Can't find ambiance in the android market?

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Well, Google wont fix the bug in the store so we have to wait until the version we are working on is completed and tested. Unfortunately, this happened to us rather early in the build cycle, and thus the app still has some weeks before it will be fully ready. Don't hold us to it, but we estimate 4-6 weeks.

We had to pull Ambiance from the store due to an Google bug that prevented us from adjusting the price back to $2.99 after a one-day free sale. Google is still unresponsive about this issue and looks like they will not address it. We have been holding off republishing to protect customers like you, that is, we want the older customers to get the updates. If we republish right now, our only options are to isolate the original customers, or give it away for free, neither of which we can do. Thus, we are not selling Ambiance on the Android market for the time being.

I don't think we can because they don't see it as broken :(

This is sad because I would seriously consider not getting an android phone just because I already have this app on my iPhone and LOVE it! We must stage a coup!

Up and down, yes, but from free to paid, no. It is a Google limitation and there is no way around it. Believe me, we have tried for weeks.

6 Months ago, this wasn't well documented. We have decided to publish again to the Android Market when our new version is ready, but are still trying to work out a way such that previous customers do not get burned. Putting it on Mobihand has always been a temporary solution to this problem, meant to appease potential customers who want the app. Coming to conclusions without knowing anything about us, the problem, the history of the problem, or our solutions, and then trying to say the problem is ego is kind of like the pot calling the kettle black. Just because you don't like third party stores doesn't mean everybody else does. Our response on Mobihand has been quite strong.

Jay said: "Fair enough. Appreciate the reply and consideration that I'm a potential future paying customer. Looking forward to seeing it on Market. I don't dislike third party markets, I just felt your reasoning kind of a cop-out. "I want a feature request implemented before I grace Android Market with my awesome app." Maybe it's just me...."

markj
john said: So you have made your product unavailable to your paying customers? Can I get a refund?

I am sorry but Refunds through the Google Marketplace are only available for a short period after the original download. You can try contacting them to see if there is anything they can do for you though, as all refunds have to go through the store at which you purchased the app. In the future, I would recommend backing up your apps and your phone in case any other apps you have are also removed from the Marketplace.

Several people merely want the app "as is" currently - and some of those people are new users who don't even have the app from the "first time" it was released because they didn't know about it back then.

A re-release of the current version, which would auto-upgrade once the upgrade was available, is both answering a (clearly very loud, anxious, and eager) new customer demand, and would create a solution for those who purchased it formally and no longer have access to it because they didn't backup their apps (which, I agree with others, "y u no bakup yer apps?!" is not a proper response to this problem for former users).

Lastly, with regard to polite responses, I would ask that you please respond in kind. In the above discussion your initial response was a personal attack rather then a polite, business like response that didn't dig into the customer you were engaging (me).

Businesses have to encounter very emotional customers all the time (it's just the way the world works). Extremely harmful customers are often just "hung up" on, or ignored entirely, but those who are spitting some venom, but clearly still passionate about finding a solution, should never be told to "be more polite" or... even more-so... responded to with that same venom. It creates a horrible cycle of attacking that will often merely end in the customer feeling the company is cruel (even if they are merely defending themselves by responding in kind), and shows the greater world a side of the company that the company itself doesn't want, harming trust and faith in the company overall.

As hard as it can be at times, a company's service representatives (who are always "real people") need to take any bile, vitriol, and venom and ignore it. Some of the best and most talked-about customer service stories start off with a angry raging customer who is slowly disarmed by a polite and cheerful agent and eventually the "Beast" turns into a "Prince" and the company shows that it has an amazing quality and strength in it's customer service policy.

I know this problem is getting you guys down. I see every response that gets posted here. However, continue to persevere, stand strong, always be polite and have a smile on your face (even if you're sending "stock" responses), and try as hard as you can to be the company a company that you would want to engage with if you were a customer on our side.

Newcomers have the Mobihand version to download if they want the app.

It is not an option to fragment our app into two at this time in order to fix the problem of people deleting the app. As the problem is affecting less than 0.1% of customers, fragmentation of the app would only create market confusion amongst the majority of existing customers. When the new version is ready, we will figure out the optimum solution at that time, even if it means fragmenting the app into two versions similar to what that developer you mentioned did with his app. Obviously, we would like to avoid this fragmentation, but the solution cannot be determined until the new version is ready.

...and offering refunds to people for the depreciated version, when clearly offering refunds to former purchasers is entirely possible

I understand your frustration. When the new version of the app is ready, we will figure out the optimum solution for existing customers. Until then, the handful of customers who have deleted the app from their device will not be able to recover it through the Google Marketplace.

Sorry, correction: only available through Mobihand (still nothing on the official Android market, nor new Amazon marketplace)

Thankfully coneybeare has addressed this in a recent blog post and I'm more than satisfied in his response. I'm so excited now!

http://blog.urbanapps.com/post/809334...

Thankfully coneybeare has addressed this in a recent blog post and I'm more than satisfied in his response. I'm so excited now!

http://blog.urbanapps.com/post/809334...

This is the best news I've heard for everything, ever. You guys made me really, really happy today. I will gladly pay for this when it comes out. I can not wait!!!

I wish I'd have seen this before I just purchased Ambiance from the Mobihand store this morning. I "upgraded" from my iPhone to an HTC Sensation yesterday. The ONE app I really wanted was Ambiance! I should have looked at the quality and reviews before purchasing. I'm glad you guys recognize it sucks.

In the years since I purchased my first iPhone, Ambiance is the one app I have glowed about to friends and workmates. I reccommend it to everyone. I hope you can produce an Android version that's on par with the iOS version.

I can hobble along on this inferior, Indian imitation (nice alliteration there), I suppose. How can we get notified when the REAL Ambiance is available for Android?

You should pull the current one from the Mobihand store to keep people like me from encountering this disappointment though.

Mobihand does not have the Google limitation of preventing apps from going free to paid. This means that updates to the app should be pushed out as normal on Mobihand.

Looks like you didn't sign up for the beta... contact us at info@urbanapps.com and we will send it to you with instructions

Emailed a while ago, just resent. Silly emails getting lost! Sorry about that.