AppStore: NON-Buyer Reviews Removed (Finally)!!

[sayam]

The initial AppStore rating system allowed anyone to review the apps without purchasing which flooded the appstore with some stupid reviews by foolish people (no offense!).

Awhile back, Apple introduced the new review system that allowed only the buyers to review an app in an effort to get the situation under control. While the issue of stupid and foolish reviews was solved (for the most part) the original reviews remained for public viewing. This was unfair to developers that released applications before the review system was amended.

It appears that Apple is retroactively going back and making the AppStore reviews section an even playing field for everyone. All the reviews made on applications by people that never bought the app are being deleted from the US AppStore. All the junk ratings and spam have been removed from the AppStore as of yesterday. This is evident by drastic changes in the number of reviews for various applications on the AppStore.

SEGA's Super Monkey Ball count dropped from 4197 reviews down to 3710 while Namco's Pac Man dropped from 395 to 122.

Though, it's not completely confirmed if these include all the stupid reviews or just the ones from non-buyers but it's a great reform.

[MacRumors]

[sziklassy]

That's cool, I guess... I don;t see it making a difference in the long run though.

[MetallicaFan1991]

Yeh they been removed, mine got removed for an app I didn't buy lol

[OGlockk]

I don't know i do and don't like this feature its good for the useless spaming problem but i did like putting my words into apps that had lite versions

[adsonjustin]

That's nice. I guess.

[thetoothfairy]

Yeah some of the ratings were stupid that people said.... Apple needed to do this..... when a person wants to buy an app and depends on its ratings as well.... its best that they are honest ratings from people that bought the app and tried it out rather than someone just saying it sucked because they didn't like the look of it or maybe the dev etc.....

[RelleR]

Great, now maybe they can get rid of all the 5-star reviews people leave for crappy music. No disrespect to Lily Allen, but the Beatles are deserving of a 5-star record. Not you. 3 stars maybe.

Please no more 5 star ratings unless it's the best thing you've heard in the last decade. All pop music should be barred from the fifth star! That's my feeling on the iTunes store. I could care less about non purchasing reviewers.

Oh, and also:

- iTunes should develop their own trash can. If I purchase an App and it's placed in the trashcan within the first 24 hours of my purchase I should be able to get a refund. I do not buy Apps because 50% of the time I'd regret it minutes after. Therefor, I have alternative ways of finding the Apps.

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

Great, now maybe they can get rid of all the 5-star reviews people leave for crappy music. No disrespect to Lily Allen, but the Beatles are deserving of a 5-star record. Not you. 3 stars maybe.

In your opinion - different strokes...

[MetallicaFan1991]

To people who complain about the app being crap and losing money, you do know you can get a refund from Apple, it's not hard so there's no need for a "trash can". I've had two refunds, two weeks after I bought the apps. Not had a refund in ages so not sure if Apple give you your refund back quickly or not.

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

The initial AppStore rating system allowed anyone to review the apps without purchasing which flooded the appstore with some stupid reviews by foolish people (no offense!).

Who gives a rat's arse if it offends them?! If illiterate retards want to write lame reviews with no knowledge of the product being reviewed, then they deserve to be offended. It's not a sandbox for the kiddies to play in - it's a review area.

[MetallicaFan1991]

Great, now maybe they can get rid of all the 5-star reviews people leave for crappy music. No disrespect to Lily Allen, but the Beatles are deserving of a 5-star record. Not you. 3 stars maybe.

Yeh I hate Lily Allen aswell and should only be around 2-3 stars but them reviews are left by people who like that kind of music, I mean I like metal/hard rock and some rap but I wouldn't write a review for pop artists nevermind even search for their music, btw she's an embarrasment to my country lol. I barely write reviews for music I actually like anyways although I did recently write a review for Metallica's ReLoad, it has an average of 3 stars when in fairness it's a 5 star album.

[thetoothfairy]

To people who complain about the app being crap and losing money, you do know you can get a refund from Apple, it's not hard so there's no need for a "trash can". I've had two refunds, two weeks after I bought the apps. Not had a refund in ages so not sure if Apple give you your refund back quickly or not.

And what did you have to do to get a refund back? I have a few apps that I was upset with myself for buying....

[MetallicaFan1991]

And what did you have to do to get a refund back? I have a few apps that I was upset with myself for buying....

Erm...when you get a receipt for buying the app, there's a "Report a Problem" link, it redirects you to Apple's site and you just fill in details such as why you want a refund ie, developer not updated it in ages, app as not as excpeted etc.

Or you can access the Report A Problem link through your purchase history through your iTunes.

[royalnewjersey]

I don't know i do and don't like this feature its good for the useless spaming problem but i did like putting my words into apps that had lite versions

You can still review Apps that are "lite" versions. And even free apps too. Technically you are still "purchasing" every free app for $0.00. That's why you still get an invoice in your email saying "Thanks for shopping iTunes" with a grand total of $0.00.

[sziklassy]

Great, now maybe they can get rid of all the 5-star reviews people leave for crappy music. No disrespect to Lily Allen, but the Beatles are deserving of a 5-star record. Not you. 3 stars maybe.

It's all a mater od taste, man. I personally dislike most of the Beatles tracks. Some are great, but many I can;t stand. Music sells based on what the consumer likes. Sometimes that doesn;t require originality, or some crazy breakthrough in sound. It just needs to be appealing to the listener. If banging pots and pans together can be appealing to me I have no reason not to give it 5 stars JUST BECAUSE it is made via banging pots and pans together. That being said, I would like to see such a track that sounds good enough for a 5 star rating

[thetoothfairy]

It's all a mater od taste, man. I personally dislike most of the Beatles tracks. Some are great, but many I can;t stand. Music sells based on what the consumer likes. Sometimes that doesn;t require originality, or some crazy breakthrough in sound. It just needs to be appealing to the listener. If banging pots and pans together can be appealing to me I have no reason not to give it 5 stars JUST BECAUSE it is made via banging pots and pans together. That being said, I would like to see such a track that sounds good enough for a 5 star rating

WOW! You dislike the Beatles? Unbelievable!

[Kruejl]

I think this is good news. I'm sick of reading reviews by people that have never used the app. Not very accurate.

[BenzoHartt]

I'm glad that they did that. It really allows me to feel more comfortable with any of the purchases that i make from the App store. I knew that its pretty easy for someone to create a random ID and say "Its the Greatest App Ever" or "This a must have for every iphone owner" and when you're looking through all of that it really tells you nothing about the app, and you kinda lose interest unless you've already made up in your mind that you're gonna buy it anyway.

So PROPZ/KUDOZ to Apple for refining the reviews

[discostar]

I don't know i do and don't like this feature its good for the useless spaming problem but i did like putting my words into apps that had lite versions

Then you can leave your comment on the lite version not the full/paid version.


* * *

I'm so glad they got rid of "reviews" by people who didn't buy the app just because they don't like the screen shots, the price or even, and I swear this is true, the icon! I literally saw a photo app (can't recall which one) where people were slagging it off because they didn't like the icon!

Some of us want to make informed decisions.

[RelleR]

All I'm saying is music was was much worthy of 5stars back in the day. Today the mainstream is just marketing. That's all it is. Marketing to teenager demographics with money to burn. Where's the art these days?

... But who's not to say The Beatles were the same way... I do recall somewhere someone mentioning the Beatles album releases were often around Christmas time. I'm mad now.