I recently wrote about issues regarding Newsstand publication refunds in the event of a magazine being cancelled. When Tap! was cancelled by Future Publishing, I immediately requested a refund and got one; several other people informed me they weren’t so lucky. Apple’s responses varied from outright refusal (“every purchase is final”) through to (oddly) crediting someone for several free movie rentals.

Since I wrote the piece, I’ve helped several people out by sending them the discussion thread I had with Apple. In one case, that was enough for someone to get a refund. In another case, Apple wrote back to me, seemingly confusing the two accounts. I figured questions needed to be asked regarding Apple and Newsstand, because otherwise I’d have no confidence in ever taking out another Newsstand sub beyond one that renewed monthly.

Having done some investigating, it appears Apple is not blind to publication cancellations. I understand that when a publisher notifies Apple that a publication is cancelled, the remainder of the subscription should be refunded; additionally, AppleCare should refund subscriptions when contacted, once the service knows a publication has been cancelled. If AppleCare is not aware of a cancellation, ‘usual’ refund procedures will be followed.

It appears problems people have experienced with Tap! and other publications have been down to confusion in Apple not knowing a subscription has ended early, for whatever reason. This could mean any of the following:

  • The publisher not correctly following procedure in letting Apple know a publication has ceased.
  • Apple receiving information about a publication being cancelled but not correctly acting on it.
  • People requesting refunds not being clear enough in their request.

On that basis, if you’re still wanting a refund from Apple for a Newsstand publication that’s been cancelled, and you don’t fancy pinning your hopes on an automatic refund, clarity is key. You must ensure AppleCare knows you’re asking for a refund for a Newsstand magazine that has ceased publication.

In my case, I reported a problem through the most recent subscription receipt (which you can do through your account in iTunes—see this Gizmodo piece for a visual walkthrough). My wording was to the point: “[Publisher] has stated [publication] magazine has ceased publication and no new issues are going to be released. I am therefore writing to get a refund for my outstanding subscription.”

That did the job for me, and it might work for you. Failing that, feel free to point AppleCare at this post and also to email me if you can’t get your money back for a magazine that’s ceased publication.