[Macworld]

Post your comments for Google blocks popular iPhone SMS app here

[kronos46]

Just when some people start to enjoy something in walks "Big Brother" to knock them back down. So now all these people are out money, and they now have to use Google only. Pity!

[ROWard]

How much do text messages actually cost to the carrier? Somewhere I read that it is actually no cost since it is sent through a "free" mechanism. Anyone have the actual, correct, information on this?

[hempadvocate]

Everybody who purchased this app from the AppStore should demand a refund from Apple.

[Moof_in_Charge]

@ kronos46
Next time when you have to pay for server/bandwidth/maintenance/ data warehousing / employees / facility costs out of your pocket, you may change your mind about the notion of "big brother"
I know in your Utopian-world big corporations exist to serve you but in reality, they're there to make money....
I think Google's explanation is perfectly in line and logical. I expect nothing less from them. Besides, Google makes many applications out there that are free for other developers to use.

[EPonj]

Apple is in no way responsible for that. The app (not developped by Apple) used a service provided for free from Google. Now that app got so sucessfull that it caused big loads on Google's service (an experimental service not designed to handle that much clients). It's understandable that Google don't want to spend much money on a free service for somebody else to get all the cash.
I don't think anybody is to blame for that, although I understand it's sad for the user who lost a neat feature.

[jrandersoniii]

@hempadvocate,
Quit smoking your reefer and read the article. Apple doesn't owe anyone a refund. The company that developed the App does. That company should be proactive, and work with Apple to facilitate refunds.
We agree about the refund, don't blame Apple when it isn't their fault.

[jamus]

How in the world is it Apple that should give a refund? Sheesh.

The odd thing I noticed is "it will block Infinite SMS and other non-Google clients". Does Google offer an SMS client for the iPhone? I have not seen one, so I didn't know if it existed or I was just missing it.

[Damn_Its_Hot]

@hempadvocate Why should they demand a refund from Apple? Apple did not do anything wrong here - in point of fact they stopped selling it as soon as they were notified that it wouldn't be supported.

Google is denying service because they say it is overloading them. People spent a buck to get something for free that was charged for by AT&T and it is no longer supported. No fault of Apples, Google never guaranteed unlimited free access forever.

jOhn

[sporks]

The problem is that Google published the protocol, made it open and invited others to use it. Business-wise, it's their call, but it does show that Google is on the more unethical side of the business world.

[hempadvocate]

I'm not an iPhone developer, so I'm not privy to how the contract works and when the developer actually gets paid, but I doubt it's instant... but as a customer I paid Apple (who in turn may or may not have already paid the developer) as indicated on the receipts I get from Apple for purchases at the AppStore. So, yes... if a refund is (as it should be) made available then it is on Apple to issue the refund through a credit to the charge card used to make the purchase and if Apple has already paid the develop then repayment from the developer to Apple is between those parties.

They way you think it should work would be like if you bought a VHS movie at BigBox and it didn't work with your DVD player so you take it back to BigBox with your receipt and they tell you to contact the Studio that made the movie if you want a refund or exchange.

Since Apple controls the keys to the kingdom and is the sole arbiter of which apps are sold through the AppStore then consumers can reasonably assume that Apple is doing quality control and stands behind the products they are choosing to sell. If it becomes wide spread that Apple does not stand behind the products it is selling people may be hesitant to make purchases through the store. The recent Tweetie snafu is a good example, if as a customer I have to wonder if Apple may not approve an update to an app then I may think twice about buying the app in the first place.

[bjojade]

The application was a DOLLAR. You really would go through the effort to get a refund? Hell, even if you used it for only a week, it would be cheaper than the alternatives offered by AT&T.
Get over it.

[kronos46]

Moofincharge I used "Big Brother" as a statement point. Google created the protocol and made it "OPEN" and invited others to use it. Now they did not like the amount of volume the new app created. So they pulled the plug.

[Golf11]

I don't get it, there is this sense of entitlement with some users of Apple's stuff (they spend a fortune on the hardware and whine about a $1 because they've spent their allowance on expensive hardware).
The app poached and allowed the buyer to poach on someone else's services. Just because someone found a way to take advantage of someone else's property and sells it to you THAT doesn't entitle you to squat. You've been had; suck it up and whine somewhere else about something more important.