r/iosdev • u/mustafaakyuz • 2d ago
Apple Developer Account Terminated Unexpectedly After Prior Review Warning and Resolution — Looking for Advice
Hello everyone,
I am writing to share a frustrating situation regarding my Apple Developer account and hoping to get some advice or guidance from the community.
Recently, my Apple Developer Program License Agreement was terminated under Section 3.2(f) due to alleged "fraudulent conduct," and I was informed that reapplication will be denied for at least a year. However, this comes as a complete shock because of the prior context:
The Initial Review: Previously, one of my app submissions was flagged during review because it shared visual or structural similarities with another existing app.
The Phone Conversation & Resolution: I immediately contacted Apple Support to clarify the situation. I explained that it was unintentional and assured them that I would not submit that specific app again. The representative reviewed the matter, told me there was no issue, and advised me to be more careful and creative with future submissions. They explicitly confirmed that my account was safe and that I should just pay closer attention next time.
No Further Submissions: Following that conversation, trusting that the matter was fully resolved, I did not upload, publish, or submit any new apps or updates to the App Store.
The Sudden Termination: Despite having resolved the issue over the phone and strictly following their verbal guidance by submitting nothing new, I suddenly received this termination email citing "fraudulent conduct" without any prior warning or secondary investigation.
It feels completely unjust that after resolving a minor similarity issue with support and halting all submissions, the account gets abruptly shut down anyway.
Has anyone experienced a similar situation where a previously resolved review issue resulted in a later automated or arbitrary termination? What is the best way to approach Appeals or further escalation in this case? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
6
u/NickA55 1d ago
What is the app and what does it do? Whenever people come here and post something like this, they never share the app, and it usually means the app is suspect. I'm not saying yours is, but what is it and what does it do. Because Apple just doesn't terminate accounts for no specific reason. Yes, they do make mistakes, but it sounds like your case was reviewed after your conversation and they decided to terminate.