[APP][5.0+] FairEmail - Fully featured, open source, privacy oriented email app

[30jp]

So, how do I deal with reviews like this?


I would like to have seen a reason and even better being contacted for help, but instead it is just shooting down and not getting any chance.

In any case, this is why I am still a bit hesitant to restore the app in the Play store, which I will do probably anyway, possible at the end of this day or tomorrow morning.

Ignore.
If they don't say why FairEmail is so bad, just ignore it.
Or give a standard answer along the lines of:
"Dear .... I'm sorry you're not happy with FairEmail, but if you don't explain why FairEmail is so bad, then I can't help you as the developer of the app.
Too bad because I would have loved to do that.
Sincerely"

Stay friendly and keep it short and sweet.
New people who want to use FairEmail and read this think, hey stupid review with friendly helpful response from the developer. I want to try that app.

 

[NorLa]

M66B said:

So, how do I deal with reviews like this?

My experience is absolutely awful. 1 star

Such reviews without justification are annoying, but you can't really prevent them - don't worry! Only those who take the trouble to get to know FairEmail will realize what a fantastic app it is.

If you want to respond to it at all, it might be like this: "Too bad you're having a problem with FairEmail - please tell me what the problem is, only then can I help you solve it."

Even if you don't get a response to that, others will see that you responded and offered help. Personally, I would be more impressed by such a spontaneous help than by the 1-star rating...

 

[chris122380]

So, how do I deal with reviews like this?


I would like to have seen a reason and even better being contacted for help, but instead it is just shooting down and not getting any chance.

In any case, this is why I am still a bit hesitant to restore the app in the Play store, which I will do probably anyway, possible at the end of this day or tomorrow morning.

I would reply to there one star with. "I would like to have seen a reason but please feel free to contact me for support at <Insert contract email address>"

Though I am starting to wonder if Google Play is starting to get fake reviews or bot reviews.
In rare cases where I have actually read a review of a app that's new to me, I will often ignore one liners. They tell you absolutely nothing of the problems the user may be having. I would advise you to ignore them as well. Like I said in a previous post you still outrank the majority of the Google Play Store and have the highest rating of any email app. So obviously this person has no idea what they're talking about.

 

[sack_reis]

Giving a 1 star review with no explanation to an app, that is as well developed and supported like Fairmail is ridiculous. I think at this point you have to assume, as others have pointed out, that such reviews are fake by bots or competitors.

Especially looking at the available alternatives i simply cannot fathom an actual human being trying Fairmail and then thinking: "gee, this sucks. 1 star!"

Thank you for the all great work you are doing. Hope you can find the much needed balance from all this bullshit somehow.

 

[fraschi51]

So, how do I deal with reviews like this?


I would like to have seen a reason and even better being contacted for help, but instead it is just shooting down and not getting any chance.

In any case, this is why I am still a bit hesitant to restore the app in the Play store, which I will do probably anyway, possible at the end of this day or tomorrow morning.

I'm sure that's just because the evaluator isn't used to such good stuff ... ;-)

 

[bruno.mercier]

So, how do I deal with reviews like this?


I would like to have seen a reason and even better being contacted for help, but instead it is just shooting down and not getting any chance.

In any case, this is why I am still a bit hesitant to restore the app in the Play store, which I will do probably anyway, possible at the end of this day or tomorrow morning.

Well people have a right not to like it and, following, not to use it.
As long as it is only a few, well no reason to investigates much.
Well, if it get to 95 % of the rating... maybe worth.
But that's not the case .
I believe unhappy people are more prone to let it be known that the one happy, so the truth is always better than the figures can show...
No question, best app mail so far from my perspective (and for my need!)

 

[sssubito]

So, how do I deal with reviews like this?


I would like to have seen a reason and even better being contacted for help, but instead it is just shooting down and not getting any chance.

In any case, this is why I am still a bit hesitant to restore the app in the Play store, which I will do probably anyway, possible at the end of this day or tomorrow morning.

1 star + no explanation whatsoever: typical troll --> ignore those, not worth to even reply with some standard answer which you, Marcel, anyway don't like either. Free your mind from such trolls and simply ignore them. Total ignorance is what such trolls deserve. Don't feed trolls with any response or reaction, that's their worst punishment.

 

[Friedel25]

So, how do I deal with reviews like this?

Hi Marcel,
I completely agree with what de_Wolf and many others wrote about this, and would only like to add a few numbers. In the German Play Store there are since 19.05.2022:

167 reviews with 5 stars
1 review with 4 stars (20.05.)
1 review with 3 stars (22.05.)
1 review with 1 star (20.05.).

According to my (hopefully correct) calculation this is an incredible average of 4.96. Please look in here and not at what idiots or maybe bots write. I think you can also see here how many users are quietly highly satisfied, and are now speaking out to support you because of your problems with Google - as well as here in the thread. I can hardly think of an app that would generate so many heartwarming reactions because of a possible discontinuation.
All the best and good health to you and your girlfriend

 

[M66B]

There are about 19 five star reviews needed to compensate one 1 star review. So,

Hi Marcel,
I completely agree with what de_Wolf and many others wrote about this, and would only like to add a few numbers. In the German Play Store there are since 19.05.2022:

167 reviews with 5 stars
1 review with 4 stars (20.05.)
1 review with 3 stars (22.05.)
1 review with 1 star (20.05.).

