A pair of Android users has sued Google over the company's app download policies, accusing the search giant of profiting off bogus apps and providing an insufficient window of time in which they can return underperforming apps.
Google misled Android users into thinking that apps in the Google Play Store "were in working order, were compatible with all Android phones, and functioned as represented," according to the class-action suit, which was filed in California Superior Court .
Google's 15-minute return policy, meanwhile, is far too short, according to the lawsuit, making it "almost impossible to return the application for a refund."
The suit, a copy of which was posted to PaidContent, names California residents Dodd J. Harris and Stephen Sabatino.
Harris purchased "Learn Chinese Mandarin Pro" for $4.83 in December. The app did not perform as advertised, according to Harris, but he didn't figure this out until 20 minutes after purchase, at which time the option to return had expired.
Sabatino, meanwhile, bought aBTC, a BitTorrent client for Android, for $4.99 in January. He was unable to download a torrent with the app, however, and tried unsuccessfully to return the app after an hour of tinkering with it.
The Google Play app policies do indeed provide a 15-minute return window and only allow users to return a particular app once. In December 2010, Google dropped the return window from 24 hours to 15 minutes "since most users who request a refund do so within minutes of purchase," Google said at the time.
The suit, meanwhile, takes Google to task for its app approval process, or lack thereof. In the interest of openness, Google allows any app in the Google Play Store, formerly known as the Android Market. This has led to a number of malware-laden apps in Google's app store. As a result, Google last month added a new layer of security, dubbed Bouncer, which will scan apps for evidence of malware.
The suit is seeking class-action status, damages, and attorneys' fees and costs.
In other Android news, meanwhile, it appears that buyers are not the only ones irked by Google's app policies. The Guardian reported today that Android app developers in Europe have been waiting for weeks to get paid. They are asking Google to develop some sort of developer relations team that can handle such issues. "I have had no email contact, no replies to my enquiries, essentially no confirmation that there is a problem, yet I am still owed many thousands of pounds," one developer told the Guardian.
To avoid bogus apps, check out PCMag's roundup of the 75 best Android apps in the slideshow below.