Re: Upcoming pricing changes
What about a yearly subscription for around $20. This way there would be that cash flow, maybe not every month, but at least the cash would come in for continued development. And maybe Apple would be more willing to work with you on a yearly subscription.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On 11/21/2018 3:53 PM, Matt Selm wrote: As someone who has wanted to see a single price for this app, I would gladly pay thirty or so. I do realize there are many factors that the developer has to consider though. This may be a crazy idea, but would anyone support an egg based model? Perhaps you are asked to watch an add after sending a message or showing discreet banners at the top of the screen. Again, I know this is a crazy idea, but I would rather see something out of the ordinary than to have the development stop entirely.
Matt
On Nov 21, 2018, at 8:06 AM, Jean-Philippe Rykiel <jprykiel@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Jessica.
Applevis, like any other words unknown to flick type, can be added to its dictionary. All you have to do is type it manually by holding your finger on the screen, choosing the right letters One by one, releasing your finger from the screen after each letter, and flicking right after the entire word is typed. And your new words will be there ever after. Try it.
Best regards,
JPR
http://jeanphilipperykiel.com
http://soundcloud.com/ryksounet http://twitter.com/ryksounet http://facebook.com/jeanphilipperykiel
Le 21/11/2018 à 13:53, Jessica D a écrit : Hi, I love Flicktype.
I'd be willing to pay anything between $0.99, and $9.99.
If the new price was above that, I'd think about it first, because some of the words I type, like Applevis, aren't recognized by flicktype.
Flicktype has trouble entering web addresses in Safari.
Thanks, Jessica
On Nov 21, 2018, at 5:07 AM, Mark Davies <mark.davies@pobox.com> wrote:
Hello, Sorry to read about your problems with Apple. Shame that a company that tries to gain PR credit by telling the world how great they are for doing accessibility seems unable to communicate the need for accessibility to ALL their staff. Anyway, regarding pricing, my suggestion would be to try to keep it fairly low but to include a "tip jar" in the app. That way people could still support you in the future. I know a few apps use this method already, although I'm not sure how effective it is financially. BTW I use the stand alone version of FT and you could put a donation button there too, with maybe a suggested amount.
Mark
Mark.Davies@POBox.com
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@flicktype.com> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
I would strongly oppose an add-based model. I use flicktype for a lot of creative writing, and losing focus/concentration due to adds would severely limit my creativity. I would prefer a subscription based model for both the developers and ourselves, but would gladly pay for this app as well in the 20-30 dollar range.
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
As someone who has wanted to see a single price for this app, I would gladly pay thirty or so. I do realize there are many factors that the developer has to consider though. This may be a crazy idea, but would anyone support an egg based model? Perhaps you are asked to watch an add after sending a message or showing discreet banners at the top of the screen. Again, I know this is a crazy idea, but I would rather see something out of the ordinary than to have the development stop entirely.
Matt
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Nov 21, 2018, at 8:06 AM, Jean-Philippe Rykiel <jprykiel@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Jessica.
Applevis, like any other words unknown to flick type, can be added to its dictionary. All you have to do is type it manually by holding your finger on the screen, choosing the right letters One by one, releasing your finger from the screen after each letter, and flicking right after the entire word is typed. And your new words will be there ever after. Try it.
Best regards,
JPR
http://jeanphilipperykiel.com
http://soundcloud.com/ryksounet http://twitter.com/ryksounet http://facebook.com/jeanphilipperykiel
Le 21/11/2018 à 13:53, Jessica D a écrit : Hi, I love Flicktype.
I'd be willing to pay anything between $0.99, and $9.99.
If the new price was above that, I'd think about it first, because some of the words I type, like Applevis, aren't recognized by flicktype.
Flicktype has trouble entering web addresses in Safari.
Thanks, Jessica
On Nov 21, 2018, at 5:07 AM, Mark Davies <mark.davies@pobox.com> wrote:
Hello, Sorry to read about your problems with Apple. Shame that a company that tries to gain PR credit by telling the world how great they are for doing accessibility seems unable to communicate the need for accessibility to ALL their staff. Anyway, regarding pricing, my suggestion would be to try to keep it fairly low but to include a "tip jar" in the app. That way people could still support you in the future. I know a few apps use this method already, although I'm not sure how effective it is financially. BTW I use the stand alone version of FT and you could put a donation button there too, with maybe a suggested amount.
