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SOP: iTunes Store: Handling Content Issues Apple Internal Use Only This document describes how to assist customers who report quality issues with content on the App Store (Mac or iOS), iBooks Store, iTunes Store, or Tone Store. Collapse All | Expand All Common issues mistaken as content problems Common legitimate content issues Handling content issues Handling issues with content downloaded through iCloud Family Sharing Handling complaints about offensive content Handling repeat content issues 1. Common issues mistaken as content problems Issue	Description Content streaming issues - pausing or pixelation	When streaming content, customers may experience a pause or pixelation at the start of playback. Advise the customer to download the content to their device via Wi-Fi, and then play the content again. For more information, refer to Stream your iTunes Store movies or TV purchases and rentals.

If the customer indicates the content is downloaded to their device already, or the issue persists, issue a refund. Customer's product does not meet system requirements	Some items on the App Store, iBook Store, and iTunes Store have different system requirements than other content types (example: audio vs. video). Video content is processor-intensive and can seem to play undesirably if the system requirements are not met. If a customer reports that all the videos they have purchased have poor playback quality, check that the customer's product meets the system requirements. Intentional anomalies within content	The iTunes Store offers content by artists who intentionally change an original recording by slowing it down and adding record scratching or other remixing effects. Sometimes, the words "chopped and screwed" are plainly visible on the album cover. If you are uncertain whether a selection was intentionally modified, consult Tier 2. Send or refer to the prepared response IC6027 - "Content as intended (use only when advised to by internal communication)."

If the customer requests a refund because they did not realize they were purchasing a chopped-and-screwed selection, refund the item as an accidental purchase. 2. Common legitimate content issues Issue	Description Audio not in sync with the video	Occasionally, a video is created incorrectly, and the audio is not in sync. When this occurs, the customer will experience what seems to be an audio delay. If this is occurring only with one video the customer purchased, it is a content issue with that particular item. If it is affecting all videos, the customer's product likely does not meet the system requirements. Content is completely wrong	From time to time, items on the store have incorrect files associated with them (example: A customer purchased the Journey song Open Arms, but the song file actually has the audio for Who's Crying Now?. Content skips or pauses	Sometimes content has an audio flaw (example: a skip, pop, or gap in the audio). This can be heard by the customer when playing back the audio. 3. Handling content issues Attempt to troubleshoot content-related issues per the table below before considering a refund. Do not issue a refund for purchases older than 30 days. If the customer reports an issue with content they have not purchased, consult Tier 2. Tier 2: Escalate to iTunes Store SSE. Content Type	Take this action App Store or Mac App Store	Apple applications	Issue a refund if all of the following conditions are true: The app is an Apple-developed app (example: Pages, Keynote, Numbers). The app does not work properly. The customer requests a refund. The app is within 30 days of purchase. Third-party applications	1) Refer the customer to the developer for assistance.

2) If the customer has contacted the developer but the issue remains unresolved, issue a refund if all of the following conditions are true: The app does not work properly. The customer requests a refund. The app is within 30 days of purchase.

3) Send prepared response: IC5800 - "Refund approved for app not functioning properly." iBooks, Audiobooks, Ringtones, Tones, Songs, and Albums	1) Issue a refund for the purchase using reason code "Quality issue."

2) Respond using the positioning in the corresponding prepared response.

Note: When issuing a refund for reported audio or visual quality, enter detailed notes about the reported error per iTunes Store: Using the iTunes Store Support Site. Include the time the error occurs and any other relevant details. In-App Purchases	1) Advise the customer to contact the developer for assistance.

2) If the customer contacted the developer but the issue remains unresolved, issue a refund if all of the following conditions are true: The in-app content does not work properly. The customer requests a refund. The in-app content was purchased less than 30 days ago.

3) Send prepared response: IC6244 - "In-app purchase not functioning properly (refer to developer, refund if customer asks)." iTunes Extras	If the customer lost their local copy of the original version of iTunes Extras, use prepared response IC6799 - "Lost copy of original iTunes Extras." To provide general assistance for accessing iTunes Extras in the cloud, use IC9802 - "Accessing iTunes Extras." iTunes LPs and Digital Booklets	Tier 1: Contact Tier 2.

