So I have a bunch of apps on GP that date back 2 yrs or so. They earn next to zero money per month (approx $2 per app) and so I’ve not touched them in a long time. GP constantly sends me emails to add a new ‘RATINGS CERTIFICATE’ to these old apps. So today I thought Id play fair and updated an old app with the asked for new policy. You guessed it, I just got a ‘strike’ against my account as the old app doesn’t specifically state its ‘Fake’ in the title. Its a prank scanner and say the title is “Ghost Scanner”, GP states it has to say “Fake Ghost Scanner”. The ONLY thing i changed was adding the policy and the ‘short description’ they now expect.
What a crock, I try to play ball and get my account threatened for doing so. Its my 3rd strike over 2.5 yrs. One was for ‘too many repetitive words’, one was for showing an ad on exit (it didn’t - but I didn’t argue), and now this.
I’m rapidly losing interest in GP. My revenue is down 35% over last year as it is. Its a dying market for earning $ and getting more and more ridiculous.
Its ridiculous. Following Googles policy, if I create an app that refers to the easter bunny or santa clause, I’d have to explicitly state int the app that the easter bunny and santa arent real !
You are so lucky to have GP telling you what is exactly wrong with your app.
A lot of us receive generic reply requiring us to decipher what exactly went wrong to infringe their rules.
And if we fail to get it right, our app remain banned or strike-out.
Not really. They told me what was incorrect and suspended it - the app is gone and uneditable in GP. If I want to get the app back, I have to create a whole new app in GP. I have no interest in doing so as the app made next to nothing and was made to practice my skills 2 yrs ago. I don’t care about the app, its the strike that bothers me.
So now, its safer to never update my apps when GP asks for new certs etc. I’d rather they take them off the market than generate more ‘strikes’ against my account because of ‘courtesy’ updates I perform.
BTW - I wrote to them complaining, lets see what that does.
I really wonder why the Workflow with the Playstore is so complicated…
Sometimes I feel that Google will do almost anything to make the “Perfect” user experience, even if it means cutting %97 of new submitted apps…
Then again with every new update and policy that comes out, I always am in Shock & Awe…
God bless Google :eek:
Apple started the ball rolling with vetting before apps are approved and made available.
Google take the other way. It allow almost anyone to release apps (shady,crap etc) whatever and made available.
Unfortunately developer take advantage of this liberal rule and start to flood the store with apps of questionable behavoir.
So since we are so ill-disciplined in our behavoir, the time has come forthem to clamp down real hard on us.
We only have ourselves to blame in the first place. We take their kindness for granted and abuse it for our own monetary gains.
Guess what, developers looking for quick money will now move elsewhere gradually. Online betting sites are still around and monies come much faster.
What happens to apps which are not getting updated regarding the IARC content rating? And while being at it, we got the Same problem with the new cookie rule from admob that forces you to show a message that states the app is using cookies. Are apps, that don’t get the note implemented, banned?
even if you follow all its still no guarantee you’ll have your app safe.