Thank you Elfwreck for your critique. Yes, I know that the logic behind my proposal (it's actually the media companies' logic!) is a bit tortuous. However, my opening post was already too long :-)
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Originally Posted by Elfwreck
Plenty of stores have try-and-exchange systems for physical objects, although often with a small penalty for the exchange so the store isn't losing overhead cost on every transaction. However, part of how that's affordable is that stores assume that most people won't exchange an item even if they're not entirely happy with it--in part, because of the hassle of exchanging: must return to store, stand in line, possibly fill out forms.
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In the case of downloaded content, the "shop" has a key advantage: the exchange process itself entails negligible costs, it doesn't get back reduced-value items, and no personnel is required to manage it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
Removing the barriers to quick & easy exchanges would increase them, which isn't good for businesses, and there's always the chance of fraud: Users who buy a book or movie, watch or read it, and return it, claiming to have not liked it.
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This is why I think that there should be a (short) time limit to request the exchange.
I keep thinking that, over the years of my passion for (obscure) music, I never had the possibility to try before buying. Maybe something I read about. I had to actually buy the LP or CD, bring it home, and find out if I liked the music or not. In this way I bought tens of records that I found out to be uninteresting (along with many other interesting ones). I would certainly have spent more money on music if I was certain that every purchase was worthwhile. And I cringe at the thought of all the exciting music that must have missed because I didn't want to risk the money.
And now, that media companies could implement such a scheme at negligible cost... they don't. And they struggle fiercely to keep the old, outdated selling scheme of "first buy, then discover what you've actually bought". What a waste.