Ok, that does it. No more Buy Only apps for me.

It’s been a while since I have been burned by a “Buy Only” (no free version or trial offering) app. But being someone with principals (and often, a very hard head), it’s time I put my foot down. No more Buy Only apps for me from the Windows Phone or Windows 8 Stores. Instead of seeing fewer of these types of apps, I am beginning to see more, and I don’t like it. With so many options available to developers, including; free (ad supported), trials and in-app purchase/upgrades, the only legitimate reason I can think of for a Buy Only app is fear that a consumer will regret their decision moments after purchasing/downloading. That’s not a good thing.

Don’t misunderstand me. I am a big supporter of third party developers and have purchased/upgraded at least two hundred apps for the WP & W8 platforms since 2010. Actually, I would prefer to pay for an app, if it will get rid of ads or offer a better return to the creator. So this isn’t an anti-app protest. It’s a way for me to to weed out the unsavory devs and get lazy coders to make that extra effort to add a trial. This may preclude me from some good apps in the future, but it is what it is. No exceptions.

Now, games are a different story. I realize that a trial may be a little more complicated (although I am not sure why) so I will rely on the early adopters to guide me with their comments. As always, I will proceed with caution.

What say you. Have you ever been burned by an app that turned out to be much less than it appeared to be? Do you have your own policy?