Galaxy App Store Deletes Apps You Paid For

[Marco Lorenzo]

I recently moved from Germany to Australia and after resetting my Gear S3 and the Gear app, I managed to get the Gear App store to display in the local region. However, I suddenly noticed that when I go into the My Apps section, none of my previously purchased apps appear.

I've had a lot of back and forth emails with Samsung Support now. In the end, this is what they said:

The Galaxy Apps/Gear Apps server provides purchase history based on your current country.

Therefore, since you live in Australia right now, you will not be able to use the apps you bought in the Galaxy Apps (Germany) store.

If you wish to use the same app, you need to purchase it from the Galaxy Apps (Australia) store.

Since you will still be able to use the purchased apps if you go to Germany, we are not able to offer you a refund.

Does this seem unreasonable to anyone else? Because it's certainly not like this on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store and as far as I know, not the Amazon Appstore. As far as I look at it, I simply shouldn't have to buy an app again just because I moved countries, especially not when that app is available in the new region the same as before. I certainly won't be buying an app again on the Galaxy App Store, especially since I move every few years for work.

 

[Red Storm]

Could you get around this with a VPN?

 

[Marco Lorenzo]

Well probably but the whole reason why I wanted to change the country for the Galaxy App Store to Australia was because it was still displaying prices in Euro and contents in German. I don't have a German payment method anymore so it would cost me extra money each time I paid with my new Australian credit card. If fooled it into thinking I was in Germany with a VPN, I'd still run into the same problem as when I started.