the product `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` which I have brought years ago...

[Chang ZhiPing]

**Synopsis**
It is serious I am here to ask the product `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` which I have brought years ago. Unfortunately you have removed them from the AppStore recently. 

As I have paid for the software, I have the right to get them.

I am not sure this post will get any consequent that you can provide the copy of the previous version software. But I still want to kindly remind you that the your decision to remove the last version from the Apple Store is obviously the most user-unfriendly choice.

**Bad Rating**
I am not sure the rate of your new version `Affinity Designer 2` and `Affinity Photo 2` on App Store except China and Singapore.

I can only know the App Store ratings in China are full of anger, abuse, and accusations, and a considerable number of users declare that they will never use your company's products again.

Honestly I have download the new version and rate them when I found the last classic version removed from the App Store, you can guess what I rated them just like someone lost money, or robbed.

Anyway, I know your product is priced very low, and I I bought it on promotion. Thats brought me great experience when I get it, and enjoying when I study on you website, and liked to introduced them to my friends. But all of these stop when I found it removed from App Store. 

**Apple's Reply**
I noticed there was a record mentioned users can download the previous version from the purchase history. But I cannot found them.

Patiently I asked Apple's professional Genius bar and on-call specialist, but them can only found the records but nothing of the last version information. They told me it looked abnormal, a bit of a rogue, but nothing could be done about it.

**Market Analysis**
It's clear that you want to increase sales by implementing a new product pricing strategy.

Compared with buyout products, the revenue of subscription products is dozens or even hundreds of times that of the former. Smart market decision makers will of course choose the subscription mode.

Adobo PhotoShop Cloud is proven of making lots of money. But please do not forget it is precisely Adobe's charging model that makes users choose your products.

Good product never force customers to install a bunch of add-ons like Adobe does, and they always works good with a clear pricing model.

**Strength**
The last version `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` got very good reputation.

The last version `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` Outstanding performance, no add-on (especial to Adobe).

**Weakness**
You decided to remove all of the excellent user rates.
You launch a new version, hoping to acquire users and higher income from scratch.
This decision is irreversible.

**Opportunity**
There is no absolute thing for businessmen, crisis always contains business opportunity.
For example, I never receive the notification that you will remove the last excellent version software and launch a new one. If you want to stop the malicious bad rates from users, why not email to them download the last version and save your reputation?

Honestly, the Apple Store's Pricing Strategy Is Not Perfect. 
If you are a veteran of the Internet industry, you may hear about `Turbo Pascal` and the product sales policy pushed by the founder Philipper Kahn. You can read it from book 'Borland Legend' wrote by Li Wei.

You may have more awareness of how products are priced.

Additional, App Store doesn't support discounts for old users when the new version release. However, isn't this what the head of the marketing department should take the initiative to do? Take the initiative to find the person in charge of Apple's App Store and discuss related business. I think Apple should get similar complaints from many users, and they should improve their services level when big software vendor want to release product on App Store. For example, there are few professional software release on App Store, such as AutoCAD, Beyond Compare4, LabVIEW, SolidWorks, Matlab and any Enterprise MRP-ERP and Business Intelligence software. 

`Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` are right in between consumer software and professional software. Why NOT TRY? May be Apple App Store is waiting and selecting some appropriate software developer.

**Threats**
Act as an amateur Apple Developer, I know there are many IT giants are shrinking their manpower and the download of `Affinity` will decrease. If you lose reputation, you will lost users, and you will face a more dangerous market environment.

**My Advice**
All web products may collect users' usage data of their own products.
Why not negotiate a new sales model with Apple App Store?

You can develop different sales strategies for occasional users and frequent users. 

Wish you good luck.

 

A User brought `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` first version.

[Chang ZhiPing]

Looks like your marketing department is working, when I write this question, trying to get screenshots of new user ratings from App Store in China and Singapore, but I found all ratings have disappeared. Don't you know how users' anger should be vented?

[Pšenda]

56 minutes ago, Chang ZhiPing said:

It is serious I am here to ask the product `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` which I have brought years ago. Unfortunately you have removed them from the AppStore recently. 

If you have purchased the product (version 1), it is still available for you on the AppStore and can be reinstalled at any time. But since V1 is no longer for sale (it has been replaced by V2), it is understandably unavailable to other users on the AppStore.

[walt.farrell]

If you are signed-in to the Mac App Store with the same credentials you used for the purchase, your Account will have a section for previously purchased applications. You will find the V1 Affinity applications listed there, and available to reinstall.

[R C-R]

8 hours ago, Chang ZhiPing said:

But I still want to kindly remind you that the your decision to remove the last version from the Apple Store is obviously the most user-unfriendly choice.

Apple did that, not Serif. Serif has no control over what version Apple makes available for purchase. However, as has been mentioned, if you already own V1 you can reinstall a new copy if needed.

[Chang ZhiPing]

As I have mentioned, I have try several times but failed to reinstall the V1 Affinity Designer & V1 Affinity Photo.

