User can't use in-app purchase

Question

Created Jan ’18

Replies 3

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One of my users made an in-app purchase and can't access the functionality. This is the first time that this has happened and I have no idea how to troubleshoot it. We tried restarting her phone, force killing the app, etc with no luck.

I wrote to support on her behalf and they gave her a refund and provided me with the following response:

"As the purchase in question is a third party application, the option is unavailable for us to access the application for troubleshooting and provide the information about this issue. I would suggest that contact the developer directly.

They will be able to thoroughly check on this for you, since they have the necessary tools and resources to resolve it."

What are those "necessary tools and resources"??

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Answer 1

PBK OP

Jan ’18

> "contact the developer directly.....They will be able to thoroughly check on this for you, since they have the necessary tools and resources to resolve it."

Apple is saying that they can't fix the problem since they think the problem is in the app code itself. Apple is referring the user (and the user's helper - you) to the developer (you?). The developer can use Xcode to identify the problem in the app's code and issue an update. The developer may also have a back-door approach to granting access to failed IAP purchases.

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Answer 2

algonastudios OP

Jan ’18

> The developer can use Xcode to identify the problem in the app's code and issue an update. The developer may also have a back-door approach to granting access to failed IAP purchases.

Any ideas on how? I have been selling this app for 1.5 years and have had over a thousand succesful in-app purchases. I have no idea where to start to find out why THIS user's purchase is failing. Do you have any references for back-door mechanisms devs put in?

EDIT: to be clear, yes, I am the developer. =)

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Answer 3

PBK OP

Jan ’18

So something went wrong with the purchase. Perhaps their internet connection got interrupted and your code couldn't handle it. And for some reason they can't restore the purchase. Or your code is failing on their strange device configuration. Or they are trying to scam you. Who knows.

Backdoor methods could include something as simple as having the app check generate a device-specific random number (e.g. a hash of the identifierForVendor). Then have the user send an automated email to you that includes that number. Then post that number on a website (e.g. a Google "site"). Then have the app check that site for their device-specific number and if it is there upgrade the IAP. This all requires that Apple trust that you are not using this procedure to get around IAP but just to resolve these types of errors.

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