It looks like Microsoft is taking a page from Valve's playbook and will be offering self-service refunds in the near future. Basically, if you're not satisfied with a game you bought off the Xbox Store or Windows 10 Store, you will soon be able to request a refund. Those enrolled in Xbox Preview (Microsoft's beta testing program) were notified of the new feature today, and it should be rolling out to all users later this year.
There are, of course, stipulations. The refund in question has to be made within 14 days of purchase and you have to have accumulated fewer than 2 hours of play time across all accounts. You'll also have to download and launch the game, and wait at least one day after the game's release date before initiating the refund process.
Here's the full text of what Xbox Preview members were sent, courtesy of Reddit:
Self-Service Refunds Now In Preview Alpha
You’ve spoken; we’ve listened. In support of offering gamers the freedom of choice, we’re making changes to the Microsoft Store purchase experience by offering customers a simple way to instantly return digital products like games and apps through account.microsoft.com.
When a game or app leaves you wanting more, we're here to help. Self-service refunds on Xbox One and Windows 10 provide a quick, simple way of returning a digital product.
To request a self-service refund:
1. Navigate to account.microsoft.com and sign-in.
2. From the top menu bar, select Payment & billing > Order history.
3. Navigate to a purchased game or app, and select Request a refund.
Please note the below conditions for requesting a self-service refund:
Games and apps are eligible for self-service refunds within 14 days of purchase if you have less than 2 hours of play time across all accounts.
DLC, season passes, and add-ons are not eligible for self-service refunds.
The game or app must be downloaded and launched before requesting a self-service refund.
You must wait for at least 1 day after the game or app's release before requesting a self-service refund.
Certain Windows 10 apps may not be eligible for self-service refunds.
Microsoft reserves the right to block access for users who abuse self-service refunds.
All told though, not bad. Those terms seem pretty fair to me, and might make me feel a little bit better about going digital. What do you think? Onboard?
