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Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

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Re: Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

#141

Post by ubernostrum »

beaumartinez wrote: post #31
ytch wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But Google usually uses "Android is more open then Apple" as a slogan to attract people, while Apple doesn't says they are open.

Android is more open than iOS. You're conflating Android with the Google Play Store. With Android, you can install apps from more than one store.

The problem with "Android is more open" is that "Android" is increasingly a bit like London.

There's a huge sprawling millions-of-people place that gets referred to as "London", but none of it is actually the city named "London". The city, legally, speaking, is about half a square meter of a broom closet somewhere.

Similarly, the thing that is actually "Android" and which is alleged to be "open" is an increasingly tiny fraction of the thing referred to as "Android".

Re: Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

#142

Post by [deleted] »

yohui wrote: post #126
napoleoncomplex wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can assume what challenges Google is facing based on how successful other companies in the space are in providing the same service, namely Microsoft and Apple. Google: 32 countries Apple: 90 countries (probably more now, info from 2012) Microsoft: 127 countries Yes, Microsoft and Apple had a head start, but the difference is just way too big, and Google hasn't moved that number in a year and a half. I don't want Go…

> Google: 32 countries Apple: 90 countries (probably more now, info from 2012) Microsoft: 127 countries Or the 196(?) countries the Amazon Appstore supports. http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=2... (* It appears that apps for China and, for whatever reason, Germany must go through amazon.cn and .de, respectively, instead of .com) EDIT: I count 155 countries supported by the iTunes App Store, a…

[deleted]

Re: Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

#143

Post by OoTheNigerian »

mastersk3 wrote: post #124
OoTheNigerian wrote: post #88

And people claim the world is flat. It is not for us that need to jump through hoops just to be on the same 'playing level' with our compatriots overseas. As a Nigerian, you cannot dare build any SaaS application because gateways that support recurring billing do not support Nigeria (and of course many other countries) Basically, the fellow with this problem cannot build an Angry Birds without moving countries or jum…

Offtopic: Isn't 2checkout & its recurring module avilable for Nigerian merchants?

The one that Nigerians started using recently is Avangate. Just have a look at the pricing. 2CO looks interesting. thanks! I will let my friends have a look.

[1] http://www.avangate.com/pricing/

Re: Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

#144

Post by rmrfrmrf »

darklajid wrote: post #109
rmrfrmrf wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think that's good for users though? Especially with Google's lax oversight of the marketplace? If the developer using their own payment method changed their PayPal redirect to a phishing site, would users notice? What if you implemented your own credit card payment? Where's the guarantee that you're PCI compliant? I can tell you that 99% of your users won't know what PCI compliance is. If Google allows users t…

Reeaally? So, is Chrome now filtering the internet to catch you entering your CC number to some vague service online? Because that's what we're talking about. Shopping (for an in app purchase, but still) online, in a browser. I wonder how Google checked if Amazon is PCI compliant.. If you're entering your CC everywhere that's not something Google can (or should - no need for a nanny..) fix. There's no way in my world…

There's a very clear difference between native apps and web apps in my mind.

EDIT: I should make very clear to non-developers out there that, with a native app, you're able to display a web browser without a URL bar or any other UI, which makes it exceedingly easy to trick people into thinking that they're at an official PayPal site or other shenanigans that the unscrupulous dev wants to try.

More information: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/webkit/WebVi...

Re: Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

#145

Post by damiongrimfield »

napoleoncomplex wrote: post #67
rmrfrmrf wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No, you're fucking not working hard, you added the last ones a year and a half ago. I'm not even a Google fanboy, but what do you know about the challenges that Google might be facing? It's a really strong accusation to say that a company is not working hard just because you can't have exactly what you want. Last I checked, neither Google nor Apple make guarantees about how much of a living a developer is going to…

I can assume what challenges Google is facing based on how successful other companies in the space are in providing the same service, namely Microsoft and Apple. Google: 32 countries Apple: 90 countries (probably more now, info from 2012) Microsoft: 127 countries Yes, Microsoft and Apple had a head start, but the difference is just way too big, and Google hasn't moved that number in a year and a half. I don't want Go…

> Google: 32 countries

Where did you get this info? I'm not doubting you; I just find it crazy that they have offices in over 40 countries[1], but only allow app submissions from developers in 32 countries.

[1]:http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/locations

Re: Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

#146

Post by alextingle »

josteink wrote: post #4

TLDR: Application banned for not using a Google-blessed payment option which Google has not enabled for the country in which the developer actually lives. In that case I guess the only other option is going completely free? How many developers will be willing to accept that position? Do Google really think they can create a thriving ecosystem and market if they start throwing around inconsistent and conflicting rules…

It's sad to see them go from "Do no Evil" to "Pray we don't alter the deal any further" in just a few short years.

Re: Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

#148

Post by duncanawoods »

parfe wrote: post #127
duncanawoods wrote: post #115

Dare I say it but when a company has a certain level of dominance in a "channel" then they need be subject to regulation. A channel might be any means of reaching customers whether a telecomms provider, a form of media, or in this case, a device app store. The total control a gate-keeper has on the survival of tangentially related companies by eliminating their access to customers is simply not right. They should be…

Yeah none of that has to do with android. You can easily install third party apps or entire other marketplaces. IOS on the other hand does have that issue.

What is the market penetration through other stores compared to the pre-installed Play store? - 1:10, more? The total control of Apple is an obvious problem but in practice, dominance despite an 'open market' can be just as problematic.

I do believe that success breeds responsibility.

Re: Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

#149

Post by napoleoncomplex »

damiongrimfield wrote: post #145
napoleoncomplex wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can assume what challenges Google is facing based on how successful other companies in the space are in providing the same service, namely Microsoft and Apple. Google: 32 countries Apple: 90 countries (probably more now, info from 2012) Microsoft: 127 countries Yes, Microsoft and Apple had a head start, but the difference is just way too big, and Google hasn't moved that number in a year and a half. I don't want Go…

> Google: 32 countries Where did you get this info? I'm not doubting you; I just find it crazy that they have offices in over 40 countries[1], but only allow app submissions from developers in 32 countries. [1]: http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/locations

The list of all supported seller countries according to Google: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...

It is crazy.

Edit: To be clear, this is a list of countries which can publish paid apps in the Play Store. The list of countries which can publish free apps is of course significantly larger.

Re: Google permanently bans popular application from Play for not using IAP

#150

Post by alextingle »

al2o3cr wrote: post #110
alkonaut wrote: post #16

I feel it's an obvious problem that apps that allow IAP are listed as free. Has google or apple fixed this yet? When browsing for apps there you may see a top app being free and another costing $1. You pick the "free" one and it turns out it is useless without an IAP whereas the $1 app perhaps would not. It turns out the free app costs $2 in order to function as well as the $1 app. The consumer friendly thing to do w…

"You pick the "free" one and it turns out it is useless without an IAP whereas the $1 app perhaps would not. It turns out the free app costs $2 in order to function as well as the $1 app." So uninstall it and shell out the $1 for the other one. FFS, why is this hard?

Well, when there are 1000 apps to choose from, you can install/uninstall a lot of apps before you find the one that's actually the best value for money.

The OP is essentially complaining about a lack of price transparency. And he's 100% correct.

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