So if you buy software on a DVD which turns out to be totally blank you just "take that on the chin"?I'm astonished at the number of those here who seem quite willing to roll over and be ripped-off.

Case in point: I purchased X-Plane 9 from Fry's. I took it home, tried to install it on two different machines. The install failed due to a read error on the DVD. After that then I did research on install problems (how would I have known prior to purchase?) and found that many people had been sold defective DVDs. So I went back to Fry's...they weren't going to refund the price because the software had been opened. I calmly said "I'll wait while you go try to install it on one of your machines. But if you don't refund my money, I'll not only not come within 100 yards of your store, but I will tell everybody I know, including my IT colleagues of my experience here." I got my refund, but I shouldn't have had to show hostility to get a refund on a clearly defective product.

There is an anomaly in UK law. Courts have ruled that downloaded software is services: that software on CD are is goods.That doesn't affect the consumers' right to get what they have paid for regardless of whether they are goods or services.I totally agree there are significant problems and risks in dealing over the internet, but it still disappointing that a well-known seller like SimMarket attempts to exacerbate them.

Most interesting on the first part - the person I spoke to at Consumer Direct said I cannot return "faulty" software in the same manner as I would return a faulty physical good.The notion of refunds for downloaded software. It's a bit of a tricky one. How can the retailer guard against unscrupulous individuals who will download, install and then claim a refund in order to get the product "for free"?I do agree that standards and business practices across the FS addon business are generally wanting. How can we change that? I'm really not sure. Perhaps only supporting publishers and developers who release solid products with good support? However, given the number of developers and publishers there are out there who release products with obvious and apparent problems and then are very slow to fix them, if at all... I'd say we as customers are our own worst enemies.The big FS websites like Avsim giving their approval to developers/publishers is a non-starter. It would open a big can of worms and we'd see all sorts of wild accusations being thrown around. I can still remember the reaction to the Avsim review of the CS 757 a couple of years ago!

I have made over 100 purchases on Simmarket so far. Only one or two issues, but Miguel is a kind and responsive guy who helped me sorting things out. A lot of the trouble of the OP resulted, IMHO, in his own handling of the issue. But yes, things can go wrong sometimes.I can only recommend Simmarket as a trustworthy and good source of purchase. They even inform you when one of your products receives an update.Just my 2c

How can the retailer guard against unscrupulous individuals who will download, install and then claim a refund in order to get the product "for free"?

The same way as Flight1 does? Alternatively, by using a validation system that disables the software once a refund has been given.

I'd love for every developer and publisher to use the Flight One Wrapper - it's far and away the simplest, easiest and most convenient system out there. I'm also enough of a realist to know not every developer wants to erode their profit margin further by paying Flight One the licence fee to use the wrapper, and most of them won't have the resources to develop their own wrapper similar to Flight One.As a customer first and foremost in my mind is my interests and what can I do if the product delivered is not up to my expectations? I also realise publishers and developers will wish to look after their own interests and avoid unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of a refund policy. I would hope that in an ideal world the solution would be for developers and publishers to release products that work as advertised straight out of the box and will not disappoint, thus aleviating the requirements for refunds! However, that leads me back to my point above about us being our own worse enemies by often buying from developer and publishers with poor track records of supporting or fixing their products.It's not an ideal world, and it's certainly not a black and white one. Realistically speaking I can't see the business practices in the FS addon industry changing. Wise heads will be clever and patient enough to research a product before they enter their credit card number and hit enter.

I also try not buy from SimMatket. I made the mistake in buying Capetown. They are still selling Capetown and it is faulty goods too.