I've been a complete fool - but is there anything I can do.

jojojojo77

I've just realised that I've been paying for IPhone subscriptions despite not having the phone for the last year. I changed phones last year and didn't think about the subscriptions I had. Turns out I've been paying for Apple Music, an app and a small charge for I Cloud storage. Obviously I'm been a complete muppet for not cancelling them or checking my bank account, but is there anything I can do (aside for despair at my foolishness). Apple must be making a fortune from un-used subscriptions. 

macman

You can ask Apple nicely for a refund, but don't get your hopes up. The service was available to you but you chose not to use it.

BK26

My 13 yr old daughter had a new iPhone for her birthday and we agreed to pay for her to have a small iCloud storage plan for pence a month, and set up the payment for this only. Turns out she downloaded a free App - Smule & decider she didn’t want it and deleted it. Turns out nearly a year later the App had been charging us for a weekly payment of £8.99 for a subscription we had never agreed to. Issues are 1) the ‘free’ app lured in children who would never have understood the subscription element, 2) Apple took payment without the bill payers authorisation (she was clear NEVER to download Apps that cost, 3) we never got notified & 4) the annual subscription cost £89.99 whereas the weekly charges add up to over £400..... its exploitation of children. We trusted our daughter to follow instructions to not download an app that charges and she did but we’ve all been caught out by the underhand tactics of Apple & these 3rd party companies- there should be more protection for this. Is there anything I can do? Apple gave just tried to bamboozle my daughter with all the small print and policies.... none of which are adult friendly let alone Child friendly!!!

Highland76

BK26 said:

 Turns out nearly a year later the App had been charging us for a weekly payment of £8.99 for a subscription we had never agreed to. 

Sorry, but that's not true. You may never have agreed to this but your daughter certainly did when she downloaded the paid app. Perhaps in future, change the password on your daughters phone so that only you or a responsible adult are able to download any apps, paid or free?

sdduk

Highland76 said:

BK26 said:

 Turns out nearly a year later the App had been charging us for a weekly payment of £8.99 for a subscription we had never agreed to. 

Sorry, but that's not true. You may never have agreed to this but your daughter certainly did when she downloaded the paid app. Perhaps in future, change the password on your daughters phone so that only you or a responsible adult are able to download any apps, paid or free?

I Agree with you my son and granddaughter have iPhones and my son set them up so that my GD has to ask him if she wants to download any paid stuff including apps she is also 14yr and my son is her uncle but his sister my daughter gave him the permission to do it. he has been doing it since she was about 9yr and never had any problem. my daugter also set her up with a Smarty contract in her name and she as 30gb data and unlimited mins/text so never goes over....It works and there has been no surprises and all are happy.
PS he even gets notices whatever she downloads like free apps and can block them if needed.

macman

But your daughter wasn't exploited. You were. It's your contract and your phone. 13 year olds cannot have contracts. You allowed her to use it for a year without supervision, and without checking a years worth of bank statements. And now it's anyone's fault but your own.

dazzaofdagenham

Going forward from this.....my daughter managed to active some kinda subscription for 9.99 a month....easy to do ......Apple refunded amount to us....but there is a setting within the iPhone that stops ongoing subscriptions....use that and a privacy pin....job done 

mrochester

Never set children up with a full blown (adult) Apple ID. Always always always set children up in a family group with you the parent (or another responsible adult) as the family organiser.  That way you can fully control what the children in your family group can and can’t do as far as charging costs to your payment card. 

The tools are all there for you to control this. Use them.  

jnhuasd

Apple stuff baffles me! I've never had any apple stuff so can't really make a fair comparison but when I set up my daughters android phone years ago I did so without any sort of payment details attached to her Google account, job done. Is that possible with apple? It would nip this sort of stuff in the bud!

mrochester

jnhuasd said:

Apple stuff baffles me! I've never had any apple stuff so can't really make a fair comparison but when I set up my daughters android phone years ago I did so without any sort of payment details attached to her Google account, job done. Is that possible with apple? It would nip this sort of stuff in the bud!

You can setup an Apple ID without a payment method but that’s not what the OP did. 

If the child wants to then buy content they can top up their account with iTunes gift cards. 

tehone

BK26 said:

Turns out nearly a year later the App had been charging us for a weekly payment of £8.99 for a subscription we had never agreed to. 

Did you never wonder what the £8.99 to Apple every month was for?