New Xbox Refund System: How to use Microsoft's digital game self-service refund
Microsoft plans to adopt a new self-service refund system for digital game purchases through the Xbox Live storefront, according to those in the Xbox Insiders program. This new system is a lot like what Steam has been offering since 2015 and marks a decidedly customer-friendly swing with the refund policy on Xbox Live.
This latest update to the Xbox platform is yet another that's part of a host of new features Microsoft has been introducing over the last half-year. It looks like this rollout of upgrades may be part of the company's plans to make the Project Scorpio Xbox One refresh more appealing to those new to the platform when it launches this holiday season.
You can see the nuances of Microsoft's new digital game self-service refund policy below.
New Xbox refund system: How to use the self-service system
Microsoft's new refund system works a lot like Steam's does. To initiate a refund, you must head to Microsoft's account website and sign in. Once you've signed in, you can select "payment & billing" from the top bar and navigate to "order history." Once you're on the order history page, you can click on an app or game you've purchased and choose to request a refund.
To qualify for a refund, you'll have to meet a few criteria though. A refund has to be requested within two weeks of an app or game purchase, and you must wait until at least one day after the release date to start the refund process. You also have to have used the product for less than two hours across all accounts. Additionally, season passes, add-ons and DLC are not eligible for a self-service refund.
New Xbox refund system: What to do if you can't use the self-service refund
As stated above there are certain products sold on the Xbox Live storefront that don't qualify for a self-service refund. For these, you'll have to contact Xbox customer support directly. Microsoft also reserves the right to block access to any user who abuses the self-service refund system. So don't think you can demo a game for an hour and a half and then return it, or you may end up barred from self-service refunds.
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