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Sketchy ChatGPT App Soars Up App Store Charts, Charges $7.99 Weekly Subscription [Update: Removed]

Red Oak said:
I’ve been using this app extensivley. It is not a “fake app”. The results it provides have been outstanding. All indications point to it is using the official OpenAI’s APIs
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Did you not read this part:

ChatGPT is free to use on the web for anyone with an OpenAI account, but it has inspired scammers and sketchy developers to take advantage of its popularity for ill-gained profit. One app in particular, named "ChatGPT Chat GPT AI With GPT-3," gives the impression it is the official app for the ChatGPT bot, but appears to have no affiliation to Open AI, the creators of ChatGPT, or the bot itself.


OpenAI is based in San Francisco.

The developer/seller of this ChatGPT Chat GPT AI With GPT-3 app, Social Media Apps & Games GmbH, is in Tempe, Arizona 85284 and their website (chatgpt3.ai) was created on 2022-12-18. If they're legit, why are they using a gmail email account (socialmediaappsandgames @ gmail.com)???

They're in no way associated with OpenAI
 
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At least whoever spent tiny bit of time setting up this whole saga can earn some quick bucks. Good for them I guess.
Should it be removed? Honestly, it is kind of difficult to answer. Morally speaking they should be removed, since free services are available without any payment. I dunno about legal ground tho.

Maybe Apple user having free disposable income everyone is the general public’s perception towards us users and evil devs take advantage of that dearly.
 
sw1tcher said:
Did you not read this part:

ChatGPT is free to use on the web for anyone with an OpenAI account, but it has inspired scammers and sketchy developers to take advantage of its popularity for ill-gained profit. One app in particular, named "ChatGPT Chat GPT AI With GPT-3," gives the impression it is the official app for the ChatGPT bot, but appears to have no affiliation to Open AI, the creators of ChatGPT, or the bot itself.


OpenAI is based in San Francisco.

The developer/seller of this ChatGPT Chat GPT AI With GPT-3 app, Social Media Apps & Games GmbH, is in Tempe, Arizona 85284 and their website (chatgpt3.ai) was created on 2022-12-18. If they're legit, why are they using a gmail email account (socialmediaappsandgames @ gmail.com)???

They're in no way associated with OpenAI
Click to expand...

Do you understand that OpenAI offers paid licenses for anyone (including this app) to use their API? You and I could do the same exact thing

openai.com

Pricing

Simple and flexible. Only pay for what you use.
openai.com


I will agree with you that the app name could be trademark violation
 
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temende said:
I'm not sure why people would expect Apple to reject this app? 30% of $8/week can add up over time. And Apple isn't a charity.
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Not the price itself but the pricing weekly vs annual makes no sense. If it were monthly, then that annual price might make sense. Think they do it to "force" you into annual
 
rm5 said:
How Apple is allowing these apps on the App Store is shocking to me
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If you were a mobile developer submitting an app to the App Store and had experience with the review process, you'd very much understand how it happens. Our experience over the last 5 years has been mostly good, but there have been 2 or 3 times we ran into a reviewer who had their head so far up their .... it was unbelievable how much they tried to block our submission making completely unfounded claims. I will say — in our experience — the process has notably improved over time.
 
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matthew12 said:
How does Apple not catch this? I feel like the review team's main functions are automated and the actual humans are only there to deal with its f*ck-ups.
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Without knowing more details, it's hard to see why Apple would 'catch' this. Unless it's doing something illegal, what's the issue? There are millions of absolutely crap apps on the App Store - this is just one more.
 
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BornAgainMac said:
Funny they are calling it ChatGPT Pro. What a scam.
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And to an average (read: STUPID) person, they will download it and get charged every week. Then fuss and fume about how they were "taken by that horrible company."

Not defending Apple here. They need to make those walls higher in their garden to prevent this garbage. This is just as much their fault. This simply proved why app stores (all of them) need work. Apple needs to refund ASAP if they haven't already. Apple needs to simply not pay that premium to the scam developer. Apple needs to "pull an Epic" and kick them out.

HOWEVER...consumers that don't do good or good enough research are just asking to have terrible things happen against their will.
 
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Red Oak said:
Do you understand that OpenAI offers paid licenses for anyone (including this app) to use their API? You and I could do the same exact thing

openai.com

Pricing

Simple and flexible. Only pay for what you use.
openai.com


I will agree with you that the app name could be trademark violation
Click to expand...
So this IS a legit App? Then nothing to discuss here. People should look at your posts before confusing the whole “App Store is a mess” drama.

Name and pricing is up to the app developer. But this whole thread is discussing it like it’s a full on scam app.
 
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As long as it brings in good money, Apple will have no problem with a sketchy malicious app. Refer to the article where Phil Schiller wanted the App Store to be a safe haven for its users, but some new graduates focussing on the revenue only.

It shows as people rarely go and discover new apps like they used to.
 
$8 a week?:oops:

Even Adobe and MS don't gouge us for that much.
anthogag said:
If ChatGPT is free on the Internet, this $7.99 app is highly suspect.
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You'll find a lot of scam apps on the AppStore and PlayStore. Stuff like translation apps that charges $5 or so a month. There a plenty of free translation apps from reputable developers and free online translators.

Caveat Emptor.
matthew12 said:
How does Apple not catch this? I feel like the review team's main functions are automated and the actual humans are only there to deal with its f*ck-ups.
Click to expand...
So Apple has a team of Winston Wolfe?
468167158-86113.png

I want join the Wolfe Pack.😎
 
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MysticCow said:
And to an average (read: STUPID) person, they will download it and get charged every week. Then fuss and fume about how they were "taken by that horrible company."

Not defending Apple here. They need to make those walls higher in their garden to prevent this garbage. This is just as much their fault. This simply proved why app stores (all of them) need work. Apple needs to refund ASAP if they haven't already. Apple needs to simply not pay that premium to the scam developer. Apple needs to "pull an Epic" and kick them out.

HOWEVER...consumers that don't do good or good enough research are just asking to have terrible things happen against their will.
Click to expand...
I blame both sides. I think that the paid period should only be allowed for monthly or annually. Trial can be whatever, but the paid portion should be monthly or annually
 
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