Asking for refund of a Application bought by mistake

Hello ! I changed my region and one of daughter's app subscription got auto cancel due region change because she is under my family sharing and by mistake she clicked on an app which is not the same one and this app is very expensive and none of my or my family use.. I applied refund online through app store but Apple team refused saying not eligible, I requested again to the team that this is a mistake and we didnt wanted to subscribe but again they replied not eligible.. Can someone help me guiding what to do for this refund because it is very expensive and also not of our use. Please guide and help me on this matter because this is a minor mistake and also not intended to have this app as it is totally useless for me.


Regards,

Aqrab

Posted on Dec 30, 2025 11:02 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 31, 2025 3:28 AM

This is a user to user support site. The people responding on this support forum are users like you. We have no special access to Apple information or your accounts, so unfortunately all we can do is guide you to the information Apple does provide. Apple, however, does not have much on its criteria for refusing refunds. Below are two sections from the U.S.A. version of Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions - Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple You can see if the terms are different for where you live by clicking on this link Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple then select your location and then your language.


- "All Transactions are final."

Apple's terms of purchase in the USA are, "All Transactions are final," ( Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple section B), but check the terms for your country. Even if Apple does not outright say in a country that sales are final, they may say that refunds are only made to remedy defective or unavailable product. In other cases Apple may make limited refunds solely at their discretion and as an exception. Apple can also simply say no without having to provide a reason. I understand this can be frustrating but by using the service you agree to the terms.


- "From time to time, Apple may suspend or cancel payment or refuse a refund request if we find evidence of fraud, abuse, or unlawful or other manipulative behavior that entitles Apple to a corresponding counterclaim." Remember that Apple has no way of removing a purchase from your device. They have to trust you are being honest when asking for a refund. It may be that certain refund requests might be considered suspicious or excessive.

According to https://reportaproblem.apple.com/static/en-us/privacy.html , Apple uses an automated system to detect fraud. Your request may not have met the automated system’s criteria for a refund. In the article Apple says, “If you disagree with your final decision, contact dpo@apple.com “ However, according to user posts on this web site the result is confusing because you receive an automated response talking about privacy issues, not refunds. In that case:


I think if you have already asked twice and Apple has replied twice that you are not eligible then they are very unlikely to change their decision if you keep on asking. Making a purchase or subscription requires several very deliberate steps and is not easily done by mistake.


If you wish to try a telephone or chat method, click here --> https://support.apple.com/choose-country-region Select your country, then a product. If you don't see one that handles your issue then keep experimenting with selections until you reach one that gets you a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.


or:


"See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world." Click here --> Contact Apple Support - Apple Support



4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 31, 2025 3:28 AM in response to Aqrab9

This is a user to user support site. The people responding on this support forum are users like you. We have no special access to Apple information or your accounts, so unfortunately all we can do is guide you to the information Apple does provide. Apple, however, does not have much on its criteria for refusing refunds. Below are two sections from the U.S.A. version of Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions - Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple You can see if the terms are different for where you live by clicking on this link Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple then select your location and then your language.


- "All Transactions are final."

Apple's terms of purchase in the USA are, "All Transactions are final," ( Legal - Apple Media Services - Apple section B), but check the terms for your country. Even if Apple does not outright say in a country that sales are final, they may say that refunds are only made to remedy defective or unavailable product. In other cases Apple may make limited refunds solely at their discretion and as an exception. Apple can also simply say no without having to provide a reason. I understand this can be frustrating but by using the service you agree to the terms.


- "From time to time, Apple may suspend or cancel payment or refuse a refund request if we find evidence of fraud, abuse, or unlawful or other manipulative behavior that entitles Apple to a corresponding counterclaim." Remember that Apple has no way of removing a purchase from your device. They have to trust you are being honest when asking for a refund. It may be that certain refund requests might be considered suspicious or excessive.

According to https://reportaproblem.apple.com/static/en-us/privacy.html , Apple uses an automated system to detect fraud. Your request may not have met the automated system’s criteria for a refund. In the article Apple says, “If you disagree with your final decision, contact dpo@apple.com “ However, according to user posts on this web site the result is confusing because you receive an automated response talking about privacy issues, not refunds. In that case:


I think if you have already asked twice and Apple has replied twice that you are not eligible then they are very unlikely to change their decision if you keep on asking. Making a purchase or subscription requires several very deliberate steps and is not easily done by mistake.


If you wish to try a telephone or chat method, click here --> https://support.apple.com/choose-country-region Select your country, then a product. If you don't see one that handles your issue then keep experimenting with selections until you reach one that gets you a chat session or a telephone call and get the representative to redirect you.


or:


"See a list of Apple phone numbers around the world." Click here --> Contact Apple Support - Apple Support



Dec 31, 2025 8:57 AM in response to Limnos

Apple’s position appears to be that people need to be proactive about purchases, ensuring that others are not able to make unsanctioned purchases. Note that if you allow—intentionally or not—another person access to purchasing on a device, or through Family Sharing if you are the Organizer, you are taking responsibility for things they do. Apple offers these features to help you avoid this situation:


On your device you can use Screen Time to prevent unintentional or unauthorized purchases from the App Store, in-app, and other Apple services. —> https://support.apple.com/102470


Also on your device, require a password for App Store and iTunes purchases —> https://support.apple.com/119848


Use Screen Time as part of parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch —> https://support.apple.com/105121


If a child made this purchase on their device as part of Family Sharing, consider activating Ask To Buy—> https://support.apple.com/105055


Use Guided Access to permit a person to only use a single app —>

https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-guided-access-iph7fad0d10/ios


Dec 31, 2025 8:07 AM in response to Carol B.

Carol B. wrote:

If I may make a suggestion ... to avoid issues like this in the future, you can require a password for any App Store purchases. This can help avoid any accidental purchases your daughter may make.
Require a password for purchases in the App Store and other Apple services - Apple Support

And in addition to the Password option provided here, you can also turn on Ask To Buy to help prevent accidental purchases. This way you would be able to see what purchase your daughter intends to make first for you to review.

Approve what kids buy with Ask to Buy - Apple Support


Asking for refund of a Application bought by mistake

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.