I just don’t get why there’s such silence on this issue from MS officialdom. It’s almost a tacit admission that they’re well aware they’re breaking laws.
It really isn’t what we should expect from a company like MS. Or is it…? It’s basically bullying: “we dare you to challenge our legal team”. Thing is, the law is completely unambiguous on this one…
We need a demo option for all Marketplace items. Surely a company as big as Microsoft can figure out how to implement it while protecting the rights of both parties.
Yes, good idea, but a free 1 day option 
Hi folks,
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. While I don’t have an update I can provide here currently, I’ve made sure to note down the commentary in this thread and we will forward it to the appropriate team.
Please be aware that we don’t allow discussions of legal action on the MSFS Forums. I understand users here are wishing to discuss local laws and there hasn’t been any threats of legal action, and so this is just a polite reminder that we do have strict policies across the company on this particular topic.
The MSFS Team
Thank you very much, @Chewwy94, for forwarding the issue. I’m really glad you did that. Because my main concern with this thread was actually to draw attention to the topic. Of course, I hope that something will change in the short to medium term with regard to how complaints are handled in the Marketplace.
I think there can be no two ways about it: it is not right that you can buy a product in the Marketplace that doesn’t work, with no possibility of a refund. Especially since the Marketplace sells add-ons from developers who are no longer active, such as RDPresets or pilotplus. In these cases, customers do not even have the option of contacting them for support. So handing over responsibility to the developers doesn’t work at all. Especially since the contractual partner for the purchase remains Microsoft. (Incidentally, Justsim has not yet responded to my email from last week.)
Over the past few years, I have purchased hundreds of add-ons for MSFS 2020 and 2024, many of them from the Marketplace. Microsoft has earned a lot of money from me and the many other users here in the forum. I think it’s reasonable to expect a reputable company like Microsoft to refund add-ons that don’t work, regardless of the legal situation in different countries.
Thanks again for forwarding our feedback to the team, Chewwy94!
While I understand the need to adhere to forum rules, this is a pretty serious matter for us customers — and despite previous promises from community managers, clearly nothing has changed. I have bought over 250 add-ons from the Marketplace, so being told bluntly that four refunds is excessive (in almost as many years) is insulting. Furthermore, in my case, I was told (and I quote) “any further correspondence on the matter going forward will be treated as spam”.
I’m sure you’d agree that this sort of behaviour/condescending tone can only deter people from using the Marketplace. There’s just no accountability. We’re told Microsoft’s vetting process for these add-ons is stringent, yet in LukG’s case, the product didn’t work, period.
It has to change. You can’t just tell paying customers to get lost and fend for themselves.
These issues are exactly why there has to be some oversight of this MP!
Telling us we have no right to object to treatment is wrong. How else do we get refunds for defective products? Especially when every party says it is someone else’s responsibility and there is constant buck passing.
There needs to be 1 place to apply for all refunds and receipts for MP purchases so that there is a definite piece of proof. Frankly, the fact that is in the MP should be proof enough and I know for a fact that the teams can access your game/account to see if something works or not in SIM.
This is not just about whether you like what you bought, this is about a defective product that is not working! I know @Chewwy94 has said he will raise it and I hope there will be a reasonable change in practice for refunds from this.
Well I guess we have to express ourselves with our wallet.
unfortunately console users do not have the option to make this choice.
I do agree there needs to be a change, definitely for defect products.
The confusing part for me is the fact I see so many releases of updates or new releases gets delayed due to some mysterious requirement and on the other hand you read treads like this where a non-working product gets sold via the MP.
Seems to me something does not work right in the process.
EDIT: BTW have you ever tried to get contact information on a 3rd party addion via the MP? Is there an imprint for the selling company?
I would suggest there should be mandatory field for contact information and a easy way to contact the seller in case it is not MS.
I want add to this thread concerning the developer Justsim, that airports EDDV and EDDC also do not show any terminal buildings (only jet bridges…). These airports are flagged as MSFS2024 compatible- but they are not. These are both Marketplace purchases.
this is not a new issue and people have been buying from the marketplace for over 5 years now. It’s kind of a self inflicted mysery. I only buy from the Marketplace if I can’t find a different source. In fact most of the time the marketplace is even the most expensive place to buy your addon - and the one you have to wait for longest for updates. Its only advantage is convenience.
Yeah but it is not based on a fair premise. Console users have no option BUT to buy there. Career mode also requires this whether on PC or console. (for aircraft)
Precisely because this issue has existed for many years now, something needs to be done. I also think it’s short-sighted of Microsoft not to offer more customer-friendly solutions, presumably for economic reasons. I’ve read so many times here in the forum that many people avoid the Marketplace because of issues like those described in this thread.