Mark
Mark.Davies@POBox.com
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@flicktype.com> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Then you can add words like Applevis by typing it precisely, once you exit Flicktype it will be entered into he dictionary and the next time you tap out Applevis it should work.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: hello@flicktype.groups.io <hello@flicktype.groups.io> On Behalf Of Jessica D Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2018 4:53 AM To: hello@flicktype.groups.io Subject: Re: [FlickType] Upcoming pricing changes Hi, I love Flicktype. I'd be willing to pay anything between $0.99, and $9.99. If the new price was above that, I'd think about it first, because some of the words I type, like Applevis, aren't recognized by flicktype. Flicktype has trouble entering web addresses in Safari. Thanks, Jessica On Nov 21, 2018, at 5:07 AM, Mark Davies <mark.davies@pobox.com> wrote:
Hello, Sorry to read about your problems with Apple. Shame that a company that tries to gain PR credit by telling the world how great they are for doing accessibility seems unable to communicate the need for accessibility to ALL their staff. Anyway, regarding pricing, my suggestion would be to try to keep it fairly low but to include a "tip jar" in the app. That way people could still support you in the future. I know a few apps use this method already, although I'm not sure how effective it is financially. BTW I use the stand alone version of FT and you could put a donation button there too, with maybe a suggested amount.
Mark
Mark.Davies@POBox.com
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@flicktype.com> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Hello, After you manually type a word, it will not be entered into the dictionary until you exit the typing session. So, if you manually type a word while composing an email, the word will not be entered into the dictionary until after you have sent the email, and therefore will not be in the dictionary if you need to type the same word again in the same email.
Does this make sense? Chuck (mobile) Pleez x cuze enny tie ping or spelin air ores.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Nov 21, 2018, at 6:27 AM, Jessica D < jldail13@...> wrote: Hi,I have, but it didn't work.I had to open the app, and use the dictionary tab.Thanks,JessicaOn Nov 21, 2018, at 8:06 AM, Jean-Philippe Rykiel <jprykiel@...> wrote:
Hi Jessica.
Applevis, like any other words unknown to flick type, can be added to its dictionary. All you have to do is type it manually by holding your finger on the screen, choosing the right letters One by one, releasing your finger from the screen after each letter, and flicking right after the entire word is typed. And your new words will be there ever after. Try it.
Best regards,
JPR
http://jeanphilipperykiel.com
http://soundcloud.com/ryksounet
http://twitter.com/ryksounet
http://facebook.com/jeanphilipperykiel
Le 21/11/2018 à 13:53, Jessica D a écrit :
Hi,
I love Flicktype.
I'd be willing to pay anything between $0.99, and $9.99.
If the new price was above that, I'd think about it first, because some of the words I type, like Applevis, aren't recognized by flicktype.
Flicktype has trouble entering web addresses in Safari.
Thanks,
Jessica
On Nov 21, 2018, at 5:07 AM, Mark Davies <mark.davies@...> wrote:
Hello,
Sorry to read about your problems with Apple. Shame that a company that tries to gain PR credit by telling the world how great they are for doing accessibility seems unable to communicate the need for accessibility to ALL their staff.
Anyway, regarding pricing, my suggestion would be to try to keep it fairly low but to include a "tip jar" in the app. That way people could still support you in the future. I know a few apps use this method already, although I'm not sure how effective it is financially.
BTW I use the stand alone version of FT and you could put a donation button there too, with maybe a suggested amount.
Mark
Mark.Davies@...
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@...> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly,
Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Hello,
The amount I use FlickType, no one time price would be too high. The most I paid for an app was $99 for the KNFB reader and I do not use it once a day, but FlickType I use 20 or 30 times a day. Charge me whatever you must! Chuck (mobile) Pleez x cuze enny tie ping or spelin air ores.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Nov 21, 2018, at 7:17 AM, Paula Page < fairyhugs@...> wrote: Hi, this all sounds very frustrating for you, especially at this time when you are busy with a young baby, I do hope Apple see sense and stop being so awkward about it.Saying all that, as you asked for suggestions, if I were to buy Flicktype with a one-off price, I’d happily pay £20 or £30, which I think is somewhere around $25-35.All the best.Paula On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@...> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly,
Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Paula Page <fairyhugs@...>
Hi, this all sounds very frustrating for you, especially at this time when you are busy with a young baby, I do hope Apple see sense and stop being so awkward about it.
Saying all that, as you asked for suggestions, if I were to buy Flicktype with a one-off price, I’d happily pay £20 or £30, which I think is somewhere around $25-35.
All the best.
Paula
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@flicktype.com> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Hi, I have, but it didn't work.
I had to open the app, and use the dictionary tab.
Thanks, Jessica
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Nov 21, 2018, at 8:06 AM, Jean-Philippe Rykiel <jprykiel@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Jessica.
Applevis, like any other words unknown to flick type, can be added to its dictionary. All you have to do is type it manually by holding your finger on the screen, choosing the right letters One by one, releasing your finger from the screen after each letter, and flicking right after the entire word is typed. And your new words will be there ever after. Try it.
Best regards,
JPR
http://jeanphilipperykiel.com
http://soundcloud.com/ryksounet http://twitter.com/ryksounet http://facebook.com/jeanphilipperykiel
Le 21/11/2018 à 13:53, Jessica D a écrit : Hi, I love Flicktype.
I'd be willing to pay anything between $0.99, and $9.99.
