MSE News: Apple to refund US kids' iPad and iPhone app cash – but what about UK famil

Former_MSE_Helen

"US iPad and iPhone users whose kids ran up bills making in-app game purchases will get their money back from Apple ..."

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Apple to refund US kids' iPad and iPhone app cash – but what about UK families?




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Daza

Simple - don't let your kids play around with your iPad / iPhone .... they are NOT toys !!

Sparx

We would be lucky.. Not that it effects me though!

Earthworm

What is different on this to your child having unsupervised access to your landline? Some things are free some cost money. It is the same with smartphones. I'd like to say Apple should include information about in-app purchases during setup or in the box but in reality these charges are generally caused by kids who have a far greater understanding of the tech they have their hands than the people handing it to them.

I wouldn't dream of handing anything to a child unless I knew the product well.

I remember ringing into competitions on TV as a child at premium rate charges. I knew exactly what I was doing.

DCFC79

Daza wrote: »

Simple - don't let your kids play around with your iPad / iPhone .... they are NOT toys !!

Or dont have a debit/credit card linked to iTunes simples or another option is to disconnect from the wifi before you pass it to the child so no in game purchases can be made.

jacques_chirac

Earthworm wrote: »

I remember ringing into competitions on TV as a child at premium rate charges. I knew exactly what I was doing.

Me too - and the only person that got the blame was (quite rightly) me

WTFH

jacques_chirac wrote: »

Me too - and the only person that got the blame was (quite rightly) me

You can sue your parents for that. I mean, you were a child, therefore you can do what you want, you have no responsibility for your actions, neither do your parents.

Greedy children and greedy parents making businesses pay for their irresponsibility.

In the same way that the motoring section of this forum encourages people to break the law, I find some of the suggestions posted by our beloved forum owners to be unethical and immoral at best.

You want money saving advice? Don't buy an iPhone and then give it to a child. There, saved you £600 and you don't need to sue anyone to make that saving.

NFH

It has been a while since I have configured a new iOS device without restoring existing configuration from a backup, but doesn't iOS now disable in-app purchases by default?

If parents are carelessly both entering their credit card details into a child's device and neglecting to take the easy precaution of restricting in-app purchases, they only have themselves to blame.

LadyDee

A perfect example of parents taking no responsibility for the actions of their children. I have zero sympathy for parents faced with these bills. Perhaps if mum and dad spent a little more time actually playing and interacting with their children this sort of thing wouldn't happen.

gavrc

What's with the Apple bashing? This applies to games made for all mobile OS's, ie Android and Windows as well. Why aren't we chasing the game developers, they're the ones that created the situation and get (most of) the money.
One day people moan that Apple are too restrictive with their walled garden App Store. The next day Apple are letting apps in that are corrupting our innocent children.
At the end of the day, it's your phone and your credit card. Look after it.

gav

Earthworm

gavrc wrote: »

What's with the Apple bashing? This applies to games made for all mobile OS's, ie Android and Windows as well. Why aren't we chasing the game developers, they're the ones that created the situation and get (most of) the money.
One day people moan that Apple are too restrictive with their walled garden App Store. The next day Apple are letting apps in that are corrupting our innocent children.
At the end of the day, it's your phone and your credit card. Look after it.

gav

This isn't Apple bashing MSE just see the iPhone as the phone to report on. Android and WP both do the same but take it one step further with carrier billing.

By making games free and charging in-app for extras you give everyone the chance to play your game. Some want the game for free, some are happy to pay to both support the developer and get exclusive add-ons. Developers have to make money somehow and I cant see a developer deliberately making it difficult to buy their products.

The responsibility lies solely with the child and as a child their actions should be handled by their parents.