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Apple provides $3 refunds to all Peace ad blocker users
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MacNN Staff
Join Date: Jul 2012
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Apple has taken the highly unusual decision to refund all purchasers of the Peace ad-blocking browser, the developer has confirmed. After voluntarily taking the app out of the App Store after being listed for a few days, and providing refunds to customers requesting their money back, developer Marco Arment advises that Apple is now "proactively refunding all purchases" of the $3 app to its users.
In a new blog post, Arment confirms he was contacted by Apple yesterday about the refunds, and that it would "probably take a few days to process" to all users. In the normal refund system, Arment notes that over 13,000 people had already requested their money back, and that Apple stepping in was a complete surprise.
"As far as I know, this effectively never happens," writes Arment. "When I decided to pull the app, I asked some Apple friends if this was even possible, and we all thought the same thing: iTunes billing works the way it works, period, and no special cases can be made." The current refund system does not allow developers to issue refunds directly, with users being required to apply through Apple in a "clunky process."
Arment was also questioning whether it was right to keep the remaining funds after the requested refunds were paid, suggesting it does not have a "widely agreeable 'right' answer." After claiming "Apple made the decision for me, in a way that I didn't even think was possible," the developer admits he is pleased with the result. "As happy as someone can be who just made a lot of money on a roller coaster of surprise, guilt, and stress, then lost it all suddenly in a giant, unexpected reset that actually resolves things pretty well."
Peace's removal from the App Store may be good news to online publishers relying on online advertising, but it is also helpful to its competition. At the time of writing, the Crystal ad blocker is currently the top paid app, a position previously occupied by Peace.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: North Carolina
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Great move by Apple. Glad they hit that scumbag in the wallet instead of letting him make a quick buck.
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Apr 2007
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@jasons, which scumbag did you mean? The developer pulled the app voluntarily, and offered refunds, even though everyone who bought it still has a working copy. So he can't be the scumbag.
Apple then took over the refunds, perhaps so the developer wouldn't be rendered penniless for doing something good. So Cook can't be the scumbag either.
Perhaps you were referring to the janitor scumbag, who watched the whole thing and just kept on sweeping the floors?
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: North Carolina
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Marco Arment. Marco is the scumbag I was referring to, who managed to spend the time developing an ad blocking app without feeling any remorse, release it along with an blog post about why his app was so much better (again, without feeling any remorse) and then subsequently pull it after it was the top selling app. Apparently he developed a sense of remorse in two days that the preceding weeks or months didn't afford him.
How generous of him to offer refunds to whoever happened to discover that he'd pulled the app, and took the time to request the refund. Even though he's not sure refunds were the "right answer." And giving it to charity wasn't the right answer because apparently picking a charity is such a paralyzing decision, you have to wonder how anyone manages to pull it off.
Even if donating it to a charity wasn't feasible for other reasons, claiming that picking a charity is "infinitely arguable" as your excuse is pretty lame. Somehow I manage to make charitable donations every year without arguing about it infinitely.
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Senior User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: SF
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I think scumbag might have been a bit of an overreaction. But I don't have a solely ad supported site, so what do I know.
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