If the new price was above that, I'd think about it first, because some of the words I type, like Applevis, aren't recognized by flicktype.
Flicktype has trouble entering web addresses in Safari.
Thanks, Jessica
On Nov 21, 2018, at 5:07 AM, Mark Davies <mark.davies@pobox.com> wrote:
Hello, Sorry to read about your problems with Apple. Shame that a company that tries to gain PR credit by telling the world how great they are for doing accessibility seems unable to communicate the need for accessibility to ALL their staff. Anyway, regarding pricing, my suggestion would be to try to keep it fairly low but to include a "tip jar" in the app. That way people could still support you in the future. I know a few apps use this method already, although I'm not sure how effective it is financially. BTW I use the stand alone version of FT and you could put a donation button there too, with maybe a suggested amount.
Mark
Mark.Davies@POBox.com
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@flicktype.com> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Le 21/11/2018 à 13:53, Jessica D a écrit : Hi, I love Flicktype.
I'd be willing to pay anything between $0.99, and $9.99.
If the new price was above that, I'd think about it first, because some of the words I type, like Applevis, aren't recognized by flicktype.
Flicktype has trouble entering web addresses in Safari.
Thanks, Jessica
On Nov 21, 2018, at 5:07 AM, Mark Davies <mark.davies@pobox.com> wrote:
Hello, Sorry to read about your problems with Apple. Shame that a company that tries to gain PR credit by telling the world how great they are for doing accessibility seems unable to communicate the need for accessibility to ALL their staff. Anyway, regarding pricing, my suggestion would be to try to keep it fairly low but to include a "tip jar" in the app. That way people could still support you in the future. I know a few apps use this method already, although I'm not sure how effective it is financially. BTW I use the stand alone version of FT and you could put a donation button there too, with maybe a suggested amount.
Mark
Mark.Davies@POBox.com
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@flicktype.com> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Hi, I love Flicktype.
I'd be willing to pay anything between $0.99, and $9.99.
If the new price was above that, I'd think about it first, because some of the words I type, like Applevis, aren't recognized by flicktype.
Flicktype has trouble entering web addresses in Safari.
Thanks, Jessica
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Nov 21, 2018, at 5:07 AM, Mark Davies <mark.davies@pobox.com> wrote:
Hello, Sorry to read about your problems with Apple. Shame that a company that tries to gain PR credit by telling the world how great they are for doing accessibility seems unable to communicate the need for accessibility to ALL their staff. Anyway, regarding pricing, my suggestion would be to try to keep it fairly low but to include a "tip jar" in the app. That way people could still support you in the future. I know a few apps use this method already, although I'm not sure how effective it is financially. BTW I use the stand alone version of FT and you could put a donation button there too, with maybe a suggested amount.
Mark
Mark.Davies@POBox.com
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@flicktype.com> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Hello, Sorry to read about your problems with Apple. Shame that a company that tries to gain PR credit by telling the world how great they are for doing accessibility seems unable to communicate the need for accessibility to ALL their staff. Anyway, regarding pricing, my suggestion would be to try to keep it fairly low but to include a "tip jar" in the app. That way people could still support you in the future. I know a few apps use this method already, although I'm not sure how effective it is financially. BTW I use the stand alone version of FT and you could put a donation button there too, with maybe a suggested amount.
Mark
Mark.Davies@POBox.com
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@flicktype.com> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Hi, I'd be happy to pay even a high one-off subscription, but for me, as written in past conversation, adding other languages (Italian specifically) is key to consistently use Flicktype. Most of th times I type in Italian and English, so having the IT language would be fundamental for me. Cheers for all your work and efforts.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: hello@flicktype.groups.io [mailto:hello@flicktype.groups.io] On Behalf Of FlickType Sent: 21 November 2018 00:21 To: hello@flicktype.groups.io Subject: [FlickType] Upcoming pricing changes
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Hi costa.,
Thanks for sharing so openly.. Pricing is always a challenge gut considering that the ltv of a customer is quite high., it is difficult to charge all of that up front.. The maximum I would pay is around 40 usd.. How do other keyboard providers charge.? Perhaps you can add oh. A braille keyboard so it is easier for Apple to understand when reviewing..
These are my thoughts for now
Thomas
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On 20 Nov 2018, at 23:20, FlickType <hello@flicktype.com> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver, and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly, Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Or perhaps they may sub contract you to expand
features?
Warm regards
Rob Whyte
JAWS certified 2018
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On 21/11/18 6:55 pm, Jean-Philippe
Rykiel wrote:
Dear
Ashley and Kosta,
oh wow! What's the matter with Apple?
Flick types needs money for further developments, including
multilanguage support. I know it concerns only few of us on this
list, but That could make the application expand a great deal.
BTW, have you ever thought of proposing Apple to buy Flick type?
They don't have a very good native predictive keyboard do they?
