Connect IQ store: Flags (for reviews) being neglected

Thanks for taking the time to analyze the situation of this specific app.

It's clear to me that the business model and the implementation of the app led many users to want to uninstall it before they would normally do. In a comment on my original post about this issue, I wrote:

"Users don't learn they have to do change the watch face in order to uninstall the current one because they normally just install another watch face when they want to change. At certain point, they don't have more free slots, and a clear message is shown (something like ’you must remove some apps’). However, in our case, it's a trial app. So users want to get rid of it when they don't want to buy. But it isn't clear how they have to proceed. They can't guess that they first have to change to another watch face, and the instructions are very unclear ('unable to uninstall')".

While I agree that I could take another approach in order to avoid those bad reviews, I don't consider that it is a real solution for the fact that

*** the procedure for uninstalling a watch face is poorly engineered, as Garmin admitted one year ago. ***

( read the discussion on forums.garmin.com/.../uninstall-a-watch-face ).

subra said:

It seems to me that it isn't possible to seperate the cost problem from the uninstall trouble

To me it seems absolutely possible. Let's consider the ideal uninstall procedure:

1) User clicks uninstall
2) If the watch face is currently being used, then it gets automatically changed.
3) Watch face is removed from the watch.

If this was the actual procedure, "impossible-to-uninstall" reviews would not exist.

subra said:

I can't believe that so many users don't know how a WF should be uninstalled. Maybe there are in some situations it really hangs, is blocked or somewhat else.

I also considered that possibility ( read my post forums.garmin.com/.../same-old-issue-users-can-t-uninstall-watch-faces ). But I have given step-by-step instructions to users who used the "contact developer" link, and many of them replied with "thank you". So I guess there's no real firmware or system bug. It seems to work as it is (poorly) designed.

subra said:

I think one have to live with the bad reviews because devs can't judge about the reviews for their own products.

Generally speaking I agree with you, but inappropriate reviews are an exception. I appreciate that Garmin created the rules for flagging them ( forums.garmin.com/.../new-developer-faq ). It would be even better if the system can prevent them in the first place.

Cheers!

Some of this, you can help by you're description in the store.  I mentioned making "how to uninstall" in the beginning (before the "more").

Maybe start the description with something like:

"This is a paid WF, and after X days, it will expire.  If you wish to uninstall after that time, switch to another WF before trying to uninstall.  Any questions, please use 'contact developer' instead of leaving a bad review."

This is a great suggestion for avoiding the bad reviews.

But maybe I should start a new tread:

The uninstalling procedure for a watch face is poorly designed

Then we would stop talking about avoiding bad reviews and focus on how the system could be improved...

I've not tried, but I think it's not just watchfaces.  You'll probably get an error if you try to uninstall a device app/widget/df while it's running on the watch.

And even it it gets fixed on say 3.1.x devices, I doubt it will be on CIQ1, CIQ2 CIQ 3.0 devices. (or it will take a long time)

As far as the error when uninstalling, you may want to open it as a CIQ bug report, so it will get a ticket number, etc.

Yes, I'm also afraid that the ideal solution I mentioned will likely not be implemented as it probably involves FW changes.

But changing the message displayed on GCM is certainly possible. By that I mean replacing "unable to uninstall" by clear instructions on what has to be done by the user. Sounds so easy...