Just because people say you can’t get a refund, doesn’t make it true. Terms of Service tend not to stand up in court because it’s generally ruled unreasonable for an average consumer to pore through a 21 page legal document to buy a pixelated ship.
I like Rushy’s analysis though. If this guy had been donating and following the game for years then he can’t reasonably be expected to be unaware of the stipulations of the creators TOS.