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Groundspeak removes PAID FOR features - What gives?


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I'm a long time geocacher, and I bought / paid (several times) for the original Geocaching Classic app since it was originally released on the iPhone. Watched that app grow up, but it became a critical tool of my caching kit, when used together with my Garmin 62s. It filled all the gaps that couldn't be fulfilled by the Garmin alone, online access, OpenCycleMaps, access to log histories, access to field notes, ability to log from the field, ability to load map grids / cache details offline for backcountry use. The two were great together -- well worth the money I paid for it, ontop of all of the Premium Membership fees.

 

Inexplicably Groundspeak then decided to kill that app, replace it with a totally new "beginners" app - with most of these core features missing. Admittedly, I like the new one, as it's a cool little app, if you're planning on running around in your Toyota trying to grab LPC caches in Walmart Parking lots. But, if you need to cache out on the trails, it almost becomes useless. I grant that it's dynamic mapping features are very good -- wish the old app had them, but the lack of map selection for OCM, and offline access, makes it virtually useless for trail caching.

 

I want to be able to use the Geocaching Classic app, while the new app grows up, gains features -- but that option is gone to me. I've paid for that app, many times, and many premium membership fees, and I'm pissed that the capabilities that I've paid for are gone. And I'm more pissed that I've not seen anyone from Groundspeak respond to this -- other than "We think they new app is great, and it will eventually have many features some time in the future!". Honestly, it feels like the new app was developed by someone who was good at App Development, but hadn't actually cached before, and certainly hadn't used the old app.

 

Groundspeak, I ask you: why did you kill the app that I paid for, and not make it available for users that don't need the "beginner" capabilities of the new one? When are you going to make Classic re-available, so that I don't feel like you've ripped me off?

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Groundspeak, I ask you: why did you kill the app that I paid for, and not make it available for users that don't need the "beginner" capabilities of the new one? When are you going to make Classic re-available, so that I don't feel like you've ripped me off?

Don't hold your breath. We asked many questions about the reasons for retiring the app and why it was retired so absurdly soon when they made the original announcement, and never got any response.

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What is meant by "killed the app"? Did it become non-functional, like the Windows app (which was announced)? If so, did I miss an announcement?

 

I've just continued using the Classic app as I always did. I'm waiting for key features (chiefly field notes) to be added to the new app, as I won't switch until then.

 

Or does the OP just mean that one cannot purchase the Classic app anymore? That decision makes sense to me, because if Groundspeak continued to sell it, and the Classic app was truly "killed" days or weeks later, recent purchasers would have a legitimate axe to grind.

 

I feel like I've gotten my $10 worth out of that app, but that's just me.

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What is meant by "killed the app"? Did it become non-functional, like the Windows app (which was announced)? If so, did I miss an announcement?

 

I've just continued using the Classic app as I always did. I'm waiting for key features (chiefly field notes) to be added to the new app, as I won't switch until then.

 

Or does the OP just mean that one cannot purchase the Classic app anymore? That decision makes sense to me, because if Groundspeak continued to sell it, and the Classic app was truly "killed" days or weeks later, recent purchasers would have a legitimate axe to grind.

 

I feel like I've gotten my $10 worth out of that app, but that's just me.

 

I bought a new iPhone, and my access to the old classic app stopped -- I can't download it anymore, even though I paid for it. The only iPhone application that I can download from iTunes from Groundspeak is thew new app - even I can go through iTunes and see all of the apps I've paid for in the past.... classic isn't available.

 

Is it available for download from somewhere else?

Edited by GeoRedheads
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Is it available for download from somewhere else?

From the Help Center...

 

"On March 23, 2016, the Geocaching Classic app will no longer be available to purchase or download in the Apple or Google Play stores. For those who currently have the app, it will continue to be supported through September 2016. Then, anyone contacting us for support will be directed to the new Geocaching® app. We'll stop doing bug fixes or other work on the Classic app so that we can focus our full attention on the new Geocaching® app.

