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Developers May Soon Be Able to Automatically Charge Apple Users for Subscription Price Increases
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Definitely *** that
Putting the onus on a user to notice a price change notification, amongst the sea of other notifications streaming along all the time -- is totally unacceptable.
They make you explicitly agree to purchases and starting subs.
The exact same thing needs to apply to any price changes.
A price change (i.e. a different price) is a NEW agreement that requires new consent.
At least Apple does make it easy to cancel. Others let you sign up online, but require a phone call to an understaffed call center with limited hours to end the subscription. Worst case you eat one month before cancelling.
Because the difference between sending a notice vs. an opt-in prompt is millions of cancellations for someone like Disney. Many of them probably accidental, because people don't always take time to understand what they're choosing on these prompts.
Undoubtedly Disney negotiated this experience with Apple to ensure this one-time price increase did not result in excessive cancellations.
Undoubtedly Disney negotiated this experience with Apple to ensure this one-time price increase did not result in excessive cancellations.
I don't disagree with the "easy to cancel" part, but that is a totally separate issue here
I'm not willing - nor should anybody be - to settle for "at least I only might get screwed out of one month"
And it gets worse the more subs one might have.
Apple is supposed to be way above all this kind of bulls***
And as such, users have to demonstrate personal responsibility and cancel it themselves if they actually want to.
Instead of a confusing prompt in the app that unfairly risks excessive cancellations.
Edit: You gotta love the downvotes for suggesting people take personal responsibility.
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I doubt it will be quite that obscene.... not from the smart scammers anyway. Going from 0.99/mo to 4.99/mon for some ****** ToDo app is more likely what we'll see. Nearly everyone will notice a $100 swing... $4, not so much. String 'em along for a few months/years and you make way more.
??? The user has to notice the message in both cases in order to potentially avoid something they don't want. You can't make the assumption that every subscriber is unwilling to pay for a price increase and therefore not noticing a message that will cancel their subscription is fine.
So it's too much to ask that you demonstrate personal responsibility over your own finances? Apple needs to handle this for you?
It takes incredible gall to claim this "benefits users"
I wouldn't call it a fishing expedition. This was already done, live, on a massive scale, to enable Disney to raise the price of Disney+ without incurring mass cancellations.
Yet another example of Apple giving special treatment to big player. "Just testing" on a example where half a billion dollars per month was on the line.
Is it so bad for something to benefit developers? Bear in mind that the current method is completely unacceptable and needs to be reworked regardless.
Exactly. Currently non-Apple related subscriptions like Netflix, Hulu, etc., all send out several notifications before price increases take effect warning us via email and texts. And they are careful to warn us weeks in advance, and warn us multiple times. This method would open the door to shiesty developers trying to slip another price increase in at the last moment. Just one more reason not to purchase subscriptions through Apple or Amazon stores. Whenever possible, purchase directly, outside of the wall of apple sauce…
Oh, Agreed. The EU should.....I only mean that while it's still a battle with the EU whether or not that happens, it's stupid on Apples part to do this. They aren't helping themselves a bit if they mean to win that battle. They only succeed in eroding the ground they try to stand on.
Quite the contrary!
Their 30/15 per cent commission charge totally screams they want to „get into the middle of the consumers and developers“.
Many jurisdictions require explicit consent. Germany, as the biggest EU country, for instance, recently ruled that banks can‘t increase account fees with explicit consent.
So what?
I‘ll just charge it back through my payment card against that developer.
What‘s the worst that can happen? I lose access to that developer‘s apps, subscriptions and services.
What’s the worst that can happen charging back from Apple? They’ll lock my Apple ID - and I‘ll lose access to all apps from every developer I‘ve ever bought on their monopolist App Store. Plus the ability to (re-) activate my devices with activation lock. Way worse.
Even more than about developers, the EU cares about consumer protection.
(I‘d argue they’re even being overzealous on that).
How do you know it will allow developers to increase prices "at the last moment"? The article doesn't say that. It doesn't provide any time related info on how far in advance Disney+ notified people of the price increase.
Apple created the iPhone/iPad and iOS/iPadOS and the App Store. They're obviously not middle men.
If you subscribe through their own systems, they can (and do) already do it. Currently Apple protects us from this garbage, but looks like they’re planning on stopping. Good for scummy developers. Bad for consumers.
Third party stores would have no such limitations either.
And apparently according to Epic, multiple congressional and senate members - and a huge swathe of the EU - 3rd party app stores "would benefit the user"....
Ab-so-freaking-lutely not! I just cancelled the 2 subscription services I have through iOS. There are so many random prompts on iOS I don't even read them (yes that's my fault). And just clicking OK on a prompt that raises my subscription rate is not okay.
If the prompt had 2 buttons it would stand out. That might be okay. But this will never happen to me.
If the prompt had 2 buttons it would stand out. That might be okay. But this will never happen to me.
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And what is that? They are already being micro-regulated…what’s a few more regulations?
I'm assuming the explicit consent is received when the customer first subscribes - there will be a clause in their stating they're agreeing to automatically be charged for subscription price increases unless they cancel before the effective date.
You're right. But a price increase at Netflix is advertised by the main stream media LOOOOONG before it goes into effect with a lot of people belly-aching about it (and very few taking any action).
Lots of smaller apps (like Newton email) won't get a lot of media attention -- even if they issue a press release. Those are the pesky little apps that will benefit from a dark pattern behavior. Particularly after 15 years of having to agree to any price increase.
Yep, that’s where the problem is— all the little subscriptions for weather apps and such that people stop paying attention to.