Apple In-app purchases

Bloody kids apps!!! Been stung for a bill of £130.

Wife got given an Ipad for work and let the kids play on it without “setting it up” – next thing we know her current account is starting to look like a days trading on the stock exchange.

Anyone been through this and is there anyway to claim the money back? I’ve heard rumours of Apple being kinds in certain circumstances but got the feeling this is only in the USofA

In case you are wondering, after I came down from the ceiling, the Ipad got locked down so no more in-app purchases are possible

My lad run up a bill over just under £45 on partner’s iPhone which she didn’t set up correctly. Cue a long apologetic email with some contractual/legal reasoning and the money was refunded. Good luck!!!

Yup someone on here posted similar a few weeks ago, Apple seem to reimburse.

In fact, I’m confident that this happened on the iPod touch previous to this and that was also refunded.

Kevster – do you have the contact details you used? She sent an email to Apple a week ago and no response 🙁

Depends on the cirumctances, there was a recent one where the child was five so all transactions were reimbursed.

Then there was another where the kid was a young teen and they were told to jog on, as a teen should have known better basically.

Whatever age your kids are, when you converse with Apple, they are no more than 4 or 5…

Go onto apple express lane, go onto the relevant section. Fill it in, no phone call even required. I can’t remember the exact amount but my son spunked about £200 on bullets and weapons a couple of years ago. As a note tho, you only get one refund ever which they make patently clear in the accompanying email!

Express lane

Will it work with drunken adults?

Ahhh – spent 5 mins going round in circles on the Express Lane website – anyone know what the relevant section is for this? No surprises it isn’t openly listed.

rewski – Member
Will it work with drunken adults?

Probably not it’s one of their big earners 🙂

There was a class action in the States over it I recall. Some very stern words from the judge about it being a very cynical business model especially as you are forced to register a CC…

especially as you are forced to register a CC..

No you’re not. There’s a simple way to create an Apple ID without any payment method.

The best forward if your kids have their own i[device] is to set them up with their own ID without a payment method so this sort of thing can’t happen.

No you’re not. There’s a simple way to create an Apple ID without any payment method.

Please explain how. I thought you HAD to register a cc too.

There is an option to skip entering a CC. It is quite a small button/link though IIRC. You probably just glossed over it without seeing/reading it properly. I did this for my my mum as she didn’t want to use her CC.

You can set the iPhone to demand the account password for in-App purchases, the default as a 15 min window after last entering the password where to can spend anything with no confirmation required…..

You can set the iPhone to demand the account password for in-App purchases, the default as a 15 min window after last entering the password where to can spend anything with no confirmation required…..

This can be amended to “immediate” so there is no “open” period of time once the password has been input.

zilog – Can you only opt out of the cc entry when first registering?

Or you can just Disable in app purchases full stop in the restrictions menu.

Or you can just Disable in app purchases full stop in the restrictions menu.

Good point but can you turn off purchases altogether? Don’t have ipad with me otherwise would check myself.

I had a call from my bank on a Sunday evening to report possible fraudulent activity and it turned out to be my youngest playing clash of clans. He managed to spend over £300 on ‘gems’.

I emailed Apple and after a few emails (very quick response on a Sunday) they had refunded the full amount by 8pm. Not a big fan of Apple but was impressed with that.

My first email was a bit of a rant about the ethics of these purchases etc. There was one option to buy gems for £69.99! £300 on something that does not exist.

At least when my wife blows money at the shops she comes back with some sort of rubbish.

One sorted turn off in app purchases and any card that is associated with the account.

Please explain how. I thought you HAD to register a cc too.

On the i[device] go to the app store and purchase something free. When it asks you for your AppleID create a new one, using this method you do not have to register a payment method.

I emailed Apple and after a few emails (very quick response on a Sunday) they had refunded the full amount by 8pm. Not a big fan of Apple but was impressed with that.

I don’t think they have a choice, the whole business is obviously completely cynical and relies on parents not realising they can demand a refund. Pretty evil business model if you think about it as it just turns parents against their children all to to make an obscenely wealthy company even more rich…

zilog – Can you only opt out of the cc entry when first registering?

No. In iTunes, go to “account information” then click “edit >” next to where it says Payment Information and lists your credit card. At the end of the Mastercard/Visa/etc logos is a box that says “none”. Click that and it will remove your CC information from your account.

I just confirmed that you can do this on my desktop. I’m sure you can do it via iPhone or iPad too though.

Clash of the clans was the culprit of my kids in-apps spending.

Pretty evil business model if you think about it as it just turns parents against their children all to to make an obscenely wealthy company even more rich…

Doesn’t (most of) the money go the the game developers?

Doesn’t (most of) the money go the the game developers?

Yep but apple takes a cut (20% I recall) of anything that happens on it’s devices, you know like ford takes a cut every time you fill up…..

Doesn’t (most of) the money go the the game developers?

But Apple allows kids to spend their parents money like that. They have shown no interest in stopping this eg changing default phone settings.

Oh I agree that its totally wrong, I’m not in the slightest defending apple. What confuses me is that why they think they will make more money having such silly high prices for these things, shirly if it was £5 instead of £70 more than 13 extra people would buy it? Have these people not heard of price elasticity?

, shirly if it was £5 instead of £70 more than 13 extra people would buy it? Have these people not heard of price elasticity?

