Wow listening to this is seems that apple gave him every possible chance to distance him from this and clear up his good reputation. I don't know anything about this app developer or his product but seems he is trying to make himself out to be a victim of big bad apple. Who know he may be but again it seems by listening to the audio they we're trying to give him a way to save face and a way back in. JMHO
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Says 1,000 Fraudulent Reviews Were Detected Across Two Accounts Owned by 'Dash' Developer [Update: Developer Responds]
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
He didn't give a linked account, he used his credit card. In fact his credit card and old hardware was the only thing linking them two together. He never gave a linked account. Again, the reviews weren't for Dash. The reason I'm defending him is because my counterargument doesn't make me him, it just makes me of a different opinion to you. I happen to be using evidence, you're just saying ****.
Nope because Apple is not Congress and the first amendment says "Congress shall make no law" etc....
[doublepost=1476147221][/doublepost]
I agree. I am a developer and firmly sided with him at the start, but Apple's request sounded pretty reasonable and I would have just taken the offer with a mea culpa.
To clarify, to really make sure you understand this. He didn't do anything, Apple is making the link (and they're doing the right thing by seeing that link) and then they just banned him without any conversation. Now they're reinstating him after a bit of PR. I'm only repeating what the devs and Apple both said.
Even if you disagree with me, it doesn't matter. I'm repeating what Apple are saying, and they made a decision.
Well that makes a world of difference. He didn't give a linked account, he just bought an account... which made it linked. And when the fraud was reported to that account it failed to be communicated for two years.
Yes, we established that. They were for apps that competed with his own. Made by his sister. Who was definitely, totally, absolutely not talking to him for that two years.
No. No you are not. The actual evidence points to fraud on a grand scale.
Anyway, I'm done here. I have no horse in this race and what happened is transparent.
I can't believe fanboys have become so cultish and ignorant these days. Like, jesus christ, I'm echoing what both Apple and the dev said and I'm still wrong. In fact it's now "fraud on a grand scale." ... which even Apple disagrees with.
Why is there a need to contact him if they're planning to ban him? If they ban him he'll contact them should he see a need.
On Apple's part, why do they care if he does or doesn't? They've made their choice and I'm sure they have zero issue living with it.
Anyone who leaves 1000 reviews should automatically be investigated. Who has that kind of time if they have nothing to gain from it?
Whose program he paid for.......I think thats a politicians way of saying, I opened a developer account in someone else's name. Which I would be shocked if that didnt violate Apples terms right there.......for this very reason. "Oh, thats not another account of mine...thats my cousins, and that one is my friends, and that one is my neighbors"
See how sketchy that looks? But ok, lets say Apple will allow you to just open up multiple accounts and slap someone else's name on it. Your still the account holder. I know, for example, if I open up a Amazon account for a relative and pay for it, all info pertaining to that account comes to me. I am notified when ANY account activity takes place. So even if we buy his flimsy story, he is still responsible. He still had to know what was going on with that account.
And I'l even go a step further. If he didnt know,it sure as hell was his responsibility to know!!!! Your the account holder, it was opened under your name, ostensibly for a relative, but at the end of the day, YOUR NAME. Do your due diligence, make sure your name is removed from all responsibility for account and have that documented or its on you. Suck it up, and say yes, for some crazy reason, someone else that has nothing to do with Dash decided to post 1000 positive reviews. Not sure why they cared, but they did. Additionally they posted negative reviews of competitors.......of mine, not theirs. Not share why they would be so invested to do this for a company they are not involved with, but they did......and I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. I dropped the ball at wasn't watching what went on with accounts Im responsible for. My bad.
This story would be gone, but as ususal, the lack of owning it always makes things worse.
No, he just used his card to pay for an account for a relative. I know it may sound absurd for somebody in US, but it's quite common here in Romania – especially 3-4 years ago – as a lot of people either don't have cards or they are paranoid about using them online.
Just to put it in perspective, I run an online store and about 95% of our orders are still paid cash on delivery even today.
This scandal exposes the depth and breadth of Apple's media-manipulation scheme. Phil Schiller personally directed his press team to craft this carefully worded lie to smear Bogdan's good name. Those employees spoonfed the false narrative about this tiny indie developer to its mouthpieces Jim Dalrymple at The Loop, Rene Ritchie at iMore, and the ever-creduluous John Gruber.
Phil never counted on Bogdan having the good sense to record Apple's manipulation of his own words. If he hadn't created evidence of Apple's simultaneous backpedalling and threats, no one would have believed him. He will certainly never again have the opportunity to hand Apple 30% of his revenue in exchange for file hosting, but this true glimpse into how Apple is playing all of us is worth so much more.
If you've read around before Bogdan posted the phonecall, you probably saw Gruber, Marco, and Brent Simmons all gave Apple 100% of the benefit of the doubt, and gutless Marco sticks to his sycophancy even after this irrefutable proof comes forth. But let this be a lesson to the casual reader or developer who watches these inside baseball Apple stories play out every month. Apple DOES lie to you. Apple DOES threaten developers. Apple DOES manipulate the press. Not every time, but even once undermines all credibility and goodwill.