I have no idea if it would be a good deal for you, it's just a
thought.
in any case, $20 seems like a reasonable price.
all the best,
JPR
http://jeanphilipperykiel.com
http://soundcloud.com/ryksounet
http://twitter.com/ryksounet
http://facebook.com/jeanphilipperykiel
Le 21/11/2018 à 03:12, FlickType a écrit :
Thank you all for the support and
suggestions.
We will reach out to them once more through the regular App
Review channel to try and get this update through and see what
happens. We will also reach out to the contacts you suggested.
If you have more ideas or suggestions please keep them coming,
we really appreciate all your input. I have spoken with Sarah
Herrlinger in the past, but that was many years ago, so if
someone knows her well enough to make an intro it could go a
long way - please let us know at hello@....
If and when we switch to a one-off purchase model, we will make
sure all current subscriptions remain valid throughout the
current billing cycle, be it monthly or yearly. This does assume
that Apple will be ok with maintaining the subscription for
existing users, but not offering it to new users.
Finally, for anyone curious, here's our latest response to the
App Review Team. Be aware that it's a few paragraphs long, and
it might not make for the most exciting reading:
-------
Dear App Review Team,
We are writing in response to the most recent rejection of our
assistive technology app "FlickType Keyboard", as communicated
to us through the Resolution Center. We would like to note that
we have previously received a rejection notice relating to the
same 3.1.2 guideline. That rejection was eventually reversed
after communicating with the review team, and while we don't
have the transcripts of the phone calls, we'd like to include
one of our previous written responses to provide some more
context on the matter for your consideration:
While we understand that not all uses of auto-renewing
subscriptions are appropriate, here are a few reasons why we
believe our app is utilizing the service in an appropriate way:
- Section 3.1.2 of the App Store Review Guidelines states: "Apps
may offer auto-renewing in-app purchase subscriptions,
regardless of category on the App Store." It also goes on to
state that "you must provide ongoing value to the customer" and
that "examples of appropriate subscriptions include: [...], apps
that offer consistent, substantive updates;". We hope that our
track record on the App Store demonstrates that we are
constantly and meaningfully increasing our app's value for our
users, existing and new users alike.
- The target audience of this app is extremely small, consisting
of iOS users who are completely blind or have severe visual
impairments. To make up for the few potential users, products in
the assistive technology industry are usually priced
dramatically higher than their mainstream counterparts, further
limiting the potential number of users and locking the entire
industry into a vicious circle. Being able to offer our
technology for just $1 a month has allowed a significant number
of users to meaningfully improve their daily lives, users who
would otherwise have not tried the app had they seen a higher,
one-time purchase pricing model.
- A non-renewing monthly subscription, as previously suggested,
would put an unnecessary extra burden on users who want to
maintain their subscription, and are used to the automatic
renewing subscription mechanism from almost every other
subscription app. Our assistive app is also not something that
is seasonal or only provides value for a short time, but is
instead a critical component of their entire device given that a
keyboard is used inside most other apps. Additionally, a
non-renewing subscription potentially coupled with a one-time
purchase option suffers from significantly increased development
complexity, as well as the perception of a higher priced product
that often prevents people from even proceeding to try something
out.
- Drawing from our decade-long experience in assistive
technology, we believe that low-priced renewing subscriptions
are a vital ingredient for the success and growth of the
industry in the future.
Ultimately, we understand that there are, and always will be,
edge cases in judging the appropriateness of auto-renewing
subscriptions. We are also aware that the App Review process
itself is not always perfect and we've happily communicated
through the Resolution Center multiple times in the past. We
think our current business model serves our users well, and we
sincerely hope you reconsider your decision so that we can
continue to develop and innovate on the iOS platform for years
to come. If your decision on the appropriateness of
auto-renewing subscriptions in our case is indeed final, we
kindly ask that we are given until our very next submission to
implement a change in our business model so that we can have
time to determine the right price for a Non-Consumable In-App
Purchase, without delaying the release of the latest features to
our users in the meantime.
Thank you for your consideration, and we are always happy to
provide more information if needed.
Warmly,
Kosta & Ashley Eleftheriou
@FlickType
.
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Dear Ashley and Kosta, oh wow! What's the matter with Apple? Flick types needs money for further developments, including multilanguage support. I know it concerns only few of us on this list, but That could make the application expand a great deal. BTW, have you ever thought of proposing Apple to buy Flick type? They don't have a very good native predictive keyboard do they? I have no idea if it would be a good deal for you, it's just a thought. in any case, $20 seems like a reasonable price. all the best, JPR http://jeanphilipperykiel.comhttp://soundcloud.com/ryksounethttp://twitter.com/ryksounethttp://facebook.com/jeanphilipperykiel
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Le 21/11/2018 à 03:12, FlickType a écrit : Thank you all for the support and suggestions.
We will reach out to them once more through the regular App Review channel to try and get this update through and see what happens. We will also reach out to the contacts you suggested. If you have more ideas or suggestions please keep them coming, we really appreciate all your input. I have spoken with Sarah Herrlinger in the past, but that was many years ago, so if someone knows her well enough to make an intro it could go a long way - please let us know at hello@flicktype.com.