 

The Classic app will have access to Geocaching functionality through September 2016. However, updates to your phone may cause the app's features to stop working. We can't guarantee the Classic app will work if you update your device after September 2016. We will keep you updated in case anything changes along the way."

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Is it available for download from somewhere else?

From the Help Center...

 

"On March 23, 2016, the Geocaching Classic app will no longer be available to purchase or download in the Apple or Google Play stores. For those who currently have the app, it will continue to be supported through September 2016. Then, anyone contacting us for support will be directed to the new Geocaching® app. We'll stop doing bug fixes or other work on the Classic app so that we can focus our full attention on the new Geocaching® app.

 

The Classic app will have access to Geocaching functionality through September 2016. However, updates to your phone may cause the app's features to stop working. We can't guarantee the Classic app will work if you update your device after September 2016. We will keep you updated in case anything changes along the way."

 

Right, that's what I understood (wasn't sure if there was some super-secret way that I could get back up to my paid for functionality).

 

However, replacing a fully functional app that I've PAID FOR with a partially functional one is wrong -- and frankly unethical. Why can't we continue to use the old app, with no bug fixes, while the capabilities of the new apps grow and finally become comparable to the old one? I'm not asking Groundspeak to fix anything on the old app -- it had it's problems, but I learned to live with them. Let me use the thing that I PAID FOR.

Edited by GeoRedheads
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Is it available for download from somewhere else?

From the Help Center...

 

"On March 23, 2016, the Geocaching Classic app will no longer be available to purchase or download in the Apple or Google Play stores. For those who currently have the app, it will continue to be supported through September 2016. Then, anyone contacting us for support will be directed to the new Geocaching® app. We'll stop doing bug fixes or other work on the Classic app so that we can focus our full attention on the new Geocaching® app.

 

The Classic app will have access to Geocaching functionality through September 2016. However, updates to your phone may cause the app's features to stop working. We can't guarantee the Classic app will work if you update your device after September 2016. We will keep you updated in case anything changes along the way."

 

Right, that's what I understood (wasn't sure if there was some super-secret way that I could get back up to my paid for functionality).

 

However, replacing a fully functional app that I've PAID FOR with a partially functional one is wrong -- and frankly unethical. Why can't we continue to use the old app, with no bug fixes, while the capabilities of the new apps grow and finally become comparable to the old one? I'm not asking Groundspeak to fix anything on the old app -- it had it's problems, but I learned to live with them. Let me use the thing that I PAID FOR.

I hear ya...

Lost the app for blackberry (though no fault of Groundspeak TIAO), now Windows.

I'm Holding off on this new one until everything's fixed, other 2/3rds still has classic.

We did most caching with GPSrs anyway so not much issue - yet. :)

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Yeah. Makes you kinda wonder. Ground speak replaces the real app with an "updated" cutesy toy app apparently aimed at new users.

 

Seems they saw (and still see) no reason to support the needs of the established, active, enthusiastic, cachers who have been supporting them for years.

 

While I use a Garmin GPS, my wife uses her iPad mini and does all the logging using Field Notes, allowing me to add my own observations later at the computer.

 

In addition, while we bought the iPad with cell/data capability, it was only because the cell chip is required for gps. (We bought a wifi-only model shortly before traveling to China, and finally figured out why she couldn't cache with it.). While we could (thankfully and finally) download our pocket queries, once we head out, we would have only the minimal mapping available. It downloads lists, but no map detail.

 

Since Pocket Queries are a "Premium" feature, it is obvious to me that the new user and representative new revenue remains the focus of the new cutesy toy app.

 

We will see what happens in Sept, and how soon after that the real app becomes non-functional.

 

But if field notes and downloadable maps haven't become part of the cutesy app at that time, we will save ourselves $30 a year Premium membership until they do,

 

If we can't use Premium features with the app, there's no sense in paying for them.