Tier 2: Take over the case and escalate to iTunes Store SSE. SSE will review the content, report the issue to the content team, and provide further instructions. Prepaid content issues (Pre-Orders, Season Passes, Multi-Pass)	Tier 1: Contact Tier 2.

Tier 2: Take over the case and escalate to iTunes Store SSE. SSE will review the content, report the issue to the content team, and provide further instructions. Video content	Tier 1: Contact Tier 2.

Tier 2: Take over the case and escalate to iTunes Store SSE. SSE will review the content, report the issue to the content team, and provide further instructions. 4. Handling issues with content downloaded through iCloud Family Sharing Chat and Email Advisors	Use prepared response IC9737 - "Referral to family organizer (template for multiple issues)" directing the customer to have the family member who purchased the item report the issue. Phone Advisors	Direct the customer to the Report A Problem link from the purchased item's invoice. Note: If a customer asks which family member purchased the item, refer them to the Purchased page on their device for details. 5. Handling complaints about offensive content Issue	Take this action The customer reports that app or in-app content is: adult content discriminatory fraudulent prompting a minor to make a purchase violating local laws Contact Tier 2 so the issue can be escalated to App Review. Tier 2 Advisors: Take over the case, and perform these actions:

1) Send prepared response IC6516 – "T2 only: Escalated issue to Tier 2 (Tier 2 takes ownership of case, inform customer). " Include Prepared Response IC5053 - "Inappropriate content reported" if more information is needed.

2) Issue a refund for the purchase using reason code Quality Issue.

3) Submit an email consult to the App Review Tier 1 team using the template below. Include the contents of the complaint and any screenshots that may have been provided.

APP NAME: APP ID: (can be the App Store link) ISSUE:

4) Send prepared response IC10045 - "Inappropriate content report - Report and refund." For reasons not listed above or for other content types.	1) Issue a refund for the purchase using reason code Quality Issue. Leave comments describing the issue in the customer's words.

2) Send prepared response IC10045 - "Inappropriate content report - Report and refund." to inform the customer the issue has been reported. 6. Handling repeat content issues If a customer reports a problem with an item that was refunded due to an issue, and they have waited at least 3 weeks but the issue still exists, contact Tier 2. Tier 2 Advisors: Take over the case and escalate to iTunes Store SSE. SSE will review the content, report the issue to the content team, and provide further instructions.

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1. When to cash out an account Advisors can cash out iTunes Store accounts without Site Support Engineering (SSE) approval in only the following circumstances: Country change (account balance is less than the cost of one song) Funds were fraudulently acquired Required by law Required according to Handling Issues with PayEase and PayEco or Handling Gift Issues A. If a customer requests a cash-out for another reason, follow the steps in Cash-out requiring SSE approval. Do not set expectations that the customer will receive a cash-out. B. Exceptions required by law: The customer's country determines how you handle a refund request for store credit: Country	Action Canada	Grant the cash-out if the account's store credit balance is 5 USD or less. If the cash-out amount is less than 1 USD, do not set expectations that a refund will be provided. Denmark	Grant the cash-out regardless of the amount. Follow the steps in section 2 below "Cash-outs required by law." United States, except Massachusetts	Grant the cash-out if the account's store credit balance is less than 10 USD. If the cash-out amount is less than 1 USD, do not set expectations that a refund will be provided.

