It also neatly solved iFixit's problem of having an app out there that they had abandoned and was giving users a defective experience. Pulling your own app from the store will make someone angry at you. Having Apple pull it is about ideal.

They could spend $100 for a new apple id, fix up the code enough to pass muster, and get it back in the store if they wanted, but like they say in the post, the mobile web is fine for what their app did and they don't want to spend any money on the app.

Tangential, it would be nice if Apple left a tombstone for vanished apps. If I read somewhere to get the iFixit app, I'd go to the store now and download an app named "iFixit!" which is apparently some random collection of manuals.