So, as I so painfully found out today. Google decided to change their market place refund policy from 24 hours to 15 minutes. Ya, 15 minutes and no that wasn't an exageration (http://market.android.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=134336). I bought an app today and downloaded, grabbed a cup of coffe, hit the restroom, returned and started the app. Then it had me send an email to the author to request an activation key (WTF?), I waited, waited a little more, then received the email and input the code. The app refused to work. I give it a couple more tries to no avail, just a blank screen. No worries right? WRONG! The time from purchase till then was longer than 15 minutes so Google Market refused to refund my money!

Now I have to call Visa to stop payment and start arguing with Google to get it back, but this could all have been alleviated without their ludicrous 15-minute return policy. I refuse to do business with anyone that has such ridiculous policies, because that is proof positive that they don't want to do business, they just want their cut of the purchase price and don't care if the goods actually work for you. Could you imagine if the rest of the world operated under such terrible terms?

"This pizza is cold..." "Tough, you own it now."

I've been told that Apple iTunes has always had a policy of all sales final, but guess why I've never purchased an Apple product since they killed the IIGS? Because Apple has a long history of obscenely screwing their customers. That was never the case with Google, they were always the guys that had the words "Do no Evil" written into their DNA if not their corporate charter (I never actually checked). Google are the people. Period. Or so I wanted to think, but they have grander intentions of doing evil and blatantly so. I'll be sporting a new T-Shirt that says "Google is Evil", until they change this policy, beg forgiveness publicly on video, refund every penny pilferred by their fascist market place. Note: I left out demanding an offer of 100% refund of all Android apps and devices to any customer that asks. Wow, what a painful blow to their otherwise great reputation.

Buh bye, Google Market. Douglas says that he's been using Amazon Market lately so I'll check it out. I may be ditching the rest of Google's properties as soon as I can find decent alternatives. I've dumped Apple and Microsoft in the past, why not Google?

Nicholas