Massachusetts: If the remaining store credit balance is 10% or less than the value of the redeemed gift card or gift certificate, cash out the remaining balance. C. All regions except China: If the funds are going to the customer, verify the customer's identity before issuing the cash-out. Refer to the appendix of Handling Apple ID Issues to determine the appropriate Account Security team escalation path for your region. 2. How to cash out an account Country change Important: Verify that the pending refunds have been issued before completing a cash-out. After a country change, you cannot issue refunds for purchases made in the previous country. Cash out a customer's account for a country change only if the store credit balance is less than the price of one song. If the store credit balance exceeds the cost of one song, ask the customer to spend the store credit and contact Apple again when the amount is too low for use. To cash out the account, do the following: a) Look up the customer's account in the iTunes Store Support Site. b) Click the Store Credit tab. c) Click Cashout Account For Country Change. d) Enter comments, including the case number, and click Confirm. e) Respond to the customer with prepared response IC5408 - "Cashed out account so customer can change country." Note: The Cashout Account For Country Change button is not a two-tiered approval system. The button appears only when the account's store credit is less than the cost of one song. Tier 1 Advisors can cash out an account using this button without Tier 2 approval. Fraudulently acquired funds If a customer has redeemed gift cards or gift certificates that were acquired fraudulently, you must remove the funds from the account before enabling the account. Continue to the table below. If a customer seeks a refund after purchasing gift cards at the advice of an unknown party, see Handling Gift Issues. Full cash-out	If all store credit on the account was received from the fraudulently acquired gift cards or gift certificates, consult Tier 2 to determine whether a cash-out is appropriate.

After cash-out approval, respond to the customer with prepared response IC5465 - "Account reenabled (was disabled due to fraud)."

Tier 2: 1) If the funds were fraudulently acquired and should be removed, click the Store Credit tab, and then click "Cash out."

2) Enter the case type and case number. Choose the Fraudulent Order reason, and click Save. Ensure that the Complete checkbox is selected.

3) Enter the case type and case number in the Case field.

4) Enable the account if required. Partial cash-out	China: This option is not available.

Follow the below steps if any partial store credit on the account was received from a fraudulently acquired gift cards or gift certificates:

1) Consult Tier 2 to determine whether a cash-out is appropriate.

2) After cash-out approval, respond to the customer with the prepared response IC5465 - "Account reenabled (was disabled due to fraud)."

Note: After approval, partial cash-outs cause a zero balance while the system processes the cash-out (typically four hours). During this time, the customer sees a zero balance and might unintentionally purchase using the account's default payment method.

Tier 2: 1) Look up the account in the iTunes Store Support Site.

2) If the funds were fraudulently acquired and should be removed, click the Store Credit tab, and then click "Cash out."

3) Enter the case type and case number. Choose the Fraudulent Order reason.

4) Deselect the Complete checkbox, and enter the amount to remove from the account.

5) Click Save, and enable the account if required. Cash-outs required by law United States	Review the exceptions required by law table to determine whether to initiate a cash-out.

1) Ask for the customer's current mailing address.

Important: Always complete this step before initiating a cash-out.

2) Look up the account in the iTunes Store Support Site.

3) Click the Store Credit tab, and then click "Cash out."

4) Enter the case type and number in the Case field.

5) Choose the Refund Request reason, and enter the reason for the cash-out in the comments section. Ensure that the Complete checkbox is selected.

6) Confirm that the customer's current mailing address matches the Customer Details section. If the mailing address differs, enter the customer-provided mailing address in the cash-out form.

7) Click Save.

8) Consult Tier 2 to approve the cash-out.

9) After cash-out approval, respond to the customer with prepared response IC6681 - "Store credit balance cashout approved."

Tier 2: Review the case to ensure that it meets the conditions in the exceptions required by law table. If the conditions are met, click Approve in the Store Credit tab of the iTunes Store Support Site. All other regions Review the exceptions required by law table to determine whether to initiate a cash-out.

1) Collect the information in prepared response IC6774 - "Need information to cash-out (outside of Canada/U.S.) [requires T2 approval]."

2) Look up the account in the iTunes Store Support Site.

3) Click the Store Credit tab, and then click "Cash out."

4) Enter the case type and number in the Case field. 5) Enter the customer's bank details in the Banking Details section, and click Save.

6) Choose the Refund Request reason, and enter the reason for the cash-out in the comments section. Ensure that the Complete checkbox is selected.

7) Reply to the customer using prepared response IC6137 - "Template: Escalated issue to Tier 2."

8) Consult Tier 2, and confirm that you replied to the customer using prepared response IC6137. Tier 2 will take over the interaction.

Tier 2: 1) Review the exceptions required by law table to determine whether a cash-out is appropriate.

2) If a cash-out is appropriate, send an RTA to iTunes Store SSE, and include the information from the "Cash-out Review & Processing - Process request" template.

