Physical contact adress on Google Play

Android Android Development
81

I heard about this but forgot about it - because I release a new app, I got that message to enter a postal adress.

I mainly second, what Thrips said. Google already have a working address-validation system (used, when you want to enter your business in google maps or whatever this is called). They send you a letter and you have to confirm it by entering a code. They do not use this for developer accounts - if they would, they would have proper fields for zip/adress etc to make this happen automatically.

I guess there is some law (i bet it has to do with taxes) and google just has to do this to comply that law. Maybe there is no need (by law) to verify that information, so google don’t care (which they obviously cant tell you publicly). Just a guess. Not sure if they care to waste ressource to even look at that field, but still you may get a mail from their indian centers (cheap staff) thus it could be possible in the future that those laws are being changed.

In the end: PLEASE stop blaming google for this bullshit. The governments are inventing those laws - not google. Blame the governments. They are sucking so hard on every penny that someday you will find yourself lying bloddless on the ground. Nowadays it really seems better to not (legally) earn any money at all. It’s still hard to do everything right.

On the other side - and I cant say this often enough: If anyone WANT your home address, chances are good he will be able to get it. I have my own servers and domains and allover is my home address. Funny enough over the time, I changed my home so often and just had time to update all places accordingly, that you may find ~5 different addresses of me - and I don’t care.

It IS quiet possible, that your gov. may try to track you down depending on your information you entered in dev.account. Here in spain, they recently track .es websites and look if those persons are registered for tax. If not, they send a mail and demand you to visit them. You are immediatly(!) suspected for tax evasion.

edit: if you have IAP or you’re selling apps, you already have entered your address in google merchant account - just guess, why they do not use this information in your dev account

82

I blame Google for not stepping up and admit they’re the ones who are effectively selling my apps and then give me a cut…

83

google cannot step up against valid law, because google has no personal interest. The developers have, so they have to step up against it. we are actually talking about consumer protecction laws - I hardly think anyone will be able to step up against it.

84

Actually it IS Google’s fault. Look at how Amazon, Apple and Microsoft handle sales - they don’t require developer address to be disclosed. Why? Because they don’t try to hide the fact that they are the ones running a store and selling things, not the developers. Google lost a case with EU recently and they circumvented the requirements put on them by requiring our addresses, so they can still claim they are not running a store, but only a transaction service.

85

The root of all this is still regulations. I actually prefer the way google handles this stuff and I do not have to care about US tax deductions … on the other side there is this “big unknown” about handling VAT … because at play this is the devs problem i think.

86

Google already said it was going to take care of VAT.

“Starting January 1, 2015, due to a change in Value-Added Tax (VAT) laws in the European Union (EU), Google will be responsible for determining, charging, and remitting VAT for Google Play Store app and content purchases for EU buyers. Google will send VAT for EU customers’ app and content purchases to the appropriate authority, so you won’t need to calculate and send VAT separately. No action is required on your part.”

87

thanks for that information - personally I decided to not care about VAT (i actually have the luck to live in Gran Canaria which is outside the VAT region)

88

With the ‘new’ Admob (at least in the U.K) you had to provide your address and they sent a PIN in the post to you. You then had to enter that PIN on the Admob website before they would let you enter billing info.
I do agree with what you guys are saying in that they probably won’t be verifying addresses, but I wouldn’t rule it out completely.