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If we can't use Premium features with the app, there's no sense in paying for them.

 

I just downloaded the "classic" app from my purchases to see if I could see if I could still do it, but instantly deleted it again. Premium features have always worked better with other apps than than they have with the Groundspeak products. I probably remain a premium member because of the app I use.

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Yeah. Makes you kinda wonder. Ground speak replaces the real app with an "updated" cutesy toy app apparently aimed at new users.

 

Seems they saw (and still see) no reason to support the needs of the established, active, enthusiastic, cachers who have been supporting them for years.

 

While I use a Garmin GPS, my wife uses her iPad mini and does all the logging using Field Notes, allowing me to add my own observations later at the computer.

 

 

Totally agree -- this is akin to commercial software fraud. Before this, I've been totally supportive on most of the things that Groundspeak has done. But this one makes NO sense, especially since the software still works, and they're just taking it away from loyal uses THAT HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED IT.

 

Please, someone from Groundspeak, step up -- answer why you've chosen to take away the features I've purchased (over and over again)?

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If we can't use Premium features with the app, there's no sense in paying for them.

 

I just downloaded the "classic" app from my purchases to see if I could see if I could still do it, but instantly deleted it again. Premium features have always worked better with other apps than than they have with the Groundspeak products. I probably remain a premium member because of the app I use.

 

How did you download it? I've purchased classic several times (+3), and it's not in my list of apps that I can download. This may be because the name of the new "toy" app was renamed to be Geocaching, which was the name of the classic app before they decided to perpetuate this fraud. It may be that by timing, I never looked at the apps during the window where they renamed the app I had to "Classic", and then deleted it.

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If we can't use Premium features with the app, there's no sense in paying for them.

 

I just downloaded the "classic" app from my purchases to see if I could see if I could still do it, but instantly deleted it again. Premium features have always worked better with other apps than than they have with the Groundspeak products. I probably remain a premium member because of the app I use.

 

How did you download it? I've purchased classic several times (+3), and it's not in my list of apps that I can download. This may be because the name of the new "toy" app was renamed to be Geocaching, which was the name of the classic app before they decided to perpetuate this fraud. It may be that by timing, I never looked at the apps during the window where they renamed the app I had to "Classic", and then deleted it.

 

I just went to my purchases and scrolled down until I came to Geocaching Classic. I just did it again since I had already deleted it. I'm not sure why you would have needed to purchase it more than once.

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This is an inherent problem with digital-download-only culture. If you lose the digital copy of something you paid for, and the service ends meaning it's no longer officially available from the source, then you're out whatever money you put in. That's the nature of the beast.

 

The workaround for Apple Store content is to backup your device, including the apps, and copy the backups app files. You can store those manually yourself, and if the app ever disappears from the app store, you can still restore it from your local copy.

 

Here's some good tips and instructions:

http://lifehacker.co...m-the-app-store

 

ETA: In this case, maybe you can find someone has a copy of the old app that's no longer available. You could restore it in the same way if you can get that copy.

Edited by thebruce0
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If we can't use Premium features with the app, there's no sense in paying for them.

 

I just downloaded the "classic" app from my purchases to see if I could see if I could still do it, but instantly deleted it again. Premium features have always worked better with other apps than than they have with the Groundspeak products. I probably remain a premium member because of the app I use.

 

Big DUH!

 

Thanks for the remainder that while we have been perfectly happy with the Real app, it isn't the only, or necessarily the best, app available.

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Yep, i'd like to add my frustration to this thread ... the new app looks lovely, but is no way near as feature-rich as the ONE WE HAVE ALL PAID FOR.

I have literally just purchased a Premium Gift Subscription for my girlfriend's son, and when she asked me why I spent £25, I said, "Because they do a good job and i'd like to support them."

 

If I had discovered earlier that they've crapped on us from a height, I honestly would have kept the money. Really, REALLY disappointed and outraged that there is no better explanation for this appalling treatment of the long-term supporters.

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