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The World’s Shortest Return Policy

If you buy an app from the Android Market to put on your cellphone or tablet, you do have return rights in some cases. This is helpful if the app does not work, is not compatible with your device, or it is not what you expected.

There is, however, a very unusual catch.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Returning apps

Refund policy

You have 15 minutes from the time of download to return an application [color highlighting added] purchased through Android Market for a full refund. You may only return a given application once; if you subsequently purchase the same app again, you may not return it a second time.

How to return an app:

From Android Market on your phone, visit the My apps page, and select the application you’d like to return.

•Applications that are eligible for return are marked with a ‘Uninstall & Refund’ button. Please note that after the 15 minute return period has expired, all sales are final.

From a practical standpoint, it is almost impossible to fully test some apps in such a short period of time, so your return rights are for the most part illusory. Even if you could fully test an app in 15 minutes, it might take that long to figure out the procedure to request a refund because you probably never paid attention to that when you first purchased the app.

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Is a 15% Discount Worth the Loss of Your Privacy?

X-10, a seller of electronic gizmos, offers customers a 15% discount if you “like” them on Facebook.

Once you click the “like” button, a pop-up is revealed indicating what X-10 wants in return for giving you a 15% discount:

*MOUSE PRINT:

So, if you click “allow”, you are agreeing to give them your name, username, picture, list of friends, access to all your profile information, along with permission to write on your Facebook wall, send you junk mail, and review your data even when you are not online.

Seems like a pretty serious invasion of privacy for a lousy 15% off. I say, no deal.

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Exterior House Painting — Only $899?

Everyone seems to be getting in on the Groupon-like “deal of the day” promotions. The latest is home improvement contractors. Here is one for an unbelievable deal on having your house painted.

Only $899 to paint a whole house? How is that possible when it costs thousands to paint most homes? For one, they limit the size of the home that can be painted for that price to those that are 1600 square feet or less. That disclosure is very clear.

There is, however, a surprising catch in the fine print.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Nothing like promoting a price for a paint job that doesn’t include the paint!