The inconsistencies within the App Review Team are embarrassing...

I submitted the very first version of my app two weeks ago and it was accepted with no problems within 24 hours. Fast forward a week later, I submit for an app update review with basically little to no changes, and its rejected for the following reasons:

Guidelines 2.3.7 - Performance - Accurate Metadata

We noticed that your app name or subtitle to be displayed on the App Store includes the following trademarked term or popular app name, which is not appropriate for use in these metadata items.

Specifically, your app name or subtitle included the term, Fortnite.

First of all, why wasn't this a problem when I submitted a week ago? So I end up changing the app name the the subtitle and then resubmit for review EXACTLY as they requested me to do so. After waiting 5 days for them to re-review it, I get another rejection because of the following reasons:


Guideline 3.2.2 - Business - Other Business Model Issues - Unacceptable

The NEWS FEED feature in your app displays or promotes third-party apps, which is not appropriate for the App Store.

Next Steps

To resolve this issue, please remove the NEWS FEED feature from your app.

Guideline 5.1.1 - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and Storage

We noticed that your app requires users to register with personal information to access non account-based features. Apps cannot require user registration prior to allowing access to app content and features that are not associated specifically to the user.

So again, why is this just now being rejected when the previous two reviewers saw no problems with it? How come it seems like it is the luck of the draw right now on who reviews my app and wether or not its going to get accepted?
Needless to say, I submitted an appeal and am not looking foward to waiting another 5 days for them to respond back to me.
Is anybody else experiencing these wild and embarassing inconsistencies as well within the App Review Team process?

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Posted by
daltron
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Many (most?) developers do at some point or another. Judging by the fact that I've had apps approved at all times of the day and night (even 3 AM on a Sunday) I get the impression Apple has app reviewers all over the world working shifts in different time zones. Cultural differences (or simply differences in opinion) could result in different review results. The reviewer who initially approved your app was probably not familiar with Fortnite because using that trademarked name in the title of your app was clearly a violation of the rules. You'll probably need to give up on trying to capitalize on the popularity of Fortnite and focus on apps that do something else.

Posted by
chuckc192000
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Your assumption that my app is only trying to capitalize on the populairy of Fortnite is very pre-mature without you knowing what the app actually does and what it provides. The question was not why the app was rejected but why the process is wildly inconsistent? If the issues are fixed and without adding any further changes, the submission should pass. Developers shouldn't have to wait another 5-7 days to find out there are more things they don't think are acceptable after the requested changes were made.

Posted by
daltron
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Your dismissal of Chuck's spot on reply assumes you have any right to use the character string f o r t n i t e. I would guess review assumes you don't. You've been caught. You've been rejected. It is no more complicated than that.


If you do have usage rights, wind them up and supply them via an appeal (links to do that should be in your rejection(s) & ASC).


> why the process is...


The process is what it is. Welcome to the App Store.

Posted by
KMT
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It doesn't matter what your app does; do you own the rights to the name Fortnite? It seems like they are pushing back on your app for some reason.

Posted by
shocka
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Read the reply again. It contains this:

> give up on trying to capitalize on the popularity of Fortnite


not this:

> my app is only trying to capitalize on the populairy (sic) of Fortnite


App Review discoverd that you may be using a trademarked term in violation of trademark law. That is a violation of their guidelines. The reason why you are doing it is irrelevant.


You are correct that app review does not always identify all of the aspects of an app that might violate the guidelines. I suspect the review varies with reviewer and with the nature of the app and perhaps even the history of the developer. They do a 'good enough' job of reviewing and that has kept Apple and the App Store out of lots of jams. Perhaps the level of review is not up to your standard in which their "inconsistencies ...are embarrassing". But remember the oft quoted "(a) foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

Posted by
PBK
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I have battled with reviewers for day now with a simple app. I have two other apps like it, but for some reason they decided to say my app did not give the user an enhanced experience. After several tiny changes to graphics it was finally accepted today. Good grief have some consistancy instead simply badgering the developer...

Posted by
BillyDKidd
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