Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#111

Post by pbreit » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:20 PM UTC

grawprog wrote: post #102

kemayo wrote: post #9

Apple's approach isn't as bad as this title makes it sound. Mostly because they're aggressive communicators about subscription billing -- they send emails well in advance of any subscription renewal, telling you when you'll be billed, how much for, and giving you a link to cancel the subscription. Makes me feel this isn't them hoping you'll just forget and be billed. In fact, I'd suspect this is intended as a user-fr…

So, forcing me to supply payment information for a free trial, then forcing the developer to make my free trial an auto subscription unless I opt-out is supposed to be user friendly? In what way is assuming you can take my money unless I say otherwise just because I used a free trial supposed to be user-friendly? I'm so unbelievabley tired of these anti-consumer practices being labelled as 'user friendly' or 'working…

Correct. Apple is providing a consistent customer experience for enrolling, free trialing, auto-billing and canceling.

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#112

Post by Shalle135 » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:25 PM UTC

kemayo wrote: post #9

Apple's approach isn't as bad as this title makes it sound. Mostly because they're aggressive communicators about subscription billing -- they send emails well in advance of any subscription renewal, telling you when you'll be billed, how much for, and giving you a link to cancel the subscription. Makes me feel this isn't them hoping you'll just forget and be billed. In fact, I'd suspect this is intended as a user-fr…

Some consumers aren’t aware that it will be a subscription and some doesn’t even know how to manage their subscriptions.

Sure, apple is usually pretty customer oriented if contacted. But this is nothing more than a greed.

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#113

Post by black_puppydog » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:27 PM UTC

pbreit wrote: post #111

grawprog wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, forcing me to supply payment information for a free trial, then forcing the developer to make my free trial an auto subscription unless I opt-out is supposed to be user friendly? In what way is assuming you can take my money unless I say otherwise just because I used a free trial supposed to be user-friendly? I'm so unbelievabley tired of these anti-consumer practices being labelled as 'user friendly' or 'working…

Correct. Apple is providing a consistent customer experience for enrolling, free trialing, auto-billing and canceling.

* consistently user hostile

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#114

Post by Kique » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:28 PM UTC

unmole wrote: post #109

cbhl wrote: post #108

One of the things I really like about the iOS subscription billing ecosystem is that there is one centralized place to see all my subscriptions. I hate that it's hidden behind four clicks in "Settings", but, once you find it, it's very nice to be able to have one place to go "oh yeah I should unsubscribe from that crossword app I haven't opened in three months". By comparison, for other sites, I have to go find my us…

Isn't it exactly the same with Google/Android?

Open the Play Store app and there's a Subscriptions page on the sidebar.

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#115

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:29 PM UTC

pbreit wrote: post #111

grawprog wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, forcing me to supply payment information for a free trial, then forcing the developer to make my free trial an auto subscription unless I opt-out is supposed to be user friendly? In what way is assuming you can take my money unless I say otherwise just because I used a free trial supposed to be user-friendly? I'm so unbelievabley tired of these anti-consumer practices being labelled as 'user friendly' or 'working…

Correct. Apple is providing a consistent customer experience for enrolling, free trialing, auto-billing and canceling.

[deleted]

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#116

Post by stjohnswarts » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:32 PM UTC

kemayo wrote: post #9

Apple's approach isn't as bad as this title makes it sound. Mostly because they're aggressive communicators about subscription billing -- they send emails well in advance of any subscription renewal, telling you when you'll be billed, how much for, and giving you a link to cancel the subscription. Makes me feel this isn't them hoping you'll just forget and be billed. In fact, I'd suspect this is intended as a user-fr…

That might not be as low minded as lure in people hoping they'll forget but this things should be "Your trial is ending soon, so, ya know you should renew otherwise it ends" . That is the customer friendly way to do it. Any other way is duplicitous and ugly minded.

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#117

Post by stjohnswarts » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:33 PM UTC

black_puppydog wrote: post #113

pbreit wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct. Apple is providing a consistent customer experience for enrolling, free trialing, auto-billing and canceling.

* consistently user hostile

But it is consistent! I think some people have just drank too much koolaid sometimes. I completely agree with you that it is hostile and terribly anti consumer.

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#118

Post by dnh44 » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:33 PM UTC

northerdome wrote: post #36

kemayo wrote: post #9

Apple's approach isn't as bad as this title makes it sound. Mostly because they're aggressive communicators about subscription billing -- they send emails well in advance of any subscription renewal, telling you when you'll be billed, how much for, and giving you a link to cancel the subscription. Makes me feel this isn't them hoping you'll just forget and be billed. In fact, I'd suspect this is intended as a user-fr…

I have forgotten to cancel subscriptions from iTunes a few times as I tend to watch my CC statement for forgotten subscriptions, not Apple Free Trial emails. The real issue is that they make it impossible to get a refund once you as a customer have been charged even when the app developer agrees to give you one. Being forced to delegate billing to a robotic corporation that treats your customers like robots is a terr…

I’ve always found them to be really good about refunds.

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#119

Post by 0xEFF » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:34 PM UTC

grawprog wrote: post #102

kemayo wrote: post #9

Apple's approach isn't as bad as this title makes it sound. Mostly because they're aggressive communicators about subscription billing -- they send emails well in advance of any subscription renewal, telling you when you'll be billed, how much for, and giving you a link to cancel the subscription. Makes me feel this isn't them hoping you'll just forget and be billed. In fact, I'd suspect this is intended as a user-fr…

So, forcing me to supply payment information for a free trial, then forcing the developer to make my free trial an auto subscription unless I opt-out is supposed to be user friendly? In what way is assuming you can take my money unless I say otherwise just because I used a free trial supposed to be user-friendly? I'm so unbelievabley tired of these anti-consumer practices being labelled as 'user friendly' or 'working…

I consistently sign up for free trials with Apple and immediately cancel them. This is consistently a great user experience because on Apple’s platform I get to use the service until the trial runs out, it’s easy to cancel, and I know I’ve canceled it and don’t need to remember.

Re: Apple forcing app developers to implement auto-billing after free trial

#120

Post by stiray » Wed, Jul 01, 2020, 5:38 PM UTC

kemayo wrote: post #9

Apple's approach isn't as bad as this title makes it sound. Mostly because they're aggressive communicators about subscription billing -- they send emails well in advance of any subscription renewal, telling you when you'll be billed, how much for, and giving you a link to cancel the subscription. Makes me feel this isn't them hoping you'll just forget and be billed. In fact, I'd suspect this is intended as a user-fr…

My 5 cents. Regardless if this is Apple or any developer, subscription service etc., I consider giving my credit card number / paypal for testing any trial software as directly abusive.

Maybe, it is just me but from my perspective this is a try to force buying from me by whatever means possible and doing me is like rejecting me as a potential customer: I will just never do it.

I hate the need of thinking about some money will be taken from me, unless I perform some action - I consider it as a huge violation of my trust as a highly fishy tactic.