According to my (hopefully correct) calculation this is an incredible average of 4.96. Please look in here and not at what idiots or maybe bots write. I think you can also see here how many users are quietly highly satisfied, and are now speaking out to support you because of your problems with Google - as well as here in the thread. I can hardly think of an app that would generate so many heartwarming reactions because of a possible discontinuation.
All the best and good health to you and your girlfriend

Lately, there were more 5 star ratings than before, for which I am grateful, but this isn't representative for what is averagely happening.

Of course I should ignore "troll" ratings, but I guess I am sensitive person, some say a "drama queen", and therefore this is difficult for me. That said, the support I have seen can't be ignored either, so I will restore the Play store version as soon as version 1.1901 has been approved by Google.

 

[M66B]

Version 1.1901 has been released to the Play Store as a "production" version after confirmation from Google's privacy and policy team. It may take a few hours or more before FairEmail is available again worldwide in the Play Store.

https://faircode.eu/faq.html

 

[wimstefan]

"Just" ignore.

Edit: This was a response to your question what to do with 1* reviews as you've might have guessed already

 

[Itcouldbeyou]

So, how do I deal with reviews like this?

My experience is absolutely awful. 1 star

You know very well that this statement is not true.

I don't think this is necessarily true. Think about your mom/granddad. My mom would have an absolutely awful experience with FairEmail. She can barely setup Whatsapp and maybe remembers her mail address correctly. Now she has to remember this strange thing called password, that her son changed because she used her birthday as PW everywhere.

Is is unfair to write a bad review because you don't know how to use Email? Absolutely. I think that is what Americans call Karens. Frustrated people, who complain about things they don't understand. If you ask them questions, there is a chance they will b*tch even more and hurt you further. I don't think that anyone who leaves a 1-line 1-star review wants to help or wants any help.

I know you want to help, but you can't save everyone. I don't know what you do apart from your OSS projects, but from what I can tell, you have a positive impact on (a small part of) the world. Thank you.

 

[M66B]

I don't think this is necessarily true. Think about your mom/granddad. My mom would have an absolutely awful experience with FairEmail. She can barely setup Whatsapp and maybe remembers her mail address correctly. Now she has to remember this strange thing called password, that her son changed because she used her birthday as PW everywhere.

Is is unfair to write a bad review because you don't know how to use Email? Absolutely. I think that is what Americans call Karens. Frustrated people, who complain about things they don't understand. If you ask them questions, there is a chance they will b*tch even more and hurt you further. I don't think that anyone who leaves a 1-line 1-star review wants to help or wants any help.

I know you want to help, but you can't save everyone. I don't know what you do apart from your OSS projects, but from what I can tell, you have a positive impact on (a small part of) the world. Thank you.

I think the main question, given the described scenario, is why your mom isn't asking for help. She can write a review after all. Everybody would be happier if she wrote in a more positive form, like "Please help, I can't ..." or "How can I ...". She would get an answer mentioning my email address for personal support in return and I would do my best to make her "can".

 

[Itcouldbeyou]

I think the main question, given the described scenario, is why your mom isn't asking for help.

The reason is: "Whatsapp worked and I'd rather blame my incompetence on this app. Why won't my son simply use Whatsapp?" (I'm not saying my mom writes bad reviews, but she would have a bad time with the app.)

FairEmail is not meant to be as easy to use as whatsapp, simply because Email is more difficult to use then a service tied to your phone number.

And a lot of people are frustrated. They are not mad at you specifically. They are frustrated for whatever reason. And when something doesn't work as easy as they expected, they simply vent in a non-constructive way.

I know it is frustrating for you, but as others have said, you have to ignore them.

 

[de_Wolf]

And you can also find something positive about FE under NetGuard reviews in the Play Store:

15 March 2022
At this point I must (once again) take up the cudgels for the programmer. I've been using Netguard for 5 years now and I don't know of any firewall that works so effectively and is also so clearly designed. Of course, a training period is necessary, but that is what every firewall requires. My respect to Marcel Bokhorst. By the way, also for the FairEmail app! Top!!!

 

[cobbert]

Glad to see you back up and running. Donated a few more bucks your way.

Have a great day.

 

[heisert]

Sorry Marcel,

I really don't know what's more annoying: the bad reviews or your constant complaints about it.

For years I (and many others) have been telling you to just ignore it!

Your app has been the best Android mail client for years. I don't know why you don't believe that.
Even if you fall to 3.8, it doesn't matter. The people who gave bad reviews are long gone anyway and didn't bother with the app or didn't understand how to use it.

An friend also deleted Fairemail because he could not see any (advertising) pictures. F*ck these users!

Should they be happy somewhere else!?

 

[M66B]

Sorry Marcel,

I really don't know what's more annoying: the bad reviews or your constant complaints about it.

For years I (and many others) have been telling you to just ignore it!

Your app has been the best Android mail client for years. I don't know why you don't believe that.
Even if you fall to 3.8, it doesn't matter. The people who gave bad reviews are long gone anyway and didn't bother with the app or didn't understand how to use it.

An friend also deleted Fairemail because he could not see any (advertising) pictures. F*ck these users!

Should they be happy somewhere else!?

Just "ignore" my complaints.

 

[OldRoutard]

many people are giving up on privacy

I'm afraid you're right. It's like the inability or sheer laziness to detect fake news.
Every little counts in this fight. Good apps but also education, help, advice. We can all do something, every day.

 

[maybeme2]

I don't know if this is meaningful or not but I just went to the Google playstore for another round of upvoting/downvoting and found that Fairemail is still not listed. I'm in the US.
Fwiw.