The dreaded email of ‘your account has been terminated’ by Google.
Me and my partner have spent the last 2 years devising an app. We were so happy the day that we were accepted by Apple Store and we were accepted onto Google too, had no issues.
Finally, we thought, we could now start our launch! Two days into our prelaunch campaign came the dreaded email.
My heart dropped. I had no prior warnings, no nothing. Yet all of a sudden my account was now terminated. I filed an appeal and then I done what most people do, Google solutions. During this I lost more hope as people stated that after an appeal you get the same generic email from a BOT most likely.
Our game does not breach any policy, and our T&C’s and Privacy Policy were written by two lawyers. Our game, PinCity, is a game of skill whereby users do not have to pay to play. Instead it’s a free game and the winner of a cash prize would only need to demonstrate skill elements to win that week. This game was tweaked to fit both IOS and Andorid Guildelines. Based on others experiences, I probably wont get an answer as to why we’ve been terminated, as this is our first ever App being put onto the App Stores!
I’ve spent the last two days looking for a number to contact or even an email address- but nothing. Today I’ve decided that I need to make a move, as we just want to launch and we want to know where we stand. This morning I Tweeted @PabloAMartínez, who has an article on this site already whereby he had the same issues. I also Tweeted Purnima Kochikar, the CEO of Google play. I also sent a DM on Twitter to, what seems like an automated system, DM Google Developers and have actually waited over an hour for a response.
I know currently we are viewed as nothing, as we are a startup and so are not making millions, but we are not a drop in the ocean. It’s unfair how Google Developers will drop developers like us, without considering the implications or hard work we have put in. Every company and app starts from the bottom, but if we keep getting stopped, how can we ever become successful like the apps and companies out there?
My last hope is that this article goes viral and maybe attracts the right attention, and I hope this helps other developers who are going through the same struggles. I read on a post somewhere that a developer’s account was terminated and he felt ‘broken' but he couldn’t fight no more as it broke him down and took away his confidence. That’s not right.
Something needs to change.
