Stock, warehouse and purchasing list manager
This is the tale of the small German software developer and his hopeless battle against the giant Goliath - er, Google.
Matches in the names of living persons, dates and dead companies are NOT coincidental.
- 01.09.04 Business registration Rainard Buchmann, Software development activity
- 11.05.08 Gmail account created to be able to shop at Google
- 02/26/18 opened a Google Developer account for $25 under 'Software Development Buchmann' with the business registration; verified account; started developing Android apps
- 23.02.19 First version 1.0.0 of the Inventory Manager released in the Google Play Store
- ... 5 years of continuous development work on the Inventory Manager (also in response to user requests)
- 01.07.24 Google: "You need to verify your account with this form" for additional company information
- 02.07.24 filled out a long form, provided it with the required documents and sent it off
including a valid ID card scan front and back on request (although you're not actually supposed to give this to anyone) - 15.07.24 Google: "Your organization name or address is no longer verified"
If you do not fix this by 15.08.24, your developer account and all apps will be removed from the Google Play Store. - 15.07.24 clicked on the 'Raise objection' button in the Google form. He explained at length and in detail that sole proprietorships in Germany do not have a fixed company name and why the name 'Software Entwicklung Buchmann' is legal and common for a sole proprietorship if the owner is called 'Rainard Buchmann'.
- 22.07.24 applied for a new business registration at the trade office as a precaution - maybe Google's business registration is too old
- 24.07.24 Google: 'Objection rejected' without giving reasons
- 29.07.24 New form sent to Google with current business registration as a document
- 31.07.24 Google: "the name of the organization does not exactly match the submitted document". Probably because, as always, the business registration form in Germany contains "Name Buchmann, first name Rainard" and Google AI cannot identify this with the name "Rainard Buchmann" at Dun & Bradstreet
- 05.08.24 after several email and telephone discussions with 'Dun & Bradstreet' sent an excerpt of the information stored there with organization name 'Rainard Buchmann' to Google via form
Dun & Bradstreet refuses to store anything other than 'first name last name' for sole proprietorships - 08.08.24 Google: the name of the organization does not exactly match the name stored at Dun & Bradstreet. The name of the organization on Google is still 'Software Entwicklung Buchmann' - of course it is not exactly the same. Please change the saved name of the organization using the form.
- 08.08.24 the form does not allow the name to be changed, suggests another form to have the name changed by Google
- 08.08.24 sent the new form with attached documents
- 11.08.24 The day of deletion is approaching, so click on the 'Deadline extension' button.
- 12.08.24 Google: Deadline extension until 11.10.24 approved.
- 12.08.24 the new form was not accepted by Google because I can supposedly change the name in the old form myself
- 15.08.24 Google: the name of the organization does not match the data stored at Dun & Bradstreet
- 16.08.24 Developer account has been removed from the Google Play Store with all apps - nobody cares about the deadline extension
- 16.08.24 Request to Google why the account was deleted despite the deadline extension
- 20.08.24 Google: the name does not match - if the change does not work, please send screen recording
- 22.08.24 Screen recording sent, which clearly shows that I cannot change the name of the organization on Google
- 05.09.24 Request to Google whether a response to the screen recording can still be expected
- 07.09.24 Google: "Restricted developer account - Your organization name or address is no longer verified"
- 10.09.24 Forms with various documents sent to Google again
- 18.09.24 Google: The name of the organization does not match the name stored at Dun & Bradstreet, please have it changed at Dun & Bradstreet
- 19.09.24 Form sent to Google again, this time with new documents, e.g. trade tax assessment notice from May 2024, which actually says 'Rainard Buchmann'
- 23.09.24 Google: "the trade tax assessment notice is only valid until 31.12.24" - please ? a tax assessment notice with an expiration date ?
- 25.09.24 tried for the umpteenth time to have the name 'Software Entwicklung Buchmann' changed to ''Rainard Buchmann' on Google using a form
- ... No more answers from Google
- 16.10.24 Google: "You must have your account verified using this form" for additional company details
If you do not do this promptly, your payment profile will be blocked. Hello ? it's been blocked for 2 months ! - 16.10.24 once again filled out the (very first and very long) form, provided it with documents and sent it off
- 01.11.24 Google: 'The name on the submitted document does not match the information in Dun & Bradstreet'
- 02.11.24 ***** Gave up the fight - I' ll have to live without Google Play Store in the future *****
- 16.11.24 As already feared, Google has completely deactivated the developer account 3 months after the removal from the Play Store. As a result, the app can no longer recognize licenses already purchased in the Play Store, and all Pro licenses must be purchased again
However, a number of repetitive intermediate stages of the ordeal have been omitted so as not to become too boring.
So much for AI at Google - it may be artificial, but it's not intelligent. Unless this is all Google's sinister intention to get rid of small German software developers who have not placed enough advertising on Google.