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Don't understand the issue either - if you don't live in US or UK you cannot buy apps through Google market?
It just may be an eye-opener to you guys but yes, there are many countries where one cannot buy apps through Google's market. Actually, the list of countries where you can buy them is very limited, check here.
Note the absence of countries like Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Luxembourg, Portugal just to name a couple west-European countries...
BTW, I don't know where you get the idea the site is hosted somewhere in Micronesia (wherever that may be), check domain dossier: the bloody thing is located in Israel.
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Last edited by jev; May 20th, 2010 at 12:59 PM.
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I just joined the forum to spread this importent message. Even people in the US are missing out on cool apps that devs. doesn't release since they can't sell them.
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Why not buy/download direct from developer web sites?
Shouldn't be that big a deal - Google offers 24hr refund and some protection against a malware app . . . so you loose that, but you can get opinions here on what is useful and what is not and then download direct. Doesn't seem to be that big a disadvantage.
The main problem is that google might be working towards a global market but it's slow as a snail with that. A paid market was promised for Belgium since may 2009 for example. Yes, that's a full year ago! The petition just may help google realize it's time to put some extra effort in it.
Slightly off-topic: the market should be able to work with other payment systems. CC is not a very popular payment method over here and a lot of (young) people do not have a credit card.
Lack of paid apps here in Ireland was one of the things that led me to root my phone. Just in case anybody here is unaware, there are a few workarounds to the problem that don't involve rooting. The best is to borrow an old SIM card from a country where paid apps are available. Then, using your wifi connection, you can buy paid apps from the market.
If you do root, just download an app called "MarketAccess" from the market. Very useful.
Why not buy/download direct from developer web sites?
Shouldn't be that big a deal - Google offers 24hr refund and some protection against a malware app . . . so you loose that, but you can get opinions here on what is useful and what is not and then download direct. Doesn't seem to be that big a disadvantage.
Because 99% of the devs don't sell the apps via their websites...
I'd second that one. As damchi said most devs don't sell direct from their own websites and the current list of paid app supported countries is very limited. I live in Singapore and I'm still waiting on Google to implement the paid marketplace for my region. The worst thing is it's not that I don't want to buy any apps it's that I can't
Well it's nearly halfway through 2011 now and I STILL cannot buy any apps here in Malaysia.
And no, I wasn't aware of this restriction until after getting an Android phone recently.
My next phone is going to be either Windows or a iPhone. At present I'm stuck with the pantsy free and ad-splattered stuff. Any app with a premium paid version, no can do.
I wasn't overly impressed with Android anyway and this about takes the cake really.
My impression is one can only make a purchase via your service provider, and as Google has nothing set up with my Malaysian provider I'm screwed.
I also have to question why my provider, 'Digi', sold me an Android phone in the first place?
Keep hearing about how Android is super popular but I suspect a lot of people will be like me. Jumped on the bandwagon but as soon as my contract is over will be jumping right back off again.
Well it's nearly halfway through 2011 now and I STILL cannot buy any apps here in Malaysia.
And no, I wasn't aware of this restriction until after getting an Android phone recently.
My next phone is going to be either Windows or a iPhone. At present I'm stuck with the pantsy free and ad-splattered stuff. Any app with a premium paid version, no can do.
I wasn't overly impressed with Android anyway and this about takes the cake really.
My impression is one can only make a purchase via your service provider, and as Google has nothing set up with my Malaysian provider I'm screwed.
I also have to question why my provider, 'Digi', sold me an Android phone in the first place?
Keep hearing about how Android is super popular but I suspect a lot of people will be like me. Jumped on the bandwagon but as soon as my contract is over will be jumping right back off again.
Enable paid apps for all countries on the Android Market!
