Mobile bill shock through kids in-app purchases

freyanneke_2

After I disabled the in app purchases, it just took the money straight out of my phonebill instead of my bank account. Lesson learned cause my son is just powerless to resist when he is prompted to buy diamonds, stars or whatever is needed to progress a game.

sassyblue

ringo_24601 wrote: »

Anyone who doesn't disable in-app purchases is a crazy fool. I've watched my 3 year old try to buy expensive pointless add-ons for games; it's rather scary

I have to agree, if you can work an ipad you should know how to do it, plus there's enough info and horror stories out there.

However, l didn't know about the 15 minute window, although l had noticed l sometimes didn't have to re-enter our password. :cool: See, still learning!

pigpen

barbarawright wrote: »

You can buy kindle books without entering your password.

not on mine you can't! I must be set up tighter than a nuns knickers! Is does annoy me having to put password in every 2 minutes though.

Former_MSE_Becca

Erinnire wrote: »

My 5 year old recently spent £64.99 on in app purchases much to my horror turns out this isn't the first time either smaller amounts have been coming out for months. I thought that I had turned the in apps purchases off on the iPad but it wasn't as the settings are really confusing! It's definitely turned off now though!

Hi Erinnire, thanks for posting! Do you know what game it was that your 5 year old was using? And what did you do about it? Did you contact Apple, and were you given a refund?

Many thanks,
MSE Becca

lallysmum

My son did it on facebook games. I let him play Angry Birds on there, playing merrily along when I get an email stating 4 x £20 charges for Power Ups. I have no idea how my paypal info got onto facebook (it isn't any more) but I did get the money refunded quickly by facebook. They did say they wouldn't refund again though [STRIKE]as it was my own stupid fault[/STRIKE] as I needed to be more careful with my passwords etc. They let me keep all the power ups as well.

Former_MSE_Becca

alias*alibi wrote: »

My daughter bought in-app purchases for bluddy paws on tiny pet on her iPod. It's linked to my iTunes account and normally get the receipts. However I noticed £80+ taken from my bank account from iTunes. I thought my itunes account had been hacked until i found the receipt in my junk inbox. Big lesson learnt; password changed and in-app purchases disabled!!

Hi alias*alibi, thanks for sharing your story. When you found out about the purchases, did you contact Apple, and were you given a refund?

Many thanks,
MSE Becca

shortdog

lallysmum wrote: »

My son did it on facebook games. I let him play Angry Birds on there, playing merrily along when I get an email stating 4 x £20 charges for Power Ups. I have no idea how my paypal info got onto facebook (it isn't any more) but I did get the money refunded quickly by facebook. They did say they wouldn't refund again though [STRIKE]as it was my own stupid fault[/STRIKE] as I needed to be more careful with my passwords etc. They let me keep all the power ups as well.

My daughter managed it on Petville on facebook too. Almost £60 in one purchase, she didn't have to put in a password or anything. Apparantly I'd ticked something which linked my paypal to my facebook. Facebook refused to refund me though, I was fuming, and complained to paypal about it (who wouldn't refund either).
It wasn't really my daughters fault, it was mine for not watching her properly. Lesson learned though, she was barred from Petville forever, and my paypal details were removed from facebook.

sassyblue

shortdog wrote: »

Apparantly I'd ticked something which linked my paypal to my facebook.

and my paypal details were removed from facebook.

What did you do, do you know? I'm not sure l have got my paypal or ebay linked to FB but l need to check so that doesn't happen to us.... :eek:

shortdog

sassyblue wrote: »

What did you do, do you know? I'm not sure l have got my paypal or ebay linked to FB but l need to check so that doesn't happen to us.... :eek:

Haven't got a clue, however, to check, go into account settings, then click payments on the left hand side. If it's linked, it'll be under payment methods, and you can remove the authorisation there.
I do know that I've never bought anything from Facebook through Paypal, so I don't know how it got there - obviously I did something, but no idea what!

Hanky_Panky

My 7 year old daughter managed to do it this weekend on the College girl app and racked up £69.99. Noticed on the Monday when I received and itunes receipt. Fortunately managed to get the whole lot refunded and have subsequently switched off the in app purchases - feel a complete twonk for not realising sooner that this could happen.