I had a good conversation with a reviewer on the phone. Here's the important points regarding my previous post:
All of the reviewers consistently interpret the 3.1.3(f) "e.g." as "specifically". The reviewer and I talked about this directly. Even though there are cases such as 3.1.3(a) that use the term "specifically", 3.1.3(f) is being interpreted by the reviewers as IF it says "specifically." Doesn't seem to be a way around that.
The reviewer(s) got confused about what our app does, by looking at OUR OWN website. That's on us. In particular, although our project is meant for teams, we were using words that targeted the MANAGER of the teams for the subscription. For example, we used the word "INDIVIDUAL" payment plans. This meant "an individual team manager", and it was clear that the subscription included other non-paying team members. HOWEVER, it was misinterpreted to mean that the product was meant for an individual. So we corrected the web site wording. With this change, we should qualify under 3.1.3(c).
Also, we used too much "marketing speak" on the web-site for the reviewer. One of our tag lines was "create apps for inputting data." But that was referring to our app presenting an input form that LOOKED like it was running as a separate app. IMHO we did a great job with the software to give the end-user a great experience. But those words weren't accurate from a product point-of-view (we weren't actually creating an app) and they caused the reviewer to believe we were running afoul of 2.5.2. We are changing the website wording for that.
Finally, our app included the ability for invited users (those who are joining a team subscription) to "sign-up" through the app. They can only do something if they are part of a team, because the app shows nothing otherwise. But this lead the reviewer to believe that they should be allowed to create a subscription through the app...which isn't possible. So we're going to change that.
My advice to others in this situation is two-fold:
know that the reviewers take into account the entire picture of your app that you present. So be aware of the perception that they can get from the way you present your product on your website.
get a reviewer on the phone - the reviewer can't approve your app over the phone, but given all of their experience they can steer you in the right direction - like with the 3.1.3(f) issue.
We're not approved yet, but we have a direction that looks to be promising.
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Review
Tags: