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Developers Now Required to Share Phone Number and Address on EU App Store to Meet 'Trader' Requirement
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This is not the EU forcing anyone to publish all their personal info and home address for anyone to see on the App Store.
Nonsense.
Sure, if you, as a dev, want App Store users to see your private address and legal name on the App Store page for your apps, then you can do that.
But otherwise, you simply set up an office address for your business and write that info on the App Store.
It's your business that's selling an app, not you as a private citizen, from your private home address.
Also, being forced to offer a business address and a way for your customers to contact your business seems like a fair trade off if you want to use the App Store and receive money from people who buy your apps.
It's personal information if you're a small developer working out of your home. For example, when I retire I plan on developing apps. I don't care if I make a lot of money, but I do want to make *some* money. Under these rules I'll need to publish my home address and phone number for the whole world to see. That just discourages me from selling my apps in the EU.
I read Apple's explanation, and my interpretation was that if you make money off your app at all then you had to register as a trader. Granted I don't make a ton of money off my apps (hence the hobby part) but I'm also not giving them all away. I could totally be wrong but I decided to be cautious.
The funniest part of all this is that Apple is 100% in control of all payments in the app store. Developers literally cannot do a single thing about billing issues. But customers don’t know that and always assume the developer is at fault. And pretty much the only reason anyone would want to call a developer is about billing issues. So now developers need to spend an ungodly amount of time fielding phone calls from aggressive irate customers, with absolutely no way to resolve their problem.
This whole trader thing is absolutely confusing.
I'm a small hobbyist indie dev that would eventually like to go bigger.
I'm still not sure if I'm a trader or not.
Trader = Stock Market, I've never seen this word anywhere else really...
I'm a small hobbyist indie dev that would eventually like to go bigger.
I'm still not sure if I'm a trader or not.
Trader = Stock Market, I've never seen this word anywhere else really...
The end result will be that small-time developers working from home may choose not to sell in the EU. Many of them just sell their apps for a tiny amount, and aren't that concerned about making a lot of money. They're just doing it for fun. However, it's not that fun when you have to publish your home address. This will reduce the number of apps from indie developers.
Just like no person owning a business if forced to write their personal info on any page related to their business, the EU is not forcing anyone to write their personal, private address or legal name on the App Store.
What they are forcing devs to do is to set up an address for their business and provide phone number for customers to contact.
If you aren't ready to face customers who pay for your app(s) as a business with full transparency then you are not ready to receive money from them.
Why should an app dev who makes money off selling their apps not get treated like any other business? Is selling apps not a business?
If you're a developer and not providing your apps under an LLC (if in the US), you're in for a world of hurt if anyone legally goes after your app; all your personal accounts, possessions (home, land, car, etc.) and funds come into play and creditors can go after you directly. If the LLC gets sued or is in debt, only the LLCs possessions are in play. In short, sole proprietorships are pretty dumb and extremely risky.
Keep that in mind.
Does an LLC Protect Your Personal Assets?
Here's what you need to know about whether an LLC can shield your personal assets from business liabilities and debts.
smartasset.com
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A sole trader is a self-employed individual who owns and runs a business as a sole proprietorship
If you’re an indie dev that their main revenue source IS NOT through the apps you develop, I believe you’re not a trader and can choose not to show the info
Read the damn article lol
Which is surprisingly cheap. Verizon offers second numbers for $10 per month. That's a rounding error for a business. If you want to make $100k per year you should be grossing at least $300k per year. $120 is a pittance to earn that much.
I have two phone numbers myself, one is on Google Voice. If I decide to get rid of that service I may port is over to Verizon
This isn't new. I've had to do this for Google Play since the start of the year.
Don't bother calling me. The number goes directly to a managed voicemail which gets emailed to me.
I pay about $3 a month for that. Thanks EU! More admin overhead and $$s.
Don't bother calling me. The number goes directly to a managed voicemail which gets emailed to me.
I pay about $3 a month for that. Thanks EU! More admin overhead and $$s.
This sucks, I distribute an app used by a lot of NATO military members.
I am a small developer. I don't feel comfortable with this. I have an LLC with a registered agent. I don't know why I need to put my home address. I have a 5x8 physical address through the agent. That should be good enough.
I am a small developer. I don't feel comfortable with this. I have an LLC with a registered agent. I don't know why I need to put my home address. I have a 5x8 physical address through the agent. That should be good enough.
It is good enough. That is the address you should use.
The LLC legally owns and provides the app, not you, therefor the LLC's address is the one you use.
Did you not read the article??
…requires Apple to verify and display trader contact information for all "traders"…
I'm invidual developer who cares about his privacy.
Basically this means the end of AppStore for me. I've been part of it from 6 months after the iPhone SDK was released.
The PO Box costs 400 euros per year plus starting fees etc. Also I don't think that actually qualifies for correct address anyway.
So.. no more updates to my apps and after 6 months they are gone.
Basically this means the end of AppStore for me. I've been part of it from 6 months after the iPhone SDK was released.
The PO Box costs 400 euros per year plus starting fees etc. Also I don't think that actually qualifies for correct address anyway.
So.. no more updates to my apps and after 6 months they are gone.
.. also probably last thing I write here. This forum is just evil.
I will double check on this. I hope you are right and I was wrong. Thank you for replying.
Making developers publish their business address is not a fair tradeoff, especially small businesses that work from home. They do not sell a physical product. Most companies provide an email, web page, and phone number. What business address do you provide when your business is your home? It's not like a developer is a store front that people come in and pick up their product or bring their product in for service. And like I said, there is no physical product. Would you feel comfortable giving your business address if it was your home address? As I said, this is a win for stalkers, trolls, and criminals.
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