A Scam via App Store

Update (9/12/12).--Mr.Walzer sent an e-mail this morning about the app and other issues about the move from the Apple App store to the company's Website. He explained his side of the issue and I responded with mine. For now, my opinion, expressed here, stands.

Update.--The guy with the application sent me a generic license key for the version of the application available only on his Website, but I'm not sure it will work because when I tried to register the license for the application it stalled. I'll know in 30 days if/when the "Demo" version quits working. I kept the App store paid version under a different name so I can restore it.

That said, if you want a better application than NameFind, check out EasyFind in the App Store. It has more functions and features, runs as fast, and best of all, it's free.

Original Post.--If you're like me and paid good money to Apple in the App store, $25 in this case for an application by Kevin Walzer called NameFind, and then learned the company no longer provides updates or upgrades through the App store but sells it on his Website, this time for $10, we were scammed.

His Website says he'll give you a free upgrade if you have a serial number, but the Apple App Store doesn't give serial numbers with applications purchased through the App store. And e-mails about this discrepency to Mr. Walzer have gone unanswered to explain how buyers at the $25 level can get the upgrade with a receipt he's offering for free with a serial number.

This is what Mr. Walzer said on his blog:

"Note to customers who have bought NameFind in the Mac App Store: If you have bought NameFind from the Mac App Store, you will not be able to update to the latest version through the App Store. Please contact me privately to discuss the situation."

The blog goes to some length to register his anger with Apple about their rules, namely the new sandbox rule to contain applications in their alloted work space on your Mac, and eventually the gatekeeper rule with OS-X 10.8, Mountain Lion, which will require an Apple application id to install on your computer.

He say he's complying with the second well ahead of time but not the first, except Apple has pushed the sandbox rule back several times and now until the end of June. Like that's a reason to drop the App store upgrade for users who paid $25 for the app he now offers for $10. Is that reason not to upgrade App store buyers at least through the next version or until June?

To which I say Mr. Walzer your anger is with Apple and their App store policy for applications, ie. sandboxing applications, and not with your customers who paid the $25 for your application. We don't deserve your anger. We deserve fair treatment for your decision to remove the application from the App store leaving us no option for updates or upgrades provided through the App store.

And I did contact him for that private discussion and have not received a response let along an explanation. So, my suggestion right now, is to boycott Mr. Walzer's application. He got $25 on the Apple App store and now wants another $10 for the upgrade. That's a scam no matter how you spin it.