Returning a digital download. What are the customers rights?

BrokenArrows

I'm just curious about the following scenario.

A customer pays for and downloads a software package and receives a license key by email.

Are they entitled to return the product if they are unhappy with it?

I would think that they are not entitled to return the product as there is no way for the retailer to know that they will not continue to use the product as they already have a software and license key.

dudara

Putting that aside, is the download actually defective or missold in some way?

Or is this a case of "change of mind"? If so, you could contact the retailer asking if they would take it back. Don't know how that would work from a licensing perspective though.

whippet

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Are they entitled to return the product if they are unhappy with it?

two things here:

1 - Why would the customer be unhappy? ... if they just have buyers remorse etc .. there would be no entitlement. If the product isn't fit for purpose you would be entitled to a refund.

2 - I have seen some software vendors refunding licenses through the use of a 'Certificate of Destruction' .. in essence you sign a fairly detailed document to say that you will dispose of any license keys and uninstall / delete any instance etc of the license and will not retain any media etc (usually in a business context)

BrokenArrows

Its more of a buyers remorse scenario im thinking about.

I'm the retailer in this situation and there is a free trial version available so all the features are there to see and try out.

wmpdd3

Unless the customer thinks you mislead them in the description of the product, other than that, I have never heard of a retailer software retailer offering a refund.

Maybe credit as a good will gesture.

Bepolite

It's not been decided whether distance selling regulations apply. Fancy being the test case OP?

Michael D Not Higgins

I would think there's no recourse if the buyer had the chance to use the trial version.