If and when we switch to a one-off purchase model, we will make sure all current subscriptions remain valid throughout the current billing cycle, be it monthly or yearly. This does assume that Apple will be ok with maintaining the subscription for existing users, but not offering it to new users.
Finally, for anyone curious, here's our latest response to the App Review Team. Be aware that it's a few paragraphs long, and it might not make for the most exciting reading:
-------
Dear App Review Team,
We are writing in response to the most recent rejection of our assistive technology app "FlickType Keyboard", as communicated to us through the Resolution Center. We would like to note that we have previously received a rejection notice relating to the same 3.1.2 guideline. That rejection was eventually reversed after communicating with the review team, and while we don't have the transcripts of the phone calls, we'd like to include one of our previous written responses to provide some more context on the matter for your consideration:
While we understand that not all uses of auto-renewing subscriptions are appropriate, here are a few reasons why we believe our app is utilizing the service in an appropriate way:
- Section 3.1.2 of the App Store Review Guidelines states: "Apps may offer auto-renewing in-app purchase subscriptions, regardless of category on the App Store." It also goes on to state that "you must provide ongoing value to the customer" and that "examples of appropriate subscriptions include: [...], apps that offer consistent, substantive updates;". We hope that our track record on the App Store demonstrates that we are constantly and meaningfully increasing our app's value for our users, existing and new users alike.
- The target audience of this app is extremely small, consisting of iOS users who are completely blind or have severe visual impairments. To make up for the few potential users, products in the assistive technology industry are usually priced dramatically higher than their mainstream counterparts, further limiting the potential number of users and locking the entire industry into a vicious circle. Being able to offer our technology for just $1 a month has allowed a significant number of users to meaningfully improve their daily lives, users who would otherwise have not tried the app had they seen a higher, one-time purchase pricing model.
- A non-renewing monthly subscription, as previously suggested, would put an unnecessary extra burden on users who want to maintain their subscription, and are used to the automatic renewing subscription mechanism from almost every other subscription app. Our assistive app is also not something that is seasonal or only provides value for a short time, but is instead a critical component of their entire device given that a keyboard is used inside most other apps. Additionally, a non-renewing subscription potentially coupled with a one-time purchase option suffers from significantly increased development complexity, as well as the perception of a higher priced product that often prevents people from even proceeding to try something out.
- Drawing from our decade-long experience in assistive technology, we believe that low-priced renewing subscriptions are a vital ingredient for the success and growth of the industry in the future.
Ultimately, we understand that there are, and always will be, edge cases in judging the appropriateness of auto-renewing subscriptions. We are also aware that the App Review process itself is not always perfect and we've happily communicated through the Resolution Center multiple times in the past. We think our current business model serves our users well, and we sincerely hope you reconsider your decision so that we can continue to develop and innovate on the iOS platform for years to come. If your decision on the appropriateness of auto-renewing subscriptions in our case is indeed final, we kindly ask that we are given until our very next submission to implement a change in our business model so that we can have time to determine the right price for a Non-Consumable In-App Purchase, without delaying the release of the latest features to our users in the meantime.
Thank you for your consideration, and we are always happy to provide more information if needed.
Warmly, Kosta & Ashley Eleftheriou @FlickType
.
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
Kosta and Ashley,
Your response to Apple is excellent. You've addressed the reasons within their rules of why you should be able to offer a subscription model and I think you should continue to argue your position provided you can do so without investing an inordinate amount of time. Otherwise, I'll pay whatever you have to charge to keep this going.
Alan Lemly
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: hello@flicktype.groups.io [mailto:hello@flicktype.groups.io] On Behalf Of FlickType Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2018 8:12 PM To: hello@flicktype.groups.io Subject: Re: [FlickType] Upcoming pricing changes
Thank you all for the support and suggestions.
We will reach out to them once more through the regular App Review channel to try and get this update through and see what happens. We will also reach out to the contacts you suggested. If you have more ideas or suggestions please keep them coming, we really appreciate all your input. I have spoken with Sarah Herrlinger in the past, but that was many years ago, so if someone knows her well enough to make an intro it could go a long way - please let us know at hello@flicktype.com.
If and when we switch to a one-off purchase model, we will make sure all current subscriptions remain valid throughout the current billing cycle, be it monthly or yearly. This does assume that Apple will be ok with maintaining the subscription for existing users, but not offering it to new users.
