Ubuntu – How to return a purchase from the Ubuntu Software Centre

12.04software-center

I purchased Amnesia (game) from the Ubuntu Software Centre. It crashes on startup every time and I therefore want to return it for a refund. I can't find a way of doing so through the USC and, strangely, I can't find any trace of this having been asked before (maybe bad googling on my part). So the question is: how do I return a purchase and get a refund through the USC?

EDIT
Installing proprietary driver for AMD catalyst fixed Amnesia, but I still think this is an important question because it's basic customer service for any purchase. I'd therefore appreciate any answers anyone can find and I will continue to look too. If I find the answer I'll post it here.

Best Answer

From Ubuntu Software Centre Terms of Service clause 3 a :

Payment for apps is due at the time you purchase the app. You will be asked to enter your credit card number and we will charge your credit card at the time of purchase. Fees are charged in the currency in which you make your purchase. All fees are non-refundable.

For 12.04

^{Derived from Pavlos G. answer and inspiration from Darmien answer.}
Different version? Go to the list.
See the end of the post if you are in trouble and want to revert the changes.

1. Ignore the purchasable apps

Open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and type:

gksu gedit /usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/db/update.py

And press Enter. You'll be prompted for your password.
Then an editor will appear. Locate the following lines (hint: Ctrl + F may help):

        doc = make_doc_from_parser(parser, cache)
        if not doc:
            LOG.debug("make_doc_from_parser() returned '%s', ignoring" % doc)
            return
        term_generator.set_document(doc)
        name = doc.get_data()

Immediately after those lines, paste the following (including the spaces!):

        if doc.get_value(XapianValues.PRICE) not in (""): return

Note: if you want to keep stuff that doesn't cost money, but has to be "purchased"
(like trials, magazines and other propietary stuff), replace ("") with ("0.00", "").

Save the file (Ctrl + S), open the Software Center and… voila!
There are no commercial programs!
You can close the editor and the terminal now.

2. Remove the "For purchase" channel (optional)

To also remove that "For purchase" item in the menu, open a terminal and type:

gksu gedit /usr/share/software-center/softwarecenter/backend/channel_impl/aptchannels.py

Locate these lines:

        if get_distro().PURCHASE_APP_URL:
            channels.append(for_purchase_channel)

And disable them by putting a # in front of every line:

        #if get_distro().PURCHASE_APP_URL:
        #    channels.append(for_purchase_channel)

Save and enjoy a software center without ads!

Side notes: The. files. are. packaged.

What does this mean, you ask? This means that,
whenever you upgrade your Software Center, the changes
will be reverted and you'll have to do this steps again.

Undo the modifications

If you want to restore the original state of the files,
open a terminal and type:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall software-center && exit

Again, you will be prompted for your password, this time on the terminal.
Type it and press ENTER. Don't worry if nothing appears when you type, it's to hide your password.
The terminal will automatically close when finished.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – Do I need to re-purchase software in the Ubuntu Software Centre if I reinstall

Ubuntu – How to remove the “For Purchase” section from the Software Center

For 12.04

1. Ignore the purchasable apps

2. Remove the "For purchase" channel (optional)

Side notes: The. files. are. packaged.

Undo the modifications

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