Paid-for Reviews to Scam the App Store – There’s a Site for That
Unscrupulous app developers who want to flat-out BUY positive reviews in the App Store now have a web site to go to to purchase them in neat little packages
Unbelievable, way out of order, and real. The screencap above is from the home page of the YourAppReviewed.com site. As you can see, they are selling ‘packs’ of positive reviews for any developer who is willing to put all ethics and decency aside and scam the App Store review system.
We already knew there are many review sites round the web that accept (and even demand) money for their app reviews, but this sort of blatant scamming of the reviews in the App Store is a new low in terms of scummy practices surrounding app reviews.
Here is the text from the site’s ‘How It Works’ page:
How it works:
Getting unbiased reviews on the US App Store couldn ‘t be easier!
Follow this advantageous 5-step process:
1- Order the number of reviews you need from our store.
2- If your app isn’t free, provide us with an equal number of Promotional Codes from iTunes® Connect*. (Developers can request up to 50 codes for each of their application. Connect to your iTunes Connect to request and download these codes). Please quote your order number in the subject line of your email and send them to orders@YourAppReviewed.com.
3- After providing us with your codes, real iPhone® and iPod® touch users with US iTunes accounts will be hired by YourAppReviewed.com to download and review your app. These reviews will be completed within 48 hours.
4- Depending on their reviews, one of two scenarios will apply:
a. If a reviewer likes your app and gives it a 4 or 5-star rating, he or she will post his/her review in English on the US App Store, without your prior approval.
b. If a reviewer decides to give your app a 1, 2 or 3-star rating, he or she will send us their constructive criticism and comments. This information will be forwarded to you for approval prior to being posted on the App Store. The reviewers will not post their comments unless you decide that they should. Whether or not you want these reviews published on the App Store, you will have gained valuable insight into how your app could be improved.
5- YourAppReviewed.com will send you a summary of all reviews along with their status (submitted to the App Store and/or sent to developer) within 72 hours, to keep for your records.
Some obvious key things to note here:
– Reviewers are HIRED by YourAppReviewed.com
– Positive – 4 or 5 star – reviews are posted.
– Any less than positive reviews – less than 4 stars – are not posted, but sent to the developers, for their ‘approval’ before going any further.
This is so outrageously wrong, and the site is completely brazen about it. Here’s hoping that Apple just haven’t spotted these guys yet – and when they have a moment away from their pursuit of Gizmodo, they can get this sleazy outfit shut down.
I’ve never placed much stock in App Store reviews, but seeing this site today was still shocking to me.
Thanks to Rob from the Today in iPhone podcast and site for sharing this story with me via email. Rob has more horrible detail on all of it at his post here:
http://tii.libsyn.com/bogus_app_review_site_has_hundreds_of_paid_reviews_in_i_tunes
I've also seen the head of a small game company write his own "review" of his app and post it to sites…
Besides being ethically wrong, it's a total rip off. $10 for a review???
Patrick, I hope you added a no follow to this site URL.
This is a total scam.
I know this occurs world web (as in the www), but I don't quite understand why reviewing is so bad in the APP store, and decent for Amazon ,or even Apple's own store on their website?
I have seen so many 5 star ratings with the comment "this app sucks". I have seen just as many "Best App EVER!!!" with a rating of 1 star.
The confusing thing for me personally is that I can review a product I've never seen on Amazon, but yet, there appears to be more control in the App store, yet more problems…
The statistics I'd love as a consumer (Apple will NEVER allow this); percentage of crashes per usage, frequency of usage, time using app both in terms of sessions and in terms of longevity. If I see that one Twitter App is used 50x daily by the average user, crashes 1% of the time, and is used for an average of 2-months, I'll buy regardless of the rating. If I see another Twitter App (any app) that the average user launched 4x total and deleted, then I am not going to buy.
This reminds me of what I think is an even worse scam in the App Store. There was an app that promised to track any user's mobile phone at anytime and tell you where it was. What came out in the comments was it was a gag-app, and it kept sending the user their own location. If it is marketed as a gag-app I have no problem, but deliberately misleading people is theft. In my mind it is no different then if I sell you a box and promise you that a new iPhone is in it, and you take it home, open it, and find its just a note that says, "Gotcha".
Now what's really sickening is to combine this… so as your browsing at my box that I say has an iPhone in it, my paid friend stops by and says "this is an awesome deal I am so happy with my purchase".
Lots of good points John. Those sort of ratings you mention at the top are exactly why I rarely even look at ratings anymore. Agree with you that seeing some of those stats would be very nice, and that we will never see them.
I know how you feel – it is demoralizing to see a site like this one even exists. I totally agree that the vast majority of devs are good people and would not give these guys the time of day. Sadly though, there are likely a percentage out there who are sleazy enough to make use of this 'service'.
Yeah the prices did look crazy as well for Twitter-length reviews. As for the link, debated about even including it and have now removed it.
As an App Reviewer (I mean, in addition to being a rabid App Fan) this is just insulting. I've had contact with lots of developers in the last couple of years and I think that most of them, hopefully, will not go for this ripoff. Lots of devs are iPhone/App fans too and MOST of them a) don't have the money to dole out for reviews b) would rather spend what money they do have on simple ads or c) want thier sites to be listed and reviewed by ethical reviewers.
As a reviewer who would NEVER ask for money from Developers (for reviews, ads or otherwise) I hope that this doesn't catch on. I'm comment/blog about this on my site, but as they say and press is good press, and I don't want to support these jerks.
Just my 2 cents.
There is an improvement from when people could review only after deleting the app. It was often people who were not happy with the app.
Apple should on the other hand send regular (after 2 week, then again after 2 weeks…) requests from iTunes or by email to review or at least rate.
In the case of free apps I think the counterpart to free should be compulsory review after 1 month. If the app is bad of course people will rate badly too. But I would be upset if after developing and giving away and getting 10000 dl I only got three reviews. I would accept bad reviews if my app sucks as legit feedback but at least I’d like to hear these people’s basic 1-5 star rating as a basic payment for my work.
I’m not a good rater myself, I’m the first one who should rate at least the stuff which I am very happy with.
What is incredible is that someone may review the app for fee just because they were happy with it.