Hi there,
I've owned a synthesis license for windows but now I've got an iPad and I would like to use Synth on it. However I've seen that I need to pay again the license for the product. I've seen the explanation of this issue in the FAQ but I've found it deeply dissapointed since you can provide some discount to your current customers and charge a symbolic price (how about 1$?) in addition I can even admit to change my current license from wing to iPad, anything but put to be charged twice for the same product. Could you please give an explanation about that?
Thanks in advance for your response.
Best regards.
JL
About license policy
No explicit, hateful, or hurtful language. Nothing illegal.
Hmm. Re-reading the terms, there may be a little gray area because the unlock sort of only allows access to one of the named "approved content" types, here:
It still seems like kind of a fuzzy distinction though that is completely at odds with 11.1 and 11.2:
I agree that it should only be one payment. This is exactly why we just made that true on Android in the 10.2 preview. But barring Apple changing its rules, I'm not sure there is a better answer than the one we're using right now.
In the 10.2 preview that just went out for Android, we were able to get the tech in place to allow either the in-app purchase or an existing unlock key to unlock everything. Now that the tech exists, it would be easy enough to apply it on the iPad side to do the same.App Store Review Guidelines wrote:11.14: Apps can read or play approved content (specifically magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, video and cloud storage) that is subscribed to or purchased outside of the App, as long as there is no button or external link in the App to purchase the approved content. Apple will only receive a portion of revenues for content purchased inside the App
It still seems like kind of a fuzzy distinction though that is completely at odds with 11.1 and 11.2:
A scheme like you suggested where we'd charge a "symbolic price" seems like it'd be more confusing to users than anything: "Give us the proof that you already paid; alright, now pay a little more." I could see that consistently raising more ire than our existing system did for you. And really, where is the line drawn for "symbolic"? The iPad unlock is already only 27% the price of the (on sale) desktop unlock. $8 is already pretty symbolic when you start talking about the value proposition of free lifetime upgrades, working with any possible MIDI (and soon, MusicXML) song, and the rest of what Synthesia brings to the table.App Store Review Guidelines wrote:11.1: Apps that unlock or enable additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store will be rejected
11.2: Apps utilizing a system other than the In-App Purchase API (IAP) to purchase content, functionality, or services in an App will be rejected
I agree that it should only be one payment. This is exactly why we just made that true on Android in the 10.2 preview. But barring Apple changing its rules, I'm not sure there is a better answer than the one we're using right now.
Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for your reply. Sorry but I think you're wrong: the ire really comes when you have to pay twice for the same service not because I can give you a proof that I've already payed for the product. In addition, I really can't understand why you can't provide access code to your current customers to the app; in fact, it seems there is this option in the app itself and you can provide a code to unlock the features, so, why don't you just provide this code to me and let me enjoy the product in the device of my choice? As I told you before, I'm willing to change my current windows license (which cost me 35 $) for one for my iPad (which in my country is 7,99 €, almost 9 $) even is going to cost me almost 4 times than regular price. The whole thing is about what is fair not about the money.
Best regards.
JL
Thanks for your reply. Sorry but I think you're wrong: the ire really comes when you have to pay twice for the same service not because I can give you a proof that I've already payed for the product. In addition, I really can't understand why you can't provide access code to your current customers to the app; in fact, it seems there is this option in the app itself and you can provide a code to unlock the features, so, why don't you just provide this code to me and let me enjoy the product in the device of my choice? As I told you before, I'm willing to change my current windows license (which cost me 35 $) for one for my iPad (which in my country is 7,99 €, almost 9 $) even is going to cost me almost 4 times than regular price. The whole thing is about what is fair not about the money.
Best regards.
JL
Apple's store doesn't provide a mechanism to grant in-app purchases via promotional code. We can generate codes for the apps themselves, but Synthesia is a free app.jlb wrote:... I really can't understand why you can't provide access code to your current customers to the app...
Without "enabling additional features or functionality with mechanisms other than the App Store", there isn't a way to unlock the iOS version outside of the in-app purchase.
How is $9 almost 4 times $35? I'm not sure I understood what you meant here.jlb wrote:...almost $9 [...] almost 4 times than regular price.
Hi there Nicholas,
I see, so you don't have any mechanism to activate iPad copies by your own. Really sad and disappointing.
My point about price is that I'm willing to change my current Win 8 license (which cost me 35 $) for an iPad license (which costs 9$), that means that my windows 8 license will be disabled and in exchange I'll receive an iPad license. So at the end I will be paying 35$ for an iPad license which is 4 times of its regular price, but it's OK with me: I just want an iPad license and not have to pay it again.
Maybe you can consider a refund policy for such cases, so I'll purchase iPad license and then you'll refund the price to me and my current Win 8 license will be revoked. For me this will be an acceptable solution.
Best regards.
JL
I see, so you don't have any mechanism to activate iPad copies by your own. Really sad and disappointing.
My point about price is that I'm willing to change my current Win 8 license (which cost me 35 $) for an iPad license (which costs 9$), that means that my windows 8 license will be disabled and in exchange I'll receive an iPad license. So at the end I will be paying 35$ for an iPad license which is 4 times of its regular price, but it's OK with me: I just want an iPad license and not have to pay it again.
Maybe you can consider a refund policy for such cases, so I'll purchase iPad license and then you'll refund the price to me and my current Win 8 license will be revoked. For me this will be an acceptable solution.
Best regards.
JL
Refunds are definitely something we can do! 
Since your original purchase is from 2013, it's a little tricky to perform an official refund. (Our payment processors only allow them for 60 to 90 days, depending on the processor.) But let me know and we can send you the full amount back via PayPal. Would the email address associated with both your forum account and your unlock key be a good one to use for the PayPal payment?
Since your original purchase is from 2013, it's a little tricky to perform an official refund. (Our payment processors only allow them for 60 to 90 days, depending on the processor.) But let me know and we can send you the full amount back via PayPal. Would the email address associated with both your forum account and your unlock key be a good one to use for the PayPal payment?
Hi there Nicholas,
You have been extremely generous with me: you have refund me the original win license :O To be honest I feel a little bad for you because I've been enjoying your soft for these years and now I've just wanted to use it in the iPad so I thought that just iPad purchase refund was enough (as I told you, I didn't regret to have paid the license and now change, even the prices are different)
Really appreciate your support and care. This is really a superb service you provide.
Best regards
JL
You have been extremely generous with me: you have refund me the original win license :O To be honest I feel a little bad for you because I've been enjoying your soft for these years and now I've just wanted to use it in the iPad so I thought that just iPad purchase refund was enough (as I told you, I didn't regret to have paid the license and now change, even the prices are different)
Really appreciate your support and care. This is really a superb service you provide.
Best regards
JL