Thread by @rjonesy

As product, strategy, app maker, and Apple nerd the App Store is critical and interesting to me. As you know I tweet about it a lot, because I think about it a lot, because it affects me and Apple listens.

The scammers that are ruining the App Store WILL erode consumer trust, Apple's advantage, viability of good products, and services revenue.

Again, I think and talk about it a lot, because these things change slowly, then all of a sudden.

I finally feel like I have a full grasp on the full picture, after a year of tweeting with @drbarnard, hearing from Apple, valid pushback from @jammasternate, "finding" solutions that throw the baby out with the bathwater, etc...

@drbarnard @jammasternate Here's my App Store proposal, to slow scamming - for users, apps, and Apple's benefit.

- police live apps
- use data (ex. 1-stars, refund rate)
- issue warnings
- punishment! (ex. delist, derank)
- Apple mandated paywall/buttons (we input name, price, duration)

@pschiller

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller Here are the main problems and why this fixes each:

1. App Review is a one-time gateway. But modern apps can change everything server-side. Once they get approved for a fair paywall, they can *entirely* replace it, or just price and colors.

Must police ongoingly.

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller 2. Users already provide the data for them! Bad reviews and refund rates skyrocket when this starts.

They don't appear to be using that as a signal effectively.

AND refunds are way too hard (phonecall!), burden of proof is on customer.

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller 3. There's no punishment!

If I rob a bank and start spending the money, and when I get caught the police say "hey don't do that again" and let me keep everything I bought with the stolen money...

Why the F would I stop stealing!

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller Scammers have no punishment AND get to keep the money! What do you expect!🤷‍♂️ Why the hell would they stop.

This is a classic @benthompson incentives angle - and why it is APPLE'S FAULT. They set and make the incentives. They are INCENTIVIZING scamming.

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller @benthompson 3 (cont) There HAS to be punishment. It's like the american legal system - if there's not punishment the ONLY way to stop criminals is to catch them in the act and say No. CLEARLY that's insane.

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller @benthompson So there has to be punishment, which means there has to be warnings (that's only fair). Punishment would be things like:

- removed for 7-days
- customer get easy chance to get money back
- watchlists
- deranking in Search
- payment withheld for 30-days

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller @benthompson Those are just ideas, but even the existence of ANYTHING makes criminals think twice (again, think US legal system).

... do we want to risk getting caught?
... are we sure this is legal?
... do we want to be embarrassed?

Just makes so much sense. No punishment = useless rules.

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller @benthompson And lastly, Apple just make the damn paywall button area for us. Mandate it. We are wasting hours on rejections, the big guys have TEAMS to try to defeat app review and push the rules. Customers have to hunt to find prices.

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller @benthompson Just like the payment modal - make a paywall/button design for ALL.

Instantly that makes users confident, removes most scams, makes it fair, and is just "right", honest, transparent.

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller @benthompson Apple can continue as-is, and make more money now, but it WILL catch up eventually. Users will stop trusting, we already see it happening.

/ The end. Back to work on @FlightyApp paywall rejections. Thanks for listening @pschiller. 🙏

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller @benthompson @FlightyApp Here's an example of potentially mandated radio/button (3 choices and button). Easy, flexible, scalable, you style it, you pick the color, you put content around it. Apple already has IAP name, price, duration, and description. Just standard enough, not crazy.

(Ha! FWIW this meant Apple listens to feedback even though people say they don’t NOT that Apple listens to me.)

@drbarnard @jammasternate @pschiller @benthompson @FlightyApp LOL. Someone remind me to share the @flightyapp paywall that App Review just rejected after launch.

It's LITERALLY two buttons with names, prices, and length of subscription. No funny business like "billed yearly". Nothing.

REJECTED 🤷‍♂️