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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

#161

Post by alextingle »

iancarroll wrote: post #136
ucho wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google has been taking a collective shit The biggest issue with anything Google related is absolute lack of communication/transparency. They have been baning web pages from Google AdSense and never told the owners why, without any way to appeal decision. The oracle has spoken, You are not worthy. Take this automatic reply message based on some words from your email.

In the suspension notice I received I had a way to appeal it.

Did it work?

In my experience, I fixed the problem they reported, but then they still refused to reinstate the site. I was left playing 20 questions, trying to guess which other policy I might have violated.

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

#162

Post by kokey »

avodonosov wrote: post #42

This is a business opportunity for those, who live in supported countries. Sell apps on Google Play for people living in unsupported countries, and agree that you take some % of payments, i.e. act as a distributor. I believe it should not be difficult to formulate such relationship that it will be legal, transparent and reliable for both parties.

I had to search through the comments for the word 'opportunity' to find this comment. I share exactly the same thought. It's a relatively straightforward model, and it should be easy enough to advertise for it too.

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

#163

Post by einhverfr »

alextingle wrote: post #146
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.

Dude, it you check out http://www.google.com/ideas/, they are looking a bit like a defence contractor these days.

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

#164

Post by nctime »

RivieraKid wrote: post #37
napoleoncomplex wrote: post #12

I know Google's policy on this, but I completely understand where the developer is coming from. Google has been taking a collective shit on every developer out of its list of seller countries[0], which is ridiculously short and hasn't been expanded in god knows how long, and even then, there were only a handful of countries added. On Google's page about seller countries they say: "We're working hard to add more count…

> We're working hard to add more countries I hate this bullshit, they've said exactly the same about my country for 3 years before actually adding seller support. They were about 3 years slower than Microsoft and Apple.

Also, Windows Phone seems to be the only one to allow IAPs without needing to pay the 30% cut.

See section 2.1.2 in http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsphone/develop...

They lay out rules like clarity in showing the product and the payment processor and having PCI-DSS which are good things to protect users.

However, this doesn't imply that they won't give in to greed and change the rules midway like Google did if Windows Phone becomes more popular.

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

#165

Post by bennyg »

nctime wrote: post #164
RivieraKid wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We're working hard to add more countries I hate this bullshit, they've said exactly the same about my country for 3 years before actually adding seller support. They were about 3 years slower than Microsoft and Apple.

Also, Windows Phone seems to be the only one to allow IAPs without needing to pay the 30% cut. See section 2.1.2 in http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsphone/develop... They lay out rules like clarity in showing the product and the payment processor and having PCI-DSS which are good things to protect users. However, this doesn't imply that they won't give in to greed and change the rules midway like Google…

They had to though. You can't come in to an entrenched marketplace and play by the same rules as everyone else when you have 0 traction. They're trying to get any and all developers to start adding to the Windows Phone offerings.

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

#167

Post by yaddayadda »

I'm an Android user who has had a problem with the google app market since I got my first Android phone 2.5 yrs ago. Since they transitioned to Google Play, I haven't even agreed to the new terms of service! Of course, this means I don't get apps through the play store.

Instead, I get apps through either F-Droid (https://f-droid.org/) or Aptoide (http://www.aptoide.com/). F-Droid is only for free and open source apps; although I have upgraded to paid versions from restricted apps I found via F-Droid, so don't completely rule it out. Frankly, I don't understand why more developers don't use services like Aptoide.

The only negative is that I also like knowing that an application is "the application" it claims to be (not a name-the-same app). So I will normally find a developer's page, then follow their provided link to their Aptoide or F-Droid entry.

So quit complaining about google's restrictions and post your apps where people like me can pay you good money for them! If enough developers and consumers go this route then the new g-men will have to adapt to market forces.

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

#168

Post by bennyg »

BitMastro wrote: post #130
k-mcgrady wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Shouldn't the developer have known this through reading the rules of the store BEFORE he/she developer the app? If you can't be bothered to do due diligence before making such a big business decision you aren't equipped to run a business.

You're being downvoted, but you're right, when you publish an app on the store you legally sign a contract, and the contract specifies what you can and cannot do. Don't like the rules? Don't publish on the play store and let people download the app from you website. It's perfectly doable. Moreover, an official warning was issued more than an year ago reminding play store developers that all IAP should go thought the…

Google isn't a store though. They are a distribution channel, who happened to build their own self-checkout lanes after several checkout lanes were already installed, then put caution tape up in front of the other ones. Google needs developers, just like developers need Google (if you're developing for Android and don't mind making waaaaaayyyy less than if you were developing for iOS :p).

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

#170

Post by NotOscarWilde »

rmrfrmrf wrote: post #90
NotOscarWilde wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. This argument works only because companies like Google prefer no communication with their user/developer base. If they took the time and posted a short note explaining which challenges Google…

It's a lose-lose situation for Google to do such a thing. They're not making an argument; they're making policy. I'm under the impression that the policy isn't up for discussion, in which case it's wise for Google not to pay people to reiterate what we already know.

Why should moderate disclosure be a lose-lose situation? If Google has a problem with entering a country that is dependent on the country's laws or policies, explaining the problem to the local citizens could lead to public discourse about the laws and, eventually, change.

Zero disclosure is a winning strategy only because people will use their imaginations and think there are valid reasons for the progress being so slow. The people will argue that the reason Google is not telling us is the policy and not the fact that they don't have a good reason.

---

This discussion reminds me of the famous quote from Eric Schmidt:

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."

Does that rule apply to Google disclosures as well?

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