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Developer account removed by Apple

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Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#31

Post by candiddevmike »

wouldbecouldbe wrote: post #26

Working with Apple is horrific, I have a small Saas company publishing fitness apps. They don't give a f**. They treat you like a peasant, while constantly making review mistakes (like asking questions explained all caps in the review notes), unexplained white screens, bugs & unreachable appstore connects. I often had an app rejected because IAPurchase takes too long because of Apple's server being too slow. Then the…

There's nothing worse than arguing with a review tester that "this was fine before, why is it a problem now".

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#32

Post by ssijak »

namanyayg wrote: post #17
mortallywounded wrote: post #4

Something feels off... those apps don't seem like 33K/MRR worthy. I suspect some kind of manipulation was being done to... help?

One way apps get high MRR is by offering free trial for a small period, then charging for subscriptions later The user forgets about the subscriptions and ends up paying for a while before cancelling This is probably what apple means by "bait and switch" Of course I can't say if these app did this or not, I am just saying this is a common practice

that is done by literally 80% of the paid apps. so I suspect that is not the banned behavior. it's the same on the web, you sign up for a free trial but leave the CC

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#33

Post by steezeburger »

EwanG wrote: post #22
dado3212 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you say that? The article is light on details about what the apps actually do, and why they might be violating.

Looking at "Fontly Color Fonts", and some of their other apps, they are mainly repackaging websites as an app. For example check out the actual website at - https://fontly.org/ I don't think that's necessarily a "bad" thing but I hardly find it reasonable to believe they are charging for the privilege.

That app does not seem like a wrapper around that website you linked at all. Can you give me a specific example? I may just not be seeing it. One is a blog and free font repository, kinda. One is a collage maker.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#34

Post by max_ »

Too long, Don't Read;

- OP develops apps

- OP's apps get flagged and removed from iOS store for violating Appstore rules.

- OP learns his app has been cloned down to the last pixel by one NIGII Technologies

- OP learns that NIGII Technologies launched and attack on his "Rolly app" by paying fake accounts to make bogus reviews on OPs app account.

- Attacker (NIGII Technologies) purchasing fake reviews to comment on OPs original app causes Apple to shut down OPs Apple Developer account.

- OP wants you to help him sign a petition https://chng.it/5dpJHY6KGf

- OP would also want you to write a letter to the App review team appreview@apple.com

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#36

Post by mariopt »

Manuel_D wrote: post #8

If the fake reviews are indeed the reason why the apps were taken off the store, that does strike me as an inappropriate action. Take down the reviews, yes. But closing the developer account creates a big opportunity to eliminate competition by buying fake reviews for your competitors. There's also nothing developers can do to prevent this since they can't curate or reject reviews from what I know. That said, other c…

You can consider, virtually, all reviews fake in any mobile store. Sometimes I read the reviews and wonder: Who on earth wrote this?

Honestly, it's up to Apple to moderate the reviews and detect review farms. If posting fake reviews is all it takes to take down my competitors out of the store, it's game on.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#37

Post by selectodude »

KingOfCoders wrote: post #20
aaomidi wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering how much data Apple also has on their users, it’s insane that they haven’t yet solved this problem.

Why would they if they can keep aka escrow $100k?

$100k is literally meaningless to Apple.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#38

Post by freedomben »

EwanG wrote: post #2

Honestly, after looking through the "apps" they created and what little I could find about reviews for them, I am having a hard time not feeling that Apple was in the right here. On the other hand, I certainly understand that having your business shut down with little or no notice and right of appeal lies with the "prosecution" can feel crummy.

If you're going to say that, I think you need to explain why you feel like Apple was in the right. This sort of vagueness and ambiguity is extremely unfair to the accused, and this is notoriously what big tech does (and I think it's wrong).

What is it about the apps that you feel either does or should violate policy?

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#39

Post by mikepurvis »

namanyayg wrote: post #17
mortallywounded wrote: post #4

Something feels off... those apps don't seem like 33K/MRR worthy. I suspect some kind of manipulation was being done to... help?

One way apps get high MRR is by offering free trial for a small period, then charging for subscriptions later The user forgets about the subscriptions and ends up paying for a while before cancelling This is probably what apple means by "bait and switch" Of course I can't say if these app did this or not, I am just saying this is a common practice

I appreciate that you can cancel the subscription right away at the start of the trial and Apple and the vendor isn't notified.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#40

Post by judge2020 »

Manuel_D wrote: post #8

If the fake reviews are indeed the reason why the apps were taken off the store, that does strike me as an inappropriate action. Take down the reviews, yes. But closing the developer account creates a big opportunity to eliminate competition by buying fake reviews for your competitors. There's also nothing developers can do to prevent this since they can't curate or reject reviews from what I know. That said, other c…

This was talked about by Phillip Shoemaker (head of App Store Review 2009-2016) in this talk[0], where some developers figured out that if they hired marketing firms to commit review fraud on a competitor’s app, their competitor would get terminated because there’s no clear way to actually attribute the fraud to the developer.

I guess the App Store fraud prevention team hasn’t necessarily found a good solution yet.

0: https://youtu.be/tJeEuxn9mug?t=22m57s&si=CVfkqSqEULyFTx-8

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