link for problems with purchases. Every single App purchase has this.

amelius 6y ago

I am not an Apple customer myself, so I have no idea how Apple works. I assumed that the store employee could redirect her if necessary.

spaetzleesser 6y ago
This is just BS. As customer you shouldn’t have to know how the company works.
- kube-system 6y ago
  I agree that you shouldn't have to. But in the world of multinational business, navigating some of the bureaucracy is really a consumer literacy skill. You can easily find yourselves in the same customer-service traps at almost any large company if you misdirect a request. There is no doubt this is not ideal -- but it is nonetheless a nuance of the status quo. Honestly, I think Apple is better about this than their peers.
alsetmusic 6y ago
> am not an Apple customer myself, so I have no idea how Apple works. I think this is BS. It’s not uncommon for me to do a quick web search on behalf of a parent who is less savvy. I typically find what they’re looking for (such as the current COVID vax protocol in their city) on the first attempt. I assume you have the same ability. > I assumed that the store employee could redirect her if necessary. This is fair. I can see why this might be expected.

spaetzleesser 6y ago

There should be a clearly defined way for doing this. Right now there are a ton of “maybe” options. Maybe tweeting about it will help, maybe calling will help, maybe having a friend at the company will help, maybe somebody at the Apple Store will help. Or many times, nothing will work and you are screwed. There should be a clearly defined way for doing this instead of a faceless, opaque bureaucracy that regular people can’t understand. In this sense big tech is very similar to US healthcare. As user you are pretty much at their mercy. Maybe they feel like helping, maybe not.

zepto 6y ago
There is a clearly defined way. The invoice email for each app has a link for problems with purchases. Every single App purchase has this.