When you buy stuff from Google Play Store, whether an actual paid app or an in-app purchase, you can almost always (depending on the developer’s policy) ask for a refund. Google’s policy is that you’ll get a decision on your appeal for a refund in just 15 minutes. But it looks like they’ve increased that waiting period to an unprecedented four days and if you’re the kind of person that doesn’t like waiting that long for anything, this can be a challenge indeed.
The folks over at Android Police spotted this change in Google’s support page. If previously it says that “You’ll usually get a decision within 15 minutes”, it now says that it can actually take up to four business days before they decide on your request. And if your request falls on a weekend or on a holiday, the wait may even be longer than that.
Google did not give an official reason as to why they had to change their policy. Android Police speculates that this may be because a lot of the refund requests have not had human intervention because of the 15 minute window and that may have resulted in them getting declined. So if you really think about it, this may be a good thing eventually if you’re willing to wait.
Reasons for refunds vary of course. Some may have immediately regretted paying for an app that they will not eventually need. It can also be an honest mistake on their part, and that’s why you need to install more security and verification processes for purchases. Some may have also found out that the app they bought isn’t compatible with their device.
In any case, hopefully this four day wait will now result in more refund requests being thoroughly reviewed, by human eyes if needed.
