Issues with windows phone app store: Buyers beware!!!!

[Yazan Abdullah]

Recently, wpcentral had an article about an app called #1 toolkit. Like the ***** I am, I went ahead and purchased the app. As some of you know by now, I had been desperately looking for an intuitive timer app on the app store.
Well it turns out that wpcentral advertised an app that they had not tested thoroughly: the timer tool within #1 toolkit is unreliable; sometimes the alarm DOES NOT go off when time is up. Also, it is supposed to work in the background; for instance: say you timed the alarm to go off in 5 mins and then you decide to go to another app or perform other tasks; alarm would still go off in 5 mins…..well.. The 5 minutes will pass and neither alarm nor vibrate go off!!! I went ahead and long pressed the multitask virtual button to see if the app is still running in the background and my suspicion turned out to be true: the app stopped running in the background. When I opened the app again, my 5 min timer had gone….as though I never set it up. If there is one thing that a timer app should be good at, it’s reliability. This timer in #1 toolkit works 60% of the times. Totally unacceptable, and yet wpcentral gave it a lot of hype. But it gets worse.

So I frantically attempted to get a refund on the 3$ I paid for the app. Well, turns out all sales are final on windows phone app store. How crappy is that? I emailed the developer and he never got back to me. I reported the app to MS and never got a reply or a refund.

But it gets even worse. I paid 1$ to RV appstudios to get rid of the ads in their app best tip calculator (which is--by the way-an inferior imitation of the elegantly intuitive tip app on iOS). Well, the ads remained there. Yes, I am not lying. I paid for it but dev kept the ads. I am not talking about small ads that appear in a little bar. No! These are full screen ads. It took me 27 mins to find contact info for the dev. 27 mins!!! Apparently, MS does not require devs to put their contact info within the app or under the “detail” page of their app section in the app store. How crappy is that? Anyways, I found RV appstudios contact info on the internet and when I explained my grievance, they sent me an email asking if they could contact me! No refund! They want to contact me instead. How shady is that?

Finally, I decided to rate and review these 2 apps. Once I submitted the reviews. I went ahead and attempted to locate my reviews on the app store. NADA! I could not find my reviews. In fact, I looked for my reviews and ratings for many of the apps I had rated in the past and I found none of them on the store. And just in case you think that my reviews got rejected for vulgar language, know that these reviews were mostly constructive criticism devoid of vulgar language. Yet I still cannot find my reviews on the app store. This brings up an important question: how is a wp user able to trust--and hence purchase-- an app’s overall rating if some of the ratings/reviews are being omitted from the app store?

In summary,

• I question wpcentral’s app-testing methods and I urge users to do their own testing before purchasing apps.
  
• MS must mandate the inclusion of dev’s contact info somewhere within the app or in the “detail” section of the app info within the store.
  
• MS must establish a refund policy. The lack of that encourages devs to produce misleading apps. With a refund policy, a dev would be compelled to produce a functional reliable app that works as advertised. I understand how MS is desperate for devs. But I believe that no apps at all is better than defective apps that are there just to take your money.
  
• Someone has to investigate how reviews/ratings appear in the wp app store. Users must see all the submitted reviews provided that no vulgar language is included in them.
  
• I once again deplore the app quality problem that has plagued WP since its birth. MS must go ahead and produce a timer app that works reliably and intuitively, like the one in the latest iOS.

P.S: has anyone ever been able to download apps remotely. you know like you download app onto the phone via desktop/laptop? i've tried a million times but it never worked.

 

[Ebuka Allison]

Yes I've been able to download apps remotely.
But first though, your how crappy is that? Comment on the no refund policy is strange. Did you not know that BEFORE you bought the app or did you ignore the all purchases are final warning?
How would users do their own testing before purchasing apps if there is no trial?
How did you attempt to locate your review? Did you try using the sorting options?

I'm not sure apple or Google require developers to place contact details either

 

[Jan Tomsic]

P.S: has anyone ever been able to download apps remotely. you know like you download app onto the phone via desktop/laptop? i've tried a million times but it never worked.

If you mean trough the store in the desktop broswer, like this: Files | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)
and clicking install, yes, I have successfully installed apps this way. You don't get any notification, they just show up, you need to look for them on your phone.

