Guideline 4.3 - Design wrong rejections

Question

Created May ’18

Replies 7

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Earlier I had about 20 similar travel apps. All of them received a rejection for the reason of Guideline 4.3 - Design Spam. Later, according to Apple recommendations, I have combined all similar apps into the one container app.

Now, when I try to publish any new apps or updates I get the same rejection (Guideline 4.3 - Design). It looks like an automatic rejection for everything that I try to upload. I have to constantly ask for a re-check. After the moderator team re-checks the app, the app is passed successfully without any rejection.

Last time I tried to publish stickers app. This app is based on a "Sticker Pack App" template in Xcode and has unique and exclusive stickers for iMessage. And this app gets the same rejection. I'm sure that after my request this stickers app will pass successfully. But I do not understand why I have to ask for a re-check every time.

New apps and updates still get wrong rejection after I fixed everything that Apple requested (combined all similar apps into the one container app). Why is this happening?

I turned to the forum, because Apple support answers me with a templates.

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Answer 1

Masatoshi OP

May ’18

That's because Apple have flagged you as a "spammer" but I don't know how to unflag it or it is even possible.

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Answer 2

impsaz OP

May ’18

Is there any way to contact them? I'm always get the same template answers. Looks like nobody reads my messages.

I have contact support via email and they said that my messages added to the app discussion.

As their client, I'm very upset. I fulfilled all their demands and continue to receive unreasonable rejection. Very sadly.

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Answer 3

Masatoshi OP

May ’18

>my messages added to the app discussion

I got this message too!

Keep submitting apps or keep submitting rejection appeal. They may call you.

I actually have their phone number but probably you need a "ticket" first.

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Answer 4

S.Takumi OP

Jun ’18

They are stupid.

I was also accredited as a spam sticker app.

Other apps also received spam.

Apple is crazy so I joined this.

https://www.thedevelopersunion.org/

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Answer 5

chuckc192000 OP

Jun ’18

You flatter yourselves. Apple could easily survive and prosper without any indy developers and their apps (or at least with a lot fewer than they have now).

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Answer 6

vitalis OP

Nov ’18

BTW, how many times you've done that?

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Answer 7

andriyg OP

May ’20

My experience suggests that they do put some internal flags when you are caught violating this rule. What is most frustrating, is that it seems like only 1-2% of App Store reviewers are actually aware of this rule.

In my case, we've needed to perform consolidation twice. In 2017 we reduced the number of our apps, and in 2019 we were finally required to consolidate them into 1. I did not agree with their reasoning, but to be honest it doesn't matter as long as the rules apply to everyone. And they don't!

What tends to happen is that one attentive reviewer puts a flag on you, and all the other 98% start paying attention then. However, if your competitors are lucky, they may continue running multiple apps and Apple will not pay attention to it. And nothing helps to solve this issue. I tried emailing all my contacts at Apple, tried to highlight competitors in Review Notes, responses in Resolution Center etc. Nothing works.

If you would like to know how frustrating the experience was, I've written two posts on Medium about this about 6min read each: part 1, part 2.

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