3) iTunes Store SSE reviews and approves the cash-out and requests that Finance wire the funds to the customer's bank account.

Important: The customer receives funds only after this step.

4) After the cash-out processes, respond to the customer with prepared response IC6681 - "Store credit balance cashout approved." China cash-outs according to Handling Issues with PayEase and PayEco Follow the below steps if the account has no China top-up card redemption history and the customer requests a full cash-out. China	Note: Partial cash-outs are not possible for Chinese accounts.

1) Look up the account in the iTunes Store Support Site.

2) Click the Store Credit tab, and then click "Cash out."

3) Enter the case type and number in the Case field.

4) Choose the appropriate reason, and then click Save.

5) After the cash-out processes, inform the customer that the refund will appear on the payment account used to acquire the store credit.

6) In the iTunes Store Support Site, completed cash-outs for China appear as refunds. Cash-out requiring SSE approval Follow the steps below if the customer requests a cash-out for a reason not specified in when to cash out an account. United States	1) Ask for the customer's current postal address.

Important: Do not set expectations that the customer will receive a credit cash-out.

2) Reply to the customer using prepared response IC6137 - "Template: Escalated issue to Tier 2."

3) Consult Tier 2, and confirm that you replied to the customer using prepared response IC6137. Tier 2 will take over the interaction.

Tier 2: 1) Look up the account in the iTunes Store Support Site.

2) Click the Store Credit tab, and then click "Cash out."

3) Enter the case type and number in the Case field.

4) Choose the Refund Request reason, and enter the reason for the cash-out in the comments section. Ensure that the Complete checkbox is selected.

5) If the customer's postal address differs from the account, enter the customer-provided postal address in the cash-out form.

6) Click Save, and send an RTA to iTunes Store SSE, and include information from the "Cash-out Review & Processing - Process request" template.

7) Respond to the customer based on the RTA's response: Approved: Respond to the customer with prepared response IC6681 - "Store credit balance cashout approved." Declined: Respond to the customer with prepared response IC6533 - "Cashout denied (general response)." China	This cash-out process applies only for cashing out China Top-up Card store credit.

1) If the customer requests a partial cash-out, advise that partial cash-outs are not available.

2) If the customer requests a full cash-out, transfer the call to Tier 2.

Tier 2: 1) Look up the account in the iTunes Store Support Site.

2) Click the Store Credit tab, and then click "Cash out."

3) Enter the case type and number in the Case field.

4) Choose the appropriate reason, and then click Save.

5)	Send an RTA to iTunes Store SSE, and include information from the "Cash-out Review & Processing - Process request" template.

6) Respond to the customer based on the RTA's response: Approved: Inform the customer that the refund will be processed and converted to a PNC Gift Code. The mobile number that the customer used during registration will receive the PNC Gift Code via SMS message. Declined: Respond to the customer with prepared response IC6533 - "Cashout denied (general response)." All other regions	1) Reply to the customer using prepared response IC6137 - "Template: Escalated issue to Tier 2."

2) Consult Tier 2, and confirm that you replied to the customer using prepared response IC6137. Tier 2 will take over the interaction.

Tier 2: 1) Send an RTA to iTunes Store SSE, and include information from the "Cash-out Review & Processing - Process request" template.

2) Respond to the customer based on the RTA's response: Approved: Collect the information in prepared response IC6774 - "Need information to cash out (outside of Canada/U.S.) [requires T2 approval]." Declined: Respond to the customer with prepared response IC6533 - "Cashout denied (general response)."

3) After the customer provides banking information, click "Cashout" in the Store Credit pane of the iTunes Store Support Site.

4) Enter the case type and number in the Case field.

5) Choose the Refund Request reason, and enter the reason for the cash-out in the comments section. Ensure that the Complete checkbox is selected.

6) Enter the banking details that the customer provided in the Banking Details section, and click Save.

7) Send an RTA to iTunes Store SSE, and include information from the "Cash-out Review & Processing - Process request" template.

8) iTunes Store SSE requests that Finance wire the funds to the customer's bank account.

Important: The customer receives funds only after this step.

9) After the cash-out processes, respond to the customer with prepared response IC6681 - "Store credit balance cashout approved."