Three years ago on Xbox, I had no choice but to buy from the Marketplace. But experiences like my purchase last week have led me to usually choose other stores since switching to PC. And that’s despite the fact that the Marketplace has clear strengths and unique selling points. Yes, it’s convenient. And the add-ons can be streamed instead of installed, which saves storage space. In the long run, I’m sure that greater customer friendliness would also lead to higher sales.
“Self-inflicted” only because no one is forced to purchase anything on the Marketplace.
Console users are forced, should they choose to purchase the title and access developer addons.
Regardless, the fact that as a PC user I can choose whether to purchase addons for my sim on the Marketplace or a 3rd Party site (most of the time, but there are some developers who only sell on the MP) does not somehow relieve Microsoft from its responsibilities as a vendor when it comes to defective product.
Thanks for starting this topic. I bought the Chania, Greece airport about a month ago from the same creator and it doesn’t work at all on MSFS 2024 even though the marketplace page says it is compatible. I e-mailed the creator a couple of times and did not get a response. I gave it a 1 out of 5 star review to him. Asobo / Microsoft really need to prevent anymore purchases from this creator.
I have always tried to find reasons to buy from the MP and until my own experience a few months ago with a clearly defective product (that neither MS nor the developer would take responsibility for), I was one of apparently very few who had zero objection to shopping there. Some products are of course exclusive to the MP, while many others can be easily transferred to other stores/apps. As has been mentioned above, the ability to stream products is also really useful when you need to conserve drive space.
But I draw the line at a valid complaint being treated as spam — and a written warning confirming this stance. It’s not only unacceptable, but downright rude and disrespectful (and that’s without considering the illegality of it!).
I cannot with all good conscience continue to support a store that behaves in this manner. My patience is wearing very thin. Other stores are typically very accommodating when it comes to requesting refunds or credit for fundamentally flawed products — Contrail, Just Flight, Orbx (from recent personal experience) — and they don’t treat the customer with suspicion, as though you’re trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
I have to say, I doubt this will get elevated internally. I highlighted my own issue in this forum and community managers promised change that never came.
I continue to use the MP for two reasons: to support those devs who only sell there, and to do my bit to (hopefully) prolong the life of the franchise. There are clear benefits but they’re currently outweighed by some substantial negativity.
A quick update from me: Zendesk has finally confirmed that LTFE by Justsim does indeed not work correctly in MSFS 2024. So I received a refund yesterday. My persistence paid off, and I can only encourage everyone to be just as persistent when add-ons don’t work at all.
Nevertheless, the current refund does not change the fundamental weaknesses of the Marketplace. It took a rejected initial refund request on Xbox.com, a chat with Xbox Support, an email to Justim and five emails to Zendesk to get a refund for a scenery that is clearly not working. This needs to be faster, more customer-friendly and less complicated!
According to Zendesk, the purchase contract in the Marketplace would actually be concluded with the developer and not with Microsoft. I cannot say whether this is true or not. But I wonder where you can find this information. There is no mention of it when purchasing within the Marketplace, nor in the confirmation email or invoice that you can download from your Xbox account. Not to mention the fact that, for some mysterious reason, the invoices never include the name of the product. Incidentally, I couldn’t find the terms and conditions either. The Marketplace is in my opinion actually one of the least transparent shops I know, if not the least transparent. Absolutely questionable for a huge company like Microsoft.
And I still have some unanswered questions. If the purchase contract is really between the developer and me and they are solely responsible for support, how can so many add-ons be sold by developers who are known to have discontinued their work for MSFS and no longer update their products (e.g. RDPresets or pilotplus and others)? These developers can no longer offer any support. And are add-ons tested by Microsoft before they are published on the Marketplace or not? If so many Justsim sceneries don’t work, even though they are listed as 2024 compatible, it seems that there is no testing. But why are updates or new add-ons then released with delays of up to several weeks? I really don’t understand how the Marketplace works.
For me, the only conclusion is that I will buy from other shops whenever possible.
Well done, Im happy it is resolved for you.
Hello @LukG8843,
Microsoft performs initial intake of products that developers submit to the Marketplace. Functional testing of the products is the responsibility of their respective developers, not Microsoft. Products are only released for sale on the MP after the developer has signed-off that their testing is complete and the product is ready for launch.
Thanks,
MSFS Team
Thanks, Seedy, for clarifying that. At least that question has now been answered for me.
Begs the question then, how a developer is testing function and compatibility then.
This will create an issue every time for refunds if they are either not understanding the process or have indeed stopped developing for msfs and the product is not removed.
Who follows that up?