Attn: Example of Apple's Dual Standard for Spotify and other developers

[justinjames]

I had a recent exchange with Apple over another application (Trapcall) which clearly violates Apples policy. As a dev, I find this offensive.

Facts -  

- The Application is listed as FREE

- Once installed, there is NO functionality unless you register and PAY

- The registration and payment -is not- via App Store

Because of the recent row in the news, 

I wrote Apple and complained. 

Customer Support responded and said I should contact the app owner.

That was all they would say. The app is still in the app store, there was no other action / or response from Apple's.

----  

My Last email to CS -

Not at all.  This is clearly against app store rules.  Case in point, Spotify.  Why is this any different? You should pull the app as you did with spotify or should I send this over to them as a clear case of treating one developer differently than others.

Hi Justin,

Thanks for contacting us back.

I sincerely apologize if you found that our previous response did not properly address your concern. Let me provide you with the information or assistance that you require as we appreciate your membership.

Before anything else, I want you to know that in Apple, we highly value our customers and would want to make up for what have happened. Please accept the 5 song credit(s) that I’ve added back to your account. You can use these credit(s) to buy 5 song(s) of your choice from the iTunes Store.

The iTunes Store is only a vendor for app and in-app purchases, we do not control what goes on within the app, the mechanics of the app, or in-app delivery. The iTunes Store simply processes the financial aspect of the transaction on behalf of the developer, based on the information from the developer at the time of purchase.

This is why I highly suggest providing this information to our feedback page. Apple understands nobody knows iTunes better than our customers, which is why our feedback page is the best way to get your suggestion heard. You can submit the feedback at this link:   http://www.apple.com/feedback   Apple acknowledges that no one is better able to provide well-informed opinions and suggestions than the people who use the service, and this is the fastest way for your voice to be heard. Based on what I've been told, this feedback gets read by everyone all the way up the chain, and your efforts to help Apple improve are greatly appreciated.   Thank you for being a valued customer. I wish you the best and sincerely hope that you will continue to enjoy shopping on the iTunes/Mac App Store.  
Thanks,

Ednalyn
iTunes Store Customer Support

[kbrooksc]

Thanks for sharing @justinjames! I passed this on to the mods so they can check it out too.