After I questioned Apple Customers Services, that replied me that there only kept the recorded of my purchased V1 Affinity Designer & Affinity Photo, but they cannot found anything about the V1 Affinity Software existed in AppStore, they told me that you SERIF may removed the V1 throughout so Apple AppStore cannot control this action. 

So, this is the reason why I post here, and why there is many anger, abuse, and accusations posts on the V2 App Store. 

[Chang ZhiPing]

I can sure I use the Account which I purchased the Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo, but there is no the V1 exist in the purchased record. I think many users take the same experience like me. 

Certainly I have two Apple Account, one China, one Singapore, you can check my account information with the login name on SERIF on China App Store. I can even share my screen if you interest about this question, I will show you every steps to found the reason which due to the anger and compliance from users.

[R C-R]

1 minute ago, Chang ZhiPing said:

Certainly I have two Apple Account, one China, one Singapore, you can check my account information with the login name on SERIF on China App Store.

Serif cannot check that because Apple does not share purchase info tied to an Apple ID with any of the vendors selling apps through their store. Are you sure you bought the V1 apps through the Mac Apple Store & not the Serif Store?

[walt.farrell]

If you can't find it in your Purchased list, and if you did buy it from Apple, then even if it was still available for sale in the Store you would need to buy it again.

I would check the Affinity Store as R C-R suggested. If you don't find your purchases there, and you don't find them at Apple, you will need to purchase again. And it will have to be V2.

[Chang ZhiPing]

I am sure the purchase records by changzhiping@126.com on China AppStore, which brought Affinity Designer several years ago, and Affinity Photo on 2022.

Attached the screenshot of Affinity Photo purchased record I found from the mailbox.

For the Affinity Designer, I must look for the assistant from Apple for the long time.

 

[walt.farrell]

40 minutes ago, Chang ZhiPing said:

Attached the screenshot of Affinity Photo purchased record I found from the mailbox.

In that case, if you sign in to the App Store using that Apple ID, you should find Affinity Photo in your list of Purchased applications.

[Chang ZhiPing]

Attached my purchased record of `Affinity Designer`.

Looks like I have to declare for the third time: From the Apple store I can't find the already purchased `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo`!

I am an Apple Developer for many years, and I devoted myself in IT industry for 26 years and use macOS 8 years, I know why such a problem occured (you may ask a senior Xcode developer), but because of your company's face, I will not speak publicly in the forum.

Additional, there exist many anger rates on China App Store, the reason is THE GREAT WALL ban them access this forum and submit their question. Sincerely I suggest you company should send email to these V1 users, and the copy of V1.

Thanks!

 

[walt.farrell]

9 hours ago, Chang ZhiPing said:

Looks like I have to declare for the third time: From the Apple store I can't find the already purchased `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo`!

But you do have other programs in the Purchased list? And you are signed-in using the proper Apple ID, which made the purchases. If so, that sounds like an Apple Store problem (even if they've told you it isn't).

9 hours ago, Chang ZhiPing said:

Sincerely I suggest you company should send email to these V1 users, and the copy of V1.

I should probably, at this point, mention that no one participating in this discussion so far is from Serif. We're users, like you. Serif should be along eventually, but they are very busy.

I will also mention again (as R C-R did above) that Serif does not know anything about your purchases from the Apple Store. Apple does not share any information about such purchases with the vendors whose software they sell. Therefore, they really have no way of sending email to those users.

[Chang ZhiPing]

This post in only to request the V1 software I have purchased. As I have mentioned above, it is NO `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` in the purchase record. Certainly there is many software exist which I have brought when I logon to the AppStore. 

And this is the REASON I ask SERIF to charge back of send me the V1 `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo`. 

I have double check with Apple customer services, they DO confirmed that there are NO records of `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` exist in AppStore, it is likely SERIF never release these APP. There is only one explanation for this situation that SERIF renamed the `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` to `Affinity Designer 2` and `Affinity Photo 2`, they use the same BUNDLE ID in Xcode. So, that means SERIF DO NOT develop a new version, but only to get more money from old users, new users...

These operation seems very nausea. I will never purchase any App from SERIF.

[walt.farrell]

Can you show us a screenshot of the Purchases section of the App Store so we can confirm where you're looking?

As I mentioned in response to your PM, this is working for other Mac users and iPad users (I have checked on iPad). That suggests that it is an Apple (China?) issue, or you're not signed-in to the App Store using the Apple ID you purchased with.

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

... or you're not signed-in to the App Store using the Apple ID you purchased with.

That would be the first thing I checked if I were @Chang ZhiPing because early on it was mentioned he had more than one Apple ID.

[Chang ZhiPing]

I have double confirmed with Apple's senior support engineers, I can sure I brought the `Affinity Designer` and `Affinity Photo` by my China App Store account. and they reply the receipt to me , and you can see these receipts in the topic. 

And several Apple senior engineers told me that SERIF delete the V1 so I cannot download it from purchased item (and I have not hidden any purchased items on App Store).

[PaulEC]

Going on what has been said previously, it seems to me that, if there is a problem, it is far more likely to be down to the Chinese version of the Apple App Store than it is to Serif, so it is really Apple that you need to complain to! Also, it doesn't really help to create multiple threads with the same topic!