Individual account terminated under 3.2(f) within 4 days of first release – requesting review (Case 102985280431)

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review
eevas OP
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Hello App Review team,

My individual Apple Developer Program membership was terminated on October 4, 2026 under Section 3.2(f), effective immediately. The notice did not state which conduct was considered fraudulent, so I would sincerely appreciate a review or at least an indication of what triggered it. Case ID: 102985280431.

Background:

  • I am a solo developer. My app is a free personal finance tracker (no IAP, no external payments, no hidden or remotely-enabled features). It was approved by App Review on October 2 and was live for about two days before the termination.
  • The membership fee was paid with a card in my own name, and all account information is my own.

Things I believe may have looked suspicious to an automated system, and my honest explanation:

  1. My Apple ID is also a member (Developer role) of my employer's team, and I use the same Mac for both. When I first set up signing on October 1, Xcode auto-selected my employer's team before I pinned my own team. That request failed and nothing was ever distributed under the wrong team.
  2. I set up a GitHub Actions CI pipeline to upload TestFlight builds using an App Store Connect API key. During setup on October 1 it failed several times in about an hour, and each successful run created a new Development certificate because the runner did not keep the private key. This is why there was API activity from both Vietnam (my Mac) and US data centers (the CI runner). I now understand this pattern can look abnormal and have stopped it entirely.

I have not used any other account, have not manipulated ratings or reviews, and have never asked users to rate the app.

I already replied to the termination email and submitted the "Need assistance with accessing your developer account" form on October 4. The App Review Board appeal form redirects me to developer.apple.com/maintenance/, so I am posting here as well, within the 30-day window.

I am happy to provide any documentation (ID, payment proof, CI logs) that would help. Thank you for your time.

Replies  6
Boosts 3
Views  676
Participants  4
eevas OP

Update (day 10): still no response to case 102985280431.

I also tried every official channel to appeal, and none of them work for a terminated account:

Replying to the case email: it was sent from no-reply. Contact forms while signed in with the terminated Apple ID: they redirect to /register/agree/ and keep loading forever. The App Review appeal form: "Your account can't access this page". "Re-instate a terminated developer program" (/contact/request/app-review/termination/): HTTP 500. I am not asking for special treatment, only for a way to submit my appeal or to learn what I did wrong so I can fix it. If anyone from Apple sees this, I would be very grateful if you could forward my case to the App Review Board. Thank you.
miguelortegaa OP

You’re not alone. We’re a company focused on a single app, and we’re running into the same sign-in loops and inaccessible contact forms.

We’ve emailed Apple and sent a recording of the problem, but we’re still trying to reach the right team. We’re actively working through this too. Please keep the thread updated if you find a working route.
GetResubmit OP

Since the membership is already terminated, I’d keep the public post high-level and move the evidence to Apple through the account-support channel. Apple’s guidance distinguishes a pending termination from a request to reinstate an account that has already been terminated; the latter should go through the appropriate Contact Us form rather than an App Review Board appeal.

For that case, send one concise, chronological evidence package:

  • the termination notice and the exact section it cites;
  • the failed Xcode signing attempt and the CI runs that created the certificates;
  • relevant App Store Connect API and CI logs showing which actions came from your Mac versus GitHub Actions;
  • confirmation of your role on the employer’s team and that no app was distributed under the wrong team;
  • the steps you took to stop the repeated certificate creation.

Avoid guessing that Apple’s system “flagged” a particular event. Ask Apple to review the documented activity and identify what information is needed to assess reinstatement. Don’t post API keys, certificate private keys, personal documents, or full account identifiers publicly.
eevas OP

GetResubmit: Thanks, helpful. That matches what I've done: the App Review Board appeal form isn't available to a terminated account, so I used the "Need assistance with accessing your developer account" contact form. Apple Support replied on Oct 15 that the request is under review. I'm preparing the chronological record you describe and will provide it through that case when Apple follows up, rather than opening new requests.
eevas OP

miguelortegaa: What worked for me: signed in with the terminated Apple ID, every contact form looped to the agreement page. The direct URL developer.apple.com/contact/apple-account/ ("Need assistance with accessing your developer account") went through when I signed in with a regular Apple ID that isn't enrolled. I referenced my original case ID and explained why I used another ID. Apple Support replied the next day that the request is under review. Don't enroll that second ID.
imprezio OP

Mine was terminated under 3.2(f) on 24 October too, with no warning and no explanation of what was supposedly fraudulent, so I'm following this closely. In case it helps: the "Reinstate a terminated developer account" form (developer.apple.com/contact/request/app-review/termination/) accepted my submission while I was signed in to the terminated account, even though the general Contact Us page only loops to /register/agree/. I'll post here if I hear back.