For What It's Worth, This Was Sent To Apple...

[Buzz1126]

A company, FarSight Studios, has a game, The Pinball Arcade, that I and others enjoy playing very much. Previously, they offered the ability to purchase recreations of classic pinball games either individually, or by season pass. Purchasing by season pass was less expensive, and usually the option preferred by players. For 2014, they offered Season Three. You could purchase the ten games for $29.99 or buy the individual game for $4.99. By taking away the ability to purchase the package, it now costs almost $50.00 to purchase those games.
When I subscribe to a magazine, I am saving money over purchasing that magazine at the newsstand. If the magazine should not be able to carry out their promise of delivering to my mailbox, other arrangements are made. This has happened to me, a magazine stopped publication before my subscription was up, and I was offered either a refund or a subscription to another magazine.
The ability to get a subscription should be between me and the content provider, not Apple. I have apple products, I never thought about changing to Android. Until now. I don't feel you have the right to step in and make an arbitrary decision like not allowing subscriptions. Especially since there have already been subscriptions sold for this year. My contract with my provider is up this year, and the action Apple has taken regarding this will play in my decision, do I keep my Apple product or do I switch to Android?

Is this gonna make Apple bow down and change? Nope. But, at the very least, they'll know that someone's ticked off. And there's about 300-500 dollars that won't be greasing their palms. Response (if any...) will be posted.

 

[Heretic]

dont make me give you the setvia buzz!

heh i dobut they will listen but i susoect most of us feel the same, common sense is too much to ask for

 

[Bowflex]

Meanwhile, someone at apple reads this realizing how people love the game and will spend the money anyway but at a higher price meaning more profits for Apple and they put their fingertips together saying "excellent...it's all falling into place"

 

[dtown8532]

Meanwhile, someone at apple reads this realizing how people love the game and will spend the money anyway but at a higher price meaning more profits for Apple and they put their fingertips together saying "excellent...it's all falling into place"

Are they saying this in their Mr Burns from The Simpsons voice.

 

[Mick Morry]

 

[Buzz1126]

Oh, great Stern's ghost..

Welcome to iTunes Store Customer Support. My name is [DELETED].

I understand that the subscription subscribed to you has not met with the quality as promised. I know how eager you are to get this issue resolved, and I will be glad to assist you.

[MY REAL NAME], I would like to help you with this, but I could not locate the purchase based on the information you provided. Please respond and include the order number of the item you have been charged for in your reply.

You can find your order numbers on your email receipts and in your Purchase History. If you need to review your Purchase History, follow the steps in this article:

[The URL of something that was no help at all...]

[MY REAL NAME AGAIN], I look forward to receiving your reply.

Have a great day!

Annnnd my re-response...

[DELETED],
I don't really think you understood my issue. Let me try again:
1. FarSight Studios sells digital pinball tables.
2. FarSight sold the tables either one at a time or all at once (called a season pass).
3. FarSight offered the 2014 tables as "Season Three" for $29.99.
4. Abruptly, Apple told FarSight they could no longer sell "Season Three", thus forcing me to have to buy the tables individually, at $4.99 per table.
5. "Season Three" will now cost $49.99, because there are ten tables to be released for 2014.

So, let me take your response one sentence at a time....
Quality is not the issue. It is the fact that Apple has made FarSight stop selling the subscriptions.
Yes, I'm very eager to get this resolved, and happy that you will be helping.

You won't find a record of this purchase. That's because Apple won't ALLOW the purchase.

I know you want to help, but since there was no purchase, I won't be able to provide you with any information.

I too look forward to receiving a reply from YOU regarding this matter. But, before you send ANY response, any response at all, please review the information above.
This is a simple matter. It can be solved by Apple allowing the customers of FarSight to continue purchasing the tables via the subscription method.

 

[Heretic]

apple wt fault? get out and have a nice day

 

[Bowflex]

Oh, great Stern's ghost..

Welcome to iTunes Store Customer Support. My name is [DELETED].

I understand that the subscription subscribed to you has not met with the quality as promised. I know how eager you are to get this issue resolved, and I will be glad to assist you.

[MY REAL NAME], I would like to help you with this, but I could not locate the purchase based on the information you provided. Please respond and include the order number of the item you have been charged for in your reply.

You can find your order numbers on your email receipts and in your Purchase History. If you need to review your Purchase History, follow the steps in this article:

[The URL of something that was no help at all...]

[MY REAL NAME AGAIN], I look forward to receiving your reply.

Have a great day!

Annnnd my re-response...

[DELETED],
I don't really think you understood my issue. Let me try again:
1. FarSight Studios sells digital pinball tables.
2. FarSight sold the tables either one at a time or all at once (called a season pass).
3. FarSight offered the 2014 tables as "Season Three" for $29.99.
4. Abruptly, Apple told FarSight they could no longer sell "Season Three", thus forcing me to have to buy the tables individually, at $4.99 per table.
5. "Season Three" will now cost $49.99, because there are ten tables to be released for 2014.

So, let me take your response one sentence at a time....
Quality is not the issue. It is the fact that Apple has made FarSight stop selling the subscriptions.
Yes, I'm very eager to get this resolved, and happy that you will be helping.

You won't find a record of this purchase. That's because Apple won't ALLOW the purchase.

I know you want to help, but since there was no purchase, I won't be able to provide you with any information.

