Any advice on a missing/removed Mac Store App (which has been paid for)?

Question

Okay, so I'd really appreciate some advice on this matter.
On: 6/10/2013, I purchased Grand Theft Auto 3 from the Mac App Store. I used the App without that many problems for a few months. After a few months I deleted the App as I needed to concentrate on my studies.
I decided to re-install the App last night, however, when I logged into my account and looked at my purchases, the App was missing. I then searched for the App on the Mac App Store and it wasn't available there either. It had been removed.
So, I checked my purchases and there is a record of this purchase. So I emailed Apple and I received the following reply:
I understand that you're unable to locate the App "Grand Theft Auto 3" that you previously purchased. I realize your need for this to be addressed. Let me look in to this for you.
________, please know that as much as want to help you with this but I was unable to restore the item in your purchase history. Note that when an item is modified in the iTunes Store, or removed entirely, we no longer have access to the original one that you ordered.
This article explains how to create and maintain an up-to-date backup of your iTunes library for future reference:
iTunes: Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
Now, my question is, can I do anything to obtain a refund for my purchase? The way I see it, I've purchased a product and paid in full, but after a few months, they've decided to take away my product for whatever reason. I understand that Apple have probably written something within their Terms & Coniditions that states they can remove their Apps etc. But shouldn't they give you a warning so you can download the App?
I'd be grateful for any adivce,
Many thanks and have a nice day.

Answer 1

Hi Shogun.Storm,
Sorry, but that is unlikely. The terms of the iTunes store (that we all click on the Accept button for, but rarely read), clearly state that you need to back up your purchases, because they may not be available for re-download if they have been removed from the Store for any reason (this could range from the manufacturer pulling it to, in some countries, it being banned by the government).
Some countries do not even allow re-downloading of past purchases at any time.
Do you not have an iCloud or iTunes backup that you can restore from? If it was something that you deleted many months ago, then it is likely that restoring might be more problematic than just not having it.....not sure about that. But that really is the only way to get it back on your device.
Sorry,
GB