The next time you see some "Apple spokesperson" info posted to iMore or The Loop or The Verge, remind yourself those words came directly from Phil Schiller. Decide for yourself if Apple is trying to play you for the fool.
Phil never counted on Bogdan having the good sense to record Apple's manipulation of his own words. If he hadn't created evidence of Apple's simultaneous backpedalling and threats, no one would have believed him. He will certainly never again have the opportunity to hand Apple 30% of his revenue in exchange for file hosting, but this true glimpse into how Apple is playing all of us is worth so much more.
If you've read around before Bogdan posted the phonecall, you probably saw Gruber, Marco, and Brent Simmons all gave Apple 100% of the benefit of the doubt, and gutless Marco sticks to his sycophancy even after this irrefutable proof comes forth. But let this be a lesson to the casual reader or developer who watches these inside baseball Apple stories play out every month. Apple DOES lie to you. Apple DOES threaten developers. Apple DOES manipulate the press. Not every time, but even once undermines all credibility and goodwill.
The next time you see some "Apple spokesperson" info posted to iMore or The Loop or The Verge, remind yourself those words came directly from Phil Schiller. Decide for yourself if Apple is trying to play you for the fool.
Software.com has a list of apps that were published by himself and his 'relative': https://software.com/publisher/kapeli
However, only Stay Awake gets published under a different user name (Mihaela Popescu), but if you look at the bundle names, they all start with com.kapeli...
However, only Stay Awake gets published under a different user name (Mihaela Popescu), but if you look at the bundle names, they all start with com.kapeli...
While there could have been more transparency to have less of a chilling effect starting to look like he's guilty.
What scandal?
All I have seen so far is Apple doing its darn job. Apple detected an anomaly in its App Store, they investigated it, and meted out consequences like any fair judge would.
Apple has nothing to gain from blocking a developer account, be used its these developers which help make the Apple platform such a thriving ecosystem.
If a developer wants to use the internet and social media to blow up the matter and hope that by doing so, he can somehow pressure or bully Apple into stepping down, I think he is sorely mistaken and if this is the case, then all the more Apple should not step down.
Especially when the developer in question doesn't seem to be quite as innocent as he was initially portrayed.
But hey, some people are always too quick to blame Apple for any wrongdoing. As always.
What a lame excuse. He got caught, and got booted. Good for Apple.
If there is one take away from this whole **** show, it's that we can expect Apple to refine it's app store terms of use policy. I don't really relate to the corporate culture that is Apple, but it seems like they are just following their own protocol. The developer crossed the line, however tangentially, and they moved on it. Now they, Apple, are trying to work with him and he posts their phone convo on the internet, like that is going to help his case. It almost seems like he is more interested in fighting their corporate culture than getting back to business.
Last edited by a moderator:
So, you are saying, until Apple has dealt with all fraud that started 3 (or more) years ago, they should not take any action on fraud that is only 2 (or less) years old?
Your beef seems to be that it looks to you as if Apple is giving FDG an unfair advantage by not punishing them similarly. You assume that somebody at Apple must have made a deliberate decision based on lower motives. And that is where the problem lies, you assume deliberate action (plus on top 'lower motives' if you disagree with the action) because any alternative is beyond your imagination.
I wonder whether the warning emails Apple sent were to the developer's email address, or to his relative's email address, and the relative's just been ignoring/deleting them all this time.
Come on Apple, that is kindergarten-style trying to get away with a really poor handling of the whole matter. If the two accounts were linked (i.e. indivisible entities in the eyes of Apple), why have not apple indivisibly inform BOTH the accounts. If you turn off two accounts, you have to inform two accounts. Pretty obvious to me.
If Apple behaved normally and reasonably, none of the later problems would have occurred. But I guess it takes more courage for Apple to admit their policies are arrogant and they made a mistake than to remove an audio jack ;-).
Well this well reasoned logical triumph has surely changed my mind
Yeah, not really
If the developer committed fraud why would Apple even consider admitting him back to the dev program?
If the developer didn't commit fraud why would Apple not admit him back to the developer program without writing that blog post?
Because Apple made a mistake and wants to use the developer as PR leverage.
If the developer didn't commit fraud why would Apple not admit him back to the developer program without writing that blog post?
Because Apple made a mistake and wants to use the developer as PR leverage.
There is nothing to reason about. If you do something to someone, it's normal/polite/reasonable to inform him, in advance, about doing so. Apple did not do that. If they could deactivate two accounts, they should have informed the two accounts.
On top of that, the first statement by Apple that the decision is final and cannot be appealed is just pure misuse of their power. I use a lot of Apple products, but it is exactly this arrogance that makes me sad about Apple, on many occasions.