Buying apps for iMac at the Apple Store which do not work

Looking at the description of Sandvox in the App Store,

• There is no warning banner across the top of the page (the way there is for Nanosaur 2).
• The version history shows that the last update was 7 years ago. This is long before the first Apple Silicon Macs came out in November 2020. So on an Apple Silicon Mac, this program would only run under Rosetta 2, if at all.
• The version history dates back to v2.6.7, released 11 years ago.

I found what appears to be the developer's Web site. Safari tells me that my connection to their Web site is "Not secure." Their FAQ mentions Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks – all being really ancient versions of Mac OS X. The Forum link on their site is broken.

I was inclined to believe that this is a 32-bit app that won't work on Catalina or above, until I noticed a reference to running Sandbox "in normal 64-bit mode" under Yosemite. But even if the version in the App Store is 64-bit, if the developer has not updated it since Sierra days, it could easily have broken since then.

FWIW, there are links on the Sandvox page in the App Store. However, Karelia Software went out of business several years ago, The last update of Sandvox was seven years ago.

Since I upgraded from an Intel-based Mac to an Apple-Silicon-based one, I've run into problems where the App Store is inconsistent in warning about purchased apps that won't run on my new Mac.

I'll click on some app in my Purchase history that I bought on an Intel-based Mac, pre-Catalina. The Compatibility tab will say that it works with my Mac (calling my Mac out by name). I'll download the app, try to run it – and then be told (by the Mac, not the App Store) that it is incompatible.

Other times, there will be a banner at the top of the App Store description page saying "The developer of this app needs to update it to work with your version of macOS." Even when this warning is there, the Compatibility section further down on the page will claim that the app works on my particular Mac model.

Apple does not fully test the hundreds of thousands of apps that apply to the App Store. They simply look to see if the app meets the specifications that vendors must follow to allow their apps on the store. If apps that have glaring disqualifications come to light they are pulled from the store when that light is illuminated.

Don't blame Apple, get in touch with the apps developers.

The App Store description lists the developer as "Karelia Software LLC" (blue text, below the photos).

Below that are two links to their Web site. The "Not secure" you get when connecting to this Web site tells you that people could eavesdrop on whatever information you send to, or receive from, the site. So you might want to refrain from entering sensitive financial information such as bank or credit card account numbers.

I would suggest requesting a refund for the app. To the extent that the data entry forms allow it, let Apple know that the app does not work on your Mac, that there was no indication of this in the App Store, and that the app appears to be abandonware.

Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple - Apple Support

Karelia Software, surprised it's insecure...

http://www.karelia.com/products/sandvox/

I'd try Rapid Weaver...

https://www.realmacsoftware.com/rapidweaver/