Mobile bill shock through kids in-app purchases

Fire_Fox

bigpigsmummy wrote: »

My son managed £95.00 with 'jetpackjoyride' in 20 mins!
Looking at what he did there is no currency listed at all! He thought he was getting imaginary coinage.

Is this legal surely if you're purchasing something then at least the seller needs to put in a £ sign somewhere? All there was on show was numbers with a decimal point that was the next page from 'get more coins' - no mention of changing from imaginary money to real money until you pressed the 'buy' button by which time you've had an email sent congratulating you on your purchase!

Only if you don't set up the handset security properly (see my earlier post). If you block in app purchases you click 'buy' and the transaction fails. According to the negative review you left on iTunes your son is just six years old, so should have been properly supervised and security set to the max.

Somewhere: did you bother to read the blurb before downloading the game? I've just logged into the App Store on my laptop and the prices for all in app purchases are clearly listed right below the 'free' clicky to buy that game. It also clearly states the game is rated 9+ yet you permitted your six year old to use it unsupervised. I fail to see how your dubious parenting is Apple's or the games designer's fault.

Fire_Fox wrote: »

But any parent should know that anything that can connect to the internet can connect to explicit material on the internet, films/ video or music lyrics. So you supervise your children and/ or you set up security - guess what? On the iPhone setting up age barring is is Settings/ Restrictions right next to blocking in app purchases.

If you don't know how to use your own mini computer you really should not be permitting vulnerable youngsters to do so. How do you know they are not watching violent or sexual content, or speaking to dangerous people on social networking sites instead of playing that innocent hairdressing salon game?

[Deleted User]

As someone said, no-one would knowingly pay £70 for this. Surely its obvious they exist purely to trap people?

anyone know how to turn off in app purchases on android?

Takeaway_Addict

[quote=[Deleted User];59534663]As someone said, no-one would knowingly pay £70 for this. Surely its obvious they exist purely to trap people?

anyone know how to turn off in app purchases on android?[/QUOTE]

My friend does but he chooses what to spend his money on so fair play to him (waste IMO)

bat400

The problem is: If you start saying that we should stop organisations who use a business model designed to fool stupid (or careless) people into paying for pointless expensive products they don't need, where would you stop? You can put the lottery in that category for a start, plus Hollister, Jack Wills, Superdry and their ilk, as well as any retailer selling Ugg boots. Why not add in overpriced branded hot drink retailers while we're at it?

Until people think about (a) what they are doing, and (b) what they actually need in life, there will always be people who are prepared to throw their money in the direction of these organisations, whether by bad judgment or through not paying enough attention. It's a shame, but it's not a scam.

wondermouse

I had the same thing about a year ago, when my son bought a stack of virtual gold coins for £69 pounds. These games, or rather these massive purchases within these games, should be banned. Who in their right mind would pay £70 for virtual coins except kids?

In my case, the problem was NOT one of my son knowing my iTunes password.

As many people have already pointed out, at the time in-app purchases were enabled, but the thing to note is this....

When you do an app update, you have to give your iTunes password. By default, you then stay logged in for 15 minutes. It's this that caught me out as I like to apply updates regularly. So either change the default 15 minutes to 5 or less, or don't hand your kids the iPad straight after updating!

The good news is that after complaining to Apple I received a refund.

loopylu84

Our children ran up a £95 charge on simpsons tap. They also thought they were buying doughnuts with pretend money. It really wasnt very clear. I only realised when I checked my bank online. I wasnt aware that the game had in app charges, it showed the word free alot in the game description when you went to install the app. Luckily our galaxy tab was secure it was just mine or my husbands phone. My husband has contacted Google report it not that we expect the money back.We have now removed our card details from our google play account.
I have posted just to make other parents aware of that game not to be judge on my parenting skills or ridiculed for making a mistake like others have!

securityguy

[quote=[Deleted User];59534663]As someone said, no-one would knowingly pay £70 for this. Surely its obvious they exist purely to trap people?

anyone know how to turn off in app purchases on android?[/QUOTE]

Assume, for the sake of argument, that no-one sane would spend money on virtual rubbish. Why, then, would developers spend time and effort developing "free" games?

jaibaby

wondermouse wrote: »

As many people have already pointed out, at the time in-app purchases were enabled, but the thing to note is this....

When you do an app update, you have to give your iTunes password. By default, you then stay logged in for 15 minutes. It's this that caught me out as I like to apply updates regularly. So either change the default 15 minutes to 5 or less, or don't hand your kids the iPad straight after updating!

You can change it so it requires the password being entered everytime you purchase something - no matter how long ago you entered it.

SingleSue

emsywoo123 wrote: »

On the flip side, DD (9) uses apple products in our house, and simply asks if she may purchase or download!? I don't understand why kids are just allowed to do what they fancy!?

My youngest son does that even when it is his own money..mind you, this is the child who is completely traumatised about buying a 10p sweet

Edit - Just to clarify, the Ipad and Ipod are his, he saved up for both and purchased them after much hand wringing. He does have a mobile phone but despite being the most tech savvy one amongst us, he can't see the point in mobile phones so barely uses it! (He last topped it up in July last year). All my boys were high school age when they got their phones, eldest was 11 (as he was a young carer so needed to be contactable) but the other two were 14. Youngest's phone is capable of apps, middle son's is not. None of their devices are registered to my debit card or paypal account (hell, not even my own phone is!) as I just don't trust the security of these companies.

If they want to buy things, they usually purchase a gift card, so there are no traces of their cards available.

Bumblefeet

Reading some of these stories, I think I was quite lucky, My son ran up a 6.90p bill. One was an app for Talking T.. not tom, another one, Said it was free, but charged us 69p for it, the rest was in app purchases.

I contacted Itunes, and they we're very kind in reversing the charge. Concidering it was obviously my fault for not checking I had the proper precautions in place.

Everything's on lock down now though!