Mindset
Genuinely Optimistic
I still wanted to update my review from 1 to 4 stars for now, because I think that when devs listen and respond in a genuine manner, it makes a huge difference. Feeling heard matters.
So, to explain, not only did the dev respond here in an open and straight forward manner, but he emailed me personally as well (which is good, because I would not have checked here for a response). The fact that the paywall is down for now is a VERY significant and unexpected response.
I entirely understand and expect that app developers need money to help them create and continue to support their apps and all of the time and work that goes into them. Financially supporting things that you find enjoyment or continued engagement from is incredibly important. I, myself am a big fan of paying more upfront by purchasing a lifetime sub to something (when possible) if I find something clicks with me…you know, in case you were considering offering such a thing like once a year. ;)
Thank you for being a stand up guy, and accepting the snark I sent your way, in my review, with grace.
Original review:
VERY Disingenuous
I found this app recently by following a link to a website. From the beginning I saw red flags, the very first page on the website had a button that said ‘Begin’ and under it are the words ‘No signup required’. Tap that button and you are immediately taken to a page asking for your name and email and you cannot continue unless you input them. (Just so the devs know….that’s called a signup).
i thought, sure, whatever and used a throw away email I have. Next page says ‘Download the entire experience - free. Get the full Aethera library on your phone’ and there are links to the app.
So, I downloaded it - noted that the page said in app purchases, which I thought weird considering their choice of wording. But onward.
I did it once, it was interesting, I guess, a couple of minutes of sound and what looked like an ai produced image. Ok. Then today I decided to try it again thinking maybe it was something you just need to do regularly (considering all of the glowing reviews)…yeah, a message comes up that says 3 sessions are free then it is by subscription. So…again, in case the devs are confused that is not ‘the entire experience for free’. Even if they had like 3 free a month or something, but saying something is free and then not actually having an option for a free plan? That’s super suspect. I find that the total of the only 5 (out of 11 reviews btw) 5star reviews super questionable now, probably their own team. Deleted.
Response from developer
Hey, we wanted to thank you for this response because it's honest and it's one of the only ways we get to learn how to better help people. First, you're right about the wording. "No signup required" and "the entire experience, free" don't match with an email box and a 3-Moment limit, and seeing it through your eyes, I'm a little embarrassed we framed it that way. The honest story is: we built Aethera to help people feel relief, put them on a positive path, and then tested it with a small group. Because we started advertising so we could get better feedback from people, we turned on the 3-free-Moments thing as an experiment. Because of your review, we're changing Aethera. Everyone who signs up at present will have unlimited Moments and conversations, genuinely because of your review :) We are here to help people, and in hindsight the best way to help people right now is to fully ungate Aethera. It might take a day or two for this update to be pushed to the app store, so in the meantime I can provide you with a code for unlimited access. You can email me at greg [at] ossirus.com and I'll send it right over. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience. -Greg at Aethera
