12 yr old racked up £450 on apps

Dobspoon

Up front I
- don't know if this is the right forum
- realise I needed to pay more attention - pleas let's not focus on this!

I found out today that my 12 year old son signed up last August for two apps (a beat mix thing and a celebrity voice over app) which offered free trials before booking WEEKLY £7.99 and £9.99 respectively.

I had long chat sessions with Apple today who were only content to refund £167 which I take to be the last 90 days' worth. They say there is no recourse to any higher authority to complain.

This isn't reasonable surely? I'm going to try and surreal with Apple in the USA but what other options do I have? I know that there has been some focus on these free trials recently in the press - think they are cracking down on apps from now on but this pre dates those efforts.

Any advice welcomed (including 'put this on another forum'!

SuperPikachu

Surely it is just a gesture of goodwill that you get anything back whatsoever? I'd be pleased with the £167 if I were you

Paul_DNAP

I think Apple have been more than reasonable in refunding you anything. It was YOU who let your child have unrestricted access to your main account, and by extension your payment details.


If you gave your kid a wallet full of £10 notes and threw them in a sweetshop, would you expect the shop to reimburse you for all they spent in there?


As you mention in your post, paying more attention is the key, mainly what is best it to configure your child's device with a "Apple Child Account" as a sub account of your own, that way every spend they make needs authorisation from you before it will go through. If you still insist on letting them lose on your own account then at least make sure it's set to password on every purchase, and don't tell your kid the password.

DCFC79

Dobspoon wrote: »

Up front I
- don't know if this is the right forum
- realise I needed to pay more attention - pleas let's not focus on this!

I found out today that my 12 year old son signed up last August for two apps (a beat mix thing and a celebrity voice over app) which offered free trials before booking WEEKLY £7.99 and £9.99 respectively.

I had long chat sessions with Apple today who were only content to refund £167 which I take to be the last 90 days' worth. They say there is no recourse to any higher authority to complain.

This isn't reasonable surely? I'm going to try and surreal with Apple in the USA but what other options do I have? I know that there has been some focus on these free trials recently in the press - think they are cracking down on apps from now on but this pre dates those efforts.

Any advice welcomed (including 'put this on another forum'!

So I guess the phone was linked to your Apple account ?
Why have you got a card linked to your iTunes account ?
There must be an option to set a password on the account or phone to prevent purchases like this.

Complain to Apple on Twitter if you like, it might work.

What steps have you taken to prevent it doesn't happen again ?

Dobspoon

Thanks for the chastisement people. I was asking for advice on handling the recovery of money rather than seeking a judgement on parenting which as we all know is easy.

marcarm

You have been told what you can do RE claiming money back.

Nothing, anything they offer you is purely goodwill so take what you have been offered and set your child chores to pay back the remaining amount.

No-one has said parenting is easy, but setting a password on your account is.

Paul_DNAP

Dobspoon wrote: »

Thanks for the chastisement people. I was asking for advice on handling the recovery of money rather than seeking a judgement on parenting which as we all know is easy.

The only way you have a chance to recover the money is to send an invoice to your son.

Dean000000

I think that is massively generous of apple - and should grab with both hands.


clearly nobody in their right mind signs up to services like this (therefore it being your son is entirely credible) - but, theoretically, how do apple know it wasn't actually you, and you had enjoyed the benefit of these services the entire time?


What if it was, say, for example, apple music, or, Netflix (maybe not Netflix) but a service that people regularly enjoy and pay for..... should anyone complaining to apple refund these people too?


I would have this post as a success story, and one to applauded apple - rather than a negative...


however - that's just my opinion.... you asked for advice.


Advise: Accept offer, thank apple, educate your son about the impact of his actions and apply a lock to any in app spending (or whatever) and put it down to experience...


One thing though, if you can take solace in anything, is you raising awareness (or reminding people) about the potential for this, and to protect themselves.


I will be the first to thank you, as I have no restrictions on mine, and my 4yr old is just starting to find his way around an ipad now - so I will be applying the appropriate protection tonight!

SuperPikachu

Dobspoon wrote: »

Thanks for the chastisement people. I was asking for advice on handling the recovery of money rather than seeking a judgement on parenting which as we all know is easy.

I am not doing this, my post may have seen blunt but I am really surprised you got offered anything at all. These companies have absolutely no obligation to give you back even a penny.

Anyway this also should remind people to check their bank & credit card statements through properly as this potentially could have been picked up sooner.

Hope you have them doing alot of chores to make up for it!

Bikertov

It does raise the issue that it is all too easy for anyone, child or not, to sign up for these weekly 'services' that start with free trials and are such a rip off.


They are designed to suck in the unwary, and remove as much money out of them before it is realised.

motorguy

Dobspoon wrote: »

Thanks for the chastisement people. I was asking for advice on handling the recovery of money rather than seeking a judgement on parenting which as we all know is easy.

With respect, i think you've done very well getting anything back from Apple in getting £167 back. In fact, fair play to them for doing it.

I can take their point though - racking up a bill in a month or two unnoticed, fine, but 7 months?? :eek:

Surely you have to take some ownership here for not picking up on it earlier?

As such i dont think you'll get very far in terms of recovering the funds.