Apple not providing refund for fraudulent app

I was denied a refund for an app that is just stealing money from people at this point. Slips is a P2P betting app, they have largely gotten complaints about their payout method which used to be paper checks that rarely got paid out. I got an email in December that they’d be offering ACH, but only if you got a subscription. The lowest tier of the subscription is $10. So I paid that, and once the feature was introduced, of course it didn’t work. So I waited, thinking that maybe they’d update the app and provide a fix. That has not happened, and I even contacted support about the issues and got no reply. So, frustrated, I contacted Apple for a refund. They said they could not provide me a refund and wouldn’t provide me any details. This app has received hundreds of complaints and now is false advertising and Apple isn’t doing a single thing to ensure that their customers aren’t getting taken advantage of. Why are they so against providing refunds? And I understand people request them all the time but when there is clear wrong doing on the other side, that’s when a refund should happen.

Posted on Jan 7, 2026 11:35 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 7, 2026 12:41 PM

Apple can remove an app when there is a violation to the Submission Guidelines. You would have to go to reportaproblem.apple.com website where one of the options is to report it as a scam. Requesting a refund will not be the same as reporting an app as a scam. Each have different criteria for review. As a Developer myself with many apps in the App Store, I am aware that Apple does take these reports from users seriously and when a problem is noted Apple will give the Developer 30 days to submit an app that does align with the Submission Guidelines, otherwise it will be removed. Apple is not a mediator to resolve disputes between a developer and a user and you are free to take any legal action you wish with a developer directly.

App Review Guidelines - Apple Developer


You can also write a review for the app in the App Store to let others know of your experience. I do see that app has been around for a year and has a 4 out of 5 rating based on over 2,000 user ratings so apparently there are many who do not feel like it is a fraud. Also as you indicated there are some that say it is a fraud with a 1 start review and those should also be taken into consideration when you decide to make an app purchase. The refund process is not determined by the 1 star reviews. You can look at an app like Facebook and see far more 1 star reviews, yet it is still available in the App Store and offers in-app purchases that may not be subject to a refund. The reviews are for users to determine if they want to download the app based only on peer reviews of those who had previously downloaded the app, they are not recommendations or endorsements by Apple.


In most cases all transactions in the App Store are final as seen in the terms of use for your Apple Account, so you should be operating under that premise. At times Apple may offer a compassionate refund, but it should never be expected.


2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 7, 2026 12:41 PM in response to WMill721

Apple can remove an app when there is a violation to the Submission Guidelines. You would have to go to reportaproblem.apple.com website where one of the options is to report it as a scam. Requesting a refund will not be the same as reporting an app as a scam. Each have different criteria for review. As a Developer myself with many apps in the App Store, I am aware that Apple does take these reports from users seriously and when a problem is noted Apple will give the Developer 30 days to submit an app that does align with the Submission Guidelines, otherwise it will be removed. Apple is not a mediator to resolve disputes between a developer and a user and you are free to take any legal action you wish with a developer directly.

App Review Guidelines - Apple Developer


You can also write a review for the app in the App Store to let others know of your experience. I do see that app has been around for a year and has a 4 out of 5 rating based on over 2,000 user ratings so apparently there are many who do not feel like it is a fraud. Also as you indicated there are some that say it is a fraud with a 1 start review and those should also be taken into consideration when you decide to make an app purchase. The refund process is not determined by the 1 star reviews. You can look at an app like Facebook and see far more 1 star reviews, yet it is still available in the App Store and offers in-app purchases that may not be subject to a refund. The reviews are for users to determine if they want to download the app based only on peer reviews of those who had previously downloaded the app, they are not recommendations or endorsements by Apple.


In most cases all transactions in the App Store are final as seen in the terms of use for your Apple Account, so you should be operating under that premise. At times Apple may offer a compassionate refund, but it should never be expected.


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Apple not providing refund for fraudulent app

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