I too look forward to receiving a reply from YOU regarding this matter. But, before you send ANY response, any response at all, please review the information above.
This is a simple matter. It can be solved by Apple allowing the customers of FarSight to continue purchasing the tables via the subscription method.

You do realize it is probably some automated response program. Based on how Siri takes care of my requests when I talk to her, sounds like she may be personally handling your correspondence!

 

[Worf]

The problem is, Apple doesn't like people to use "Season passes". And quite likely, Farsight is responsible for it - people saw season 1, bought season 2, then realized that a good chunk of season 2 wasn't what season 1 was like and complained. So it's probably why it got rejected - because people got disappointed, then all of a sudden, Fish Tales gets released and they like it, and all of a sudden, you're demanding another $30?

So probably Apple doesn't like people to spend money on "pre-orders" without knowing what they'd be getting.

Doesn't mean that FarSight is unable to offer season passes - they just need to do in-depth discussions on what they really should do. Perhaps involving a plan on what they intend to release so buyers are more aware. There are three different iTunes payments available - one-shot consumables, permanent, and subscriptions. One shots are consumable - once you use 'em up, you have to buy more. Permanent are ones you restore - like tables. Subscriptions are like season passes - you buy say, the next N updates and Apple will mark those updates as yours. Like a magazine subscription.

There's a good chance Apple sees a season pass as a subscription, as well.

It's something Farsight needs to work out with Apple.

 

[Buzz1126]

Worf-the first four words of your post pretty much sums it up...Qapla'

 

[DaPinballWizard]

I bought season 3 as soon as it was available. Didn't know this was happening. Hopefully Apple gets it worked out by the time season 4 comes out or it will be PC and PS4 only for me after season 3 is done. I will NOT pay the extra $20. Bummer for those who didn't jump on season 3 as soon as it was out. You know what they say though, if you snooze, you lose.

 

[Naildriver74]

I bought season 3 rather quickly. It was mostly to show Farsight that I back them 100%. If its not available for season 4 I'll still be there. I try not to give Apple a lot of my money that's why I still have a IPhone 4S and my wife still has a 3.

 

[Dascoyne]

I'm in the same boat as the last two posters. I sure hope this gets fixed by season 4.

I have no idea how the iTunes Store works, but I wonder if they could solve this by making the Season Pack a completely separate product from the individual tables.

 

[Clawhammer]

That's definitely the automated response robot, the bane of all who contact customer service, anywhere. FS may take awhile to get back to people who email support but at least an actual person reads and responds to the emails!

 

[Sean]

I bought season 3 as soon as it was available. Didn't know this was happening. Hopefully Apple gets it worked out by the time season 4 comes out or it will be PC and PS4 only for me after season 3 is done. I will NOT pay the extra $20. Bummer for those who didn't jump on season 3 as soon as it was out. You know what they say though, if you snooze, you lose.

It bites, but I expect they'll be able to offer it afterwards so if you're patient you could just wait!

Although I think it's kind of fun to be surprised by what table is coming next, if they have to reveal the full roster up-front to satisfy Apple then they should bite the bullet and do just that. The guaranteed income from subscriptions would trump other concerns I should think and a fixed release list for subscribers wouldn't prevent them from doing additional special releases for kickstarters, etc. - just reduce the number of tables in the announced list for subscribers.

 

[Heretic]

I bought season 3 as soon as it was available. Didn't know this was happening. Hopefully Apple gets it worked out by the time season 4 comes out or it will be PC and PS4 only for me after season 3 is done. I will NOT pay the extra $20. Bummer for those who didn't jump on season 3 as soon as it was out. You know what they say though, if you snooze, you lose.

ya know, i cant really get your stance on not buying a season 4 without a pass, im all for saving a penny but with that device list your not short a few quid, if you seriousky wont buy without a pass, for the sake of a twenty bill i find that insane. look at the enjoy pment you get! actuakky with the voin i guess you wint miss ios

 

[Buzz1126]

ya know, i cant really get your stance on not buying a season 4 without a pass, im all for saving a penny but with that device list your not short a few quid, if you seriousky wont buy without a pass, for the sake of a twenty bill i find that insane. look at the enjoy pment you get! actuakky with the voin i guess you wint miss ios

Heritic, I agree with you. I'll be spending the extra twenty bucks, because I like pinball. I like TPA. I can't get out and track down all these tables for the cost of a season pass. What I don't like is Apple deciding FOR ME that I can or cannot buy a season pass.

 

[Naildriver74]

Hey Buzz1126 did you get your title for this thread from that old Stephen Stills song?

 

[Buzz1126]

Hey Buzz1126 did you get your title for this thread from that old Stephen Stills song?

Actually, I did. That's right in my wheelhouse, from the time The Beatles showed up on the Ed Sullivian Shoow to 1980, when Led Zeppelin broke up. And while I prefer rock, my tastes run all over the place. My parents listened to Earnest Tubb, Hank Williams while I was listening to Quicksilver Messenger Service.

 

[Naildriver74]

Actually, I did. That's right in my wheelhouse, from the time The Beatles showed up on the Ed Sullivian Shoow to 1980, when Led Zeppelin broke up. And while I prefer rock, my tastes run all over the place. My parents listened to Earnest Tubb, Hank Williams while I was listening to Quicksilver Messenger Service.

What a great time to grow up.