Finally, for anyone curious, here's our latest response to the App Review Team. Be aware that it's a few paragraphs long, and it might not make for the most exciting reading:
-------
Dear App Review Team,
We are writing in response to the most recent rejection of our assistive technology app "FlickType Keyboard", as communicated to us through the Resolution Center. We would like to note that we have previously received a rejection notice relating to the same 3.1.2 guideline. That rejection was eventually reversed after communicating with the review team, and while we don't have the transcripts of the phone calls, we'd like to include one of our previous written responses to provide some more context on the matter for your consideration:
While we understand that not all uses of auto-renewing subscriptions are appropriate, here are a few reasons why we believe our app is utilizing the service in an appropriate way:
- Section 3.1.2 of the App Store Review Guidelines states: "Apps may offer auto-renewing in-app purchase subscriptions, regardless of category on the App Store." It also goes on to state that "you must provide ongoing value to the customer" and that "examples of appropriate subscriptions include: [...], apps that offer consistent, substantive updates;". We hope that our track record on the App Store demonstrates that we are constantly and meaningfully increasing our app's value for our users, existing and new users alike.
- The target audience of this app is extremely small, consisting of iOS users who are completely blind or have severe visual impairments. To make up for the few potential users, products in the assistive technology industry are usually priced dramatically higher than their mainstream counterparts, further limiting the potential number of users and locking the entire industry into a vicious circle. Being able to offer our technology for just $1 a month has allowed a significant number of users to meaningfully improve their daily lives, users who would otherwise have not tried the app had they seen a higher, one-time purchase pricing model.
- A non-renewing monthly subscription, as previously suggested, would put an unnecessary extra burden on users who want to maintain their subscription, and are used to the automatic renewing subscription mechanism from almost every other subscription app. Our assistive app is also not something that is seasonal or only provides value for a short time, but is instead a critical component of their entire device given that a keyboard is used inside most other apps. Additionally, a non-renewing subscription potentially coupled with a one-time purchase option suffers from significantly increased development complexity, as well as the perception of a higher priced product that often prevents people from even proceeding to try something out.
- Drawing from our decade-long experience in assistive technology, we believe that low-priced renewing subscriptions are a vital ingredient for the success and growth of the industry in the future.
Ultimately, we understand that there are, and always will be, edge cases in judging the appropriateness of auto-renewing subscriptions. We are also aware that the App Review process itself is not always perfect and we've happily communicated through the Resolution Center multiple times in the past. We think our current business model serves our users well, and we sincerely hope you reconsider your decision so that we can continue to develop and innovate on the iOS platform for years to come. If your decision on the appropriateness of auto-renewing subscriptions in our case is indeed final, we kindly ask that we are given until our very next submission to implement a change in our business model so that we can have time to determine the right price for a Non-Consumable In-App Purchase, without delaying the release of the latest features to our users in the meantime.
Thank you for your consideration, and we are always happy to provide more information if needed.
Warmly, Kosta & Ashley Eleftheriou @FlickType
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
While I would have no issue stating my concerns to Apple. I would not recommend that for anyone without Kosta and Ashley being ok with that. This is a wonderful product. We don't want to put them in an awkward position with Apple. Let them see what happens with the update. I certainly will lend my voice if they think that will help their cause. Best, JP
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Tue, Nov 20, 2018 at 8:44 PM Sieghard Weitzel < sieghard@...> wrote: You should also write to Rob from the Today in iOS Podcast and tell him this. His Podcast reaches a lot of people and he often includes accessibility and Voiceover related stuff. He is probably even willing to do an interview and while it would cost you half an hour of time or so it could generate some pressure.
-----Original Message-----
From: hello@flicktype.groups.io <hello@flicktype.groups.io> On Behalf Of FlickType
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2018 6:12 PM
To: hello@flicktype.groups.io
Subject: Re: [FlickType] Upcoming pricing changes
Thank you all for the support and suggestions.
We will reach out to them once more through the regular App Review channel to try and get this update through and see what happens. We will also reach out to the contacts you suggested. If you have more ideas or suggestions please keep them coming, we really appreciate all your input. I have spoken with Sarah Herrlinger in the past, but that was many years ago, so if someone knows her well enough to make an intro it could go a long way - please let us know at hello@....
If and when we switch to a one-off purchase model, we will make sure all current subscriptions remain valid throughout the current billing cycle, be it monthly or yearly. This does assume that Apple will be ok with maintaining the subscription for existing users, but not offering it to new users.
Finally, for anyone curious, here's our latest response to the App Review Team. Be aware that it's a few paragraphs long, and it might not make for the most exciting reading:
-------
Dear App Review Team,
We are writing in response to the most recent rejection of our assistive technology app "FlickType Keyboard", as communicated to us through the Resolution Center. We would like to note that we have previously received a rejection notice relating to the same 3.1.2 guideline. That rejection was eventually reversed after communicating with the review team, and while we don't have the transcripts of the phone calls, we'd like to include one of our previous written responses to provide some more context on the matter for your consideration:
While we understand that not all uses of auto-renewing subscriptions are appropriate, here are a few reasons why we believe our app is utilizing the service in an appropriate way:
- Section 3.1.2 of the App Store Review Guidelines states: "Apps may offer auto-renewing in-app purchase subscriptions, regardless of category on the App Store." It also goes on to state that "you must provide ongoing value to the customer" and that "examples of appropriate subscriptions include: [...], apps that offer consistent, substantive updates;". We hope that our track record on the App Store demonstrates that we are constantly and meaningfully increasing our app's value for our users, existing and new users alike.