Normally they have multiple options for smaller purchases with a tempting £70 “but look at the economies of scale” at the top of the pile.

the whole business is obviously completely cynical and relies on parents not realising they can demand a refund.

Erm.. I’ve bought a fair number of things via in-app purchases. I didn’t think it was cynical at all and I don’t think my parents are at all bothered.

Apple allows kids to spend their parents money like that. They have shown no interest in stopping this

You can’t buy stuff without knowing the iTunes account password.
Plus In-App purchases can be explicitly locked out in Settings.
PLUS you can easily lock it so they can only use the app that is open when you hand it to them.

If folk hand their kids completely unrestricted access to their idevices, and then tell them their passwords, then I’m not sure you can lay the blame entirely with Apple.

You can’t buy stuff without knowing the iTunes account password.

You can for 15mins after the last time the password was entered. So parent buys new game for junior and hands iDevice to Junior. For 15 mins he can spend as much as he wants with no password.

Oh I agree that its totally wrong, I’m not in the slightest defending apple. What confuses me is that why they think they will make more money having such silly high prices for these things, shirly if it was £5 instead of £70 more than 13 extra people would buy it? Have these people not heard of price elasticity?

The aim is not at people who look at the prices – ie kids

You can’t buy stuff without knowing the iTunes account password.
Plus In-App purchases can be explicitly locked out in Settings.
PLUS you can easily lock it so they can only use the app that is open when you hand it to them.

If folk hand their kids completely unrestricted access to their idevices, and then tell them their passwords, then I’m not sure you can lay the blame entirely with Apple.
If it was easy and well signposted rather than defaulting to kids can buy anything then fine.

I’m with GrahamS on this, there are lots if restrictions if you choose to use them, if you don’t then you shouldn’t complain when purchases are made. If you add in the Apple policy of giving you one chance to mess this up I think they’re actually bring quite reasonable.

You can for 15mins after the last time the password was entered.

Also changeable in Settings.

If it was easy and well signposted..

I know. Placing the settings for restricting things under Restrictions in the Settings menu is terribly misleading. It’s a wonder anyone can find it.

And then they are faced with an insanely complicated interface featuring the words “In-App Purchases” and an On/Off slider.

And there isn’t even a manual! 😀

..rather than defaulting to kids can buy anything then fine.

I think they would piss off a lot more people by defaulting to locking everything down and forcing the majority of users to waste time unlocking basic functionality.

Apple already get enough stick for assuming their users are idiots.

Perhaps iOS 7 will have a “kids mode” or something – that’d be good.

Sorry but if you lead people to add a CC with a tiny not needed button then in App should be off by default. Click once to turn it on permanently or once only. It’s a deliberate and cynical approach to getting cash.
I have no card associated with my android account and I’m an adult, no risk there.

The simple idea is that enough people wont even notice and carry on paying £5-10 per month rather than query or argue. Why does a company who prides itself on vetting the hell out of it’s app store content allow things aimed at kids that have £70 purchases in them or any kind of spend possible? Why? because it’s how they make money.

I have no card associated with my android account and I’m an adult, no risk there.

So you have to enter your card details every time you buy an app, or in-app purchase, or magazine, video, album etc?? Wow. That would be a right pain in the harris.

Why does a company who prides itself on vetting the hell out of it’s app store content allow things aimed at kids that have £70 purchases in them or any kind of spend possible?

Because a surprising number of adults play these games? Plus of course there are always some kids who are spoilt rotten by their parents.

Are you saying that there aren’t any “kids” apps on Android that have in-app purchases?

honestly I don’t bother purchasing “in app” as my content is mostly on my PC, my music comes via Spotify (via PC purchase) and my reading material is paper – possible to old and new school all at once. Videos are free 🙂 Why anyone would spend £70 on gems in a online game is a strange one, perhaps a reminder would be good for all. All apps have In apps have in app stuff but android don’t lead you to enter CC details, also they don’t bank on about how safe and well vetted their app store is. It’s a long fall from the moral high ground

Apple could pay up to $US100 million after it agreed to settle a class action lawsuit that said customers were charged when their children unwittingly bought apps from the company’s online store, a court filing shows.

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/apple-to-settle-lawsuit-on-app-purchases-by-kids-20130227-2f4sq.html

Are you saying that there aren’t any “kids” apps on Android that have in-app purchases?

There are, and afaik the defaults are equally cynical and wrong. It should be off by default, and the first time you try to use it it should pop up a message asking if you want to change the setting, enter your password and then it works. Of course, if you tell your kids the password you’re screwed, but then that’s completely your fault.

I set up an Apple ID for my daughter at Christmas with no CC attached. I don’t remember it being too difficult to sort out. If she wants to buy anything she has to save her pocket money for an iTunes card.

If you don’t want to set up a new ID, then go to your payment setting and just put a load of rubbish in the number fields.

Sorry but if you lead people to add a CC with a tiny not needed button then in App should be off by default.

Rubbish.

A £500 iPhone/iPad is aimed at Adults.

Why should it come set up for kids by default ?

If people want to let their kids use them, they will need to make sure it’s safe, and suitable, for them to do so.

Just like they should be doing with everything they let their kids do.

For example, my Nephew does not have the passwords for my online Banking App, or the PIN for my credit cards.

Similarly, he doesn’t know my Apple Password either, and it is set up so he would need it to buy anything.

Kids mode you say?

Enable “Kid Mode” on iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch with Guided Access in iOS