About ads in paid apps, it could happen. It's awful of course, especially if no ads are advertised for money, but nothing is really keeping me from releasing an app that's just ads and costs 10$.
About alarms and that, WP is very strict about apps running in the background, make sure your toolkit is allowed and that battery saver isn't running, if that still doesn't work then I'm sorry for your 3 bucks.

 

[Wam1q]

You can easily get refunds. I got a nice refund of ?16 from the WP store.

 

[spicypadthai]

P.S: has anyone ever been able to download apps remotely. you know like you download app onto the phone via desktop/laptop? i've tried a million times but it never worked.

Make sure you enable Always use push notifications - In Settings, go to Find My Phone, and then select the Always use push notifications (not SMS) to send commands and apps to my phone check box.

 

[tiwahu]

Apparently, MS does not require devs to put their contact info within the app or under the ?detail? page of their app section in the app store. How crappy is that?

They do.

5.6.1 - Technical support information

"An app must include the app name, version information, and technical support contact information that are easily discoverable."

See bottom of page: Technical certification requirements for Windows Phone

 

[hopmedic]

Yazan,

First let me say that I'm sorry that your experience has been less than satisfying. I do hope that it improves.

But then allow me to point out a few things. First, the Windows Phone store tells you up front, prior to every purchase, that there are no refunds. There have been occasions where refunds have been given, though they are very rare, to my knowledge. Additionally, I have read of a few developers issuing refunds on their own. This is very good of them, as they are in effect refunding more than they received on the sale, as Microsoft keeps 30% of all sales through the store. Don't buy apps expecting this to happen.

Second, if I were the developer in the RV Appstudios scenario, I would attempt to find out what the problem was and how I could fix it before issuing you a refund, too. I am a developer. You bought an app with a warning up front that there were no refunds. The fact that you were contacted by the developer and he wanted to know what the problem was is a good thing. It shows that he has at least SOME desire to make his customer base happy. So the developer contacting you is not shady at all. It is what you should expect.

Rating the apps? Windows Phone ratings and reviews are not real-time. You can't enter a review and expect it to show up milliseconds later. To my knowledge it has never been like this. But out of curiosity, I looked. Here is your rating for the Tip Calculator:

Accusations of fraud. Not very constructive. Ever consider that the app could have been written by a twelve year old who didn't realize what he did wrong? Or even an adult that didn't realize. None of us are perfect, and testing for in-app purchases can be a challenge if you don't know what you're doing. How about a little benefit of the doubt, tell the guy what the problem is, and hope he fixes it?

I didn't find the other one, but there are thousands for that app, so I don't expect to without searching through the haystack, which I'm not going to bother doing.

You say that MS must establish a refund policy. They did before they ever got this thing off the ground. The policy is that there are no refunds. You know that going into the purchase.

My best suggestion for you would be to take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and relax.

 

[Ebuka Allison]

Yes I've been able to download apps remotely.
But first though, your how crappy is that? Comment on the no refund policy is strange. Did you not know that BEFORE you bought the app or did you ignore the all purchases are final warning?
How would users do their own testing before purchasing apps if there is no trial? Some apps are bad yes, so you must check reviews and ratings beforehand

How did you attempt to locate your review? Did you try using the sorting options?

I'm not sure apple or Google require developers to place contact details either. Edit: All apps I have have contact details somewhere in the app. It appears this is a requirement. I think apple should have it as well. Nit sure about the Play store though

 

[Wam1q]

Here's how to get a refund from the Windows Phone store in ten easy steps:
1. Go to commerce.microsoft.com.
2. Log into your account.
3. Verify your account with the security code.
(You should be on commerce.microsoft.com/PaymentHub now. Head onto your region and language if not already.)
4. Go to commerce.microsoft.com/PaymentHub/Help.
(Billing help should be open now.)
5. In the all topics tab, click/tap on '> Getting help' and then on 'Contact Support'.
(Microsoft Support page will open.)
6. Select 'Windows Store' in product selection.
7. In problem type, select 'Apps & Windows Store'.
8. In category, select 'Getting a refund'.
9. In the 'Contact us' subpage, click/tap on 'Start chat' or 'Call me' button as appropriate.
10. Explain your issue to the Microsoft representative and get your refund.

 

[Mark section]

Bro you asked the wrong person for refund.