- The target audience of this app is extremely small, consisting of iOS users who are completely blind or have severe visual impairments. To make up for the few potential users, products in the assistive technology industry are usually priced dramatically higher than their mainstream counterparts, further limiting the potential number of users and locking the entire industry into a vicious circle. Being able to offer our technology for just $1 a month has allowed a significant number of users to meaningfully improve their daily lives, users who would otherwise have not tried the app had they seen a higher, one-time purchase pricing model.
- A non-renewing monthly subscription, as previously suggested, would put an unnecessary extra burden on users who want to maintain their subscription, and are used to the automatic renewing subscription mechanism from almost every other subscription app. Our assistive app is also not something that is seasonal or only provides value for a short time, but is instead a critical component of their entire device given that a keyboard is used inside most other apps. Additionally, a non-renewing subscription potentially coupled with a one-time purchase option suffers from significantly increased development complexity, as well as the perception of a higher priced product that often prevents people from even proceeding to try something out.
- Drawing from our decade-long experience in assistive technology, we believe that low-priced renewing subscriptions are a vital ingredient for the success and growth of the industry in the future.
Ultimately, we understand that there are, and always will be, edge cases in judging the appropriateness of auto-renewing subscriptions. We are also aware that the App Review process itself is not always perfect and we've happily communicated through the Resolution Center multiple times in the past. We think our current business model serves our users well, and we sincerely hope you reconsider your decision so that we can continue to develop and innovate on the iOS platform for years to come. If your decision on the appropriateness of auto-renewing subscriptions in our case is indeed final, we kindly ask that we are given until our very next submission to implement a change in our business model so that we can have time to determine the right price for a Non-Consumable In-App Purchase, without delaying the release of the latest features to our users in the meantime.
Thank you for your consideration, and we are always happy to provide more information if needed.
Warmly,
Kosta & Ashley Eleftheriou
@FlickType
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
You should also write to Rob from the Today in iOS Podcast and tell him this. His Podcast reaches a lot of people and he often includes accessibility and Voiceover related stuff. He is probably even willing to do an interview and while it would cost you half an hour of time or so it could generate some pressure.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
-----Original Message----- From: hello@flicktype.groups.io <hello@flicktype.groups.io> On Behalf Of FlickType Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2018 6:12 PM To: hello@flicktype.groups.io Subject: Re: [FlickType] Upcoming pricing changes
Thank you all for the support and suggestions.
We will reach out to them once more through the regular App Review channel to try and get this update through and see what happens. We will also reach out to the contacts you suggested. If you have more ideas or suggestions please keep them coming, we really appreciate all your input. I have spoken with Sarah Herrlinger in the past, but that was many years ago, so if someone knows her well enough to make an intro it could go a long way - please let us know at hello@flicktype.com.
If and when we switch to a one-off purchase model, we will make sure all current subscriptions remain valid throughout the current billing cycle, be it monthly or yearly. This does assume that Apple will be ok with maintaining the subscription for existing users, but not offering it to new users.
Finally, for anyone curious, here's our latest response to the App Review Team. Be aware that it's a few paragraphs long, and it might not make for the most exciting reading:
-------
Dear App Review Team,
We are writing in response to the most recent rejection of our assistive technology app "FlickType Keyboard", as communicated to us through the Resolution Center. We would like to note that we have previously received a rejection notice relating to the same 3.1.2 guideline. That rejection was eventually reversed after communicating with the review team, and while we don't have the transcripts of the phone calls, we'd like to include one of our previous written responses to provide some more context on the matter for your consideration:
While we understand that not all uses of auto-renewing subscriptions are appropriate, here are a few reasons why we believe our app is utilizing the service in an appropriate way:
- Section 3.1.2 of the App Store Review Guidelines states: "Apps may offer auto-renewing in-app purchase subscriptions, regardless of category on the App Store." It also goes on to state that "you must provide ongoing value to the customer" and that "examples of appropriate subscriptions include: [...], apps that offer consistent, substantive updates;". We hope that our track record on the App Store demonstrates that we are constantly and meaningfully increasing our app's value for our users, existing and new users alike.
- The target audience of this app is extremely small, consisting of iOS users who are completely blind or have severe visual impairments. To make up for the few potential users, products in the assistive technology industry are usually priced dramatically higher than their mainstream counterparts, further limiting the potential number of users and locking the entire industry into a vicious circle. Being able to offer our technology for just $1 a month has allowed a significant number of users to meaningfully improve their daily lives, users who would otherwise have not tried the app had they seen a higher, one-time purchase pricing model.
- A non-renewing monthly subscription, as previously suggested, would put an unnecessary extra burden on users who want to maintain their subscription, and are used to the automatic renewing subscription mechanism from almost every other subscription app. Our assistive app is also not something that is seasonal or only provides value for a short time, but is instead a critical component of their entire device given that a keyboard is used inside most other apps. Additionally, a non-renewing subscription potentially coupled with a one-time purchase option suffers from significantly increased development complexity, as well as the perception of a higher priced product that often prevents people from even proceeding to try something out.
- Drawing from our decade-long experience in assistive technology, we believe that low-priced renewing subscriptions are a vital ingredient for the success and growth of the industry in the future.
Ultimately, we understand that there are, and always will be, edge cases in judging the appropriateness of auto-renewing subscriptions. We are also aware that the App Review process itself is not always perfect and we've happily communicated through the Resolution Center multiple times in the past. We think our current business model serves our users well, and we sincerely hope you reconsider your decision so that we can continue to develop and innovate on the iOS platform for years to come. If your decision on the appropriateness of auto-renewing subscriptions in our case is indeed final, we kindly ask that we are given until our very next submission to implement a change in our business model so that we can have time to determine the right price for a Non-Consumable In-App Purchase, without delaying the release of the latest features to our users in the meantime.
Thank you for your consideration, and we are always happy to provide more information if needed.
Warmly, Kosta & Ashley Eleftheriou @FlickType
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes
And everybody who replies here should also send an email to Apple Accessibility to complain that they are making it so difficult.
Here are my two cents worth:
I assume first of all that those of us who have purchased an annual subscription can use Flicktype until said subscription runs out.
As for a one-time purchase price, can't you release a "new major" version in two or three years which again requires those who want it to pay? I have seen a few apps where that was done and this way you could say charge
$19.99 or $29.99 and in 3 years release a version which again requires those who want it to pay. This way it's almost like charging $10 or $12 a year.
Regards,
Sieghard
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
From: hello@flicktype.groups.io <hello@flicktype.groups.io>
On Behalf Of Chuck Dean via Groups.Io
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2018 4:37 PM
To: hello@flicktype.groups.io
Subject: Re: [FlickType] Upcoming pricing changes
Hi Kosta and Ashley,
Perhaps you should contact Apple Accessibility. They may be able to get the right people to do the right thing.
Pleez x cuze enny tie ping or spelin air ores.
On Nov 20, 2018, at 4:20 PM, FlickType <hello@...> wrote:
Dear FlickType friends,
We have had numerous rejections of FlickType by Apple over the last few months, most often due to the uncommon nature of our app being a keyboard for VoiceOver users. Usually the reviewer is confused by the way they need to operate the keyboard with VoiceOver,
and it takes some back-and-forth before they eventually reverse their devision and let us release our updates to the App Store.
This past weekend, our update got rejected because, quote, "the app uses auto-renewing subscriptions, but it is not an appropriate use of the service". This has happened before, and after our detailed explanation and position they agreed to reverse their decision
at the time. It would seem that they have now either changed their policy, or this is a different person reviewing the app and for some reason they don't have the context of our earlier conversations. This is likely to happen again in the future, even if we
succeed in getting the current update through.
Either way, App Store rejections and appeals to the App Review Board take a long time to resolve, time that we can better spend developing the app itself. We have therefore decided to drop the subscription model moving forward, and instead introduce a one-off
purchasing fee for the system-wide keyboard, so that we at least eliminate one of the potential causes of App Store rejections and delays in the future.
We have not yet decided on the pricing, and in fact we'd love to hear some of your ideas on that. We are still hoping that we can find a price that is both reasonable for users, and also sustainable for us as a business. We also wanted to share this background
information with you, and for you to be aware of the upcoming pricing changes.
Again, we welcome your thoughts in the matter, and we are thankful for all your support so far.
Warmly,
Kosta
|
|
Re: Upcoming pricing changes

George Cham
Hi costa and Ashley,
The annual price increase will depend on the local exchange rate of the country that the user is in.
As previously mentioned, blind fold games had the same problems with updates of the app.
You could try get in contact with Apple accessibility
Kind Regards,
George Cham
‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’
Numbers 6:24-26
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
From: hello@flicktype.groups.io on behalf of Gordon <gordon@...>
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2018 2:00 pm
To: hello@flicktype.groups.io
Subject: Re: [FlickType] Upcoming pricing changes
The cool thing about the subscription model is that it offers a constant cash flow each month. Flick type is a specialized app made for us. And there are only so many of us who will need it. It's not an app that millions of people will buy and where new
people will continue to buy. Once we all pay for it, that's the end of the cash flow.
On 11/20/2018 8:08 PM, Aaron wrote:
I know that many people would love to pay a one time price for the app and use it indefinitely. I would think that $15 or even $20 would be a good asking price. In fact, I would even pay that myself even being a beta tester. That is truly
how much I believe in the flick type keyboard and what it does for typing faster.
Best,
Aaron Linson
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-linson/
|
|