To think this isn't (completely) my fault

[Dooboo]

Mobile bill is normally about £20. Just realised last 2 bills and the forthcoming bill are almost £200 each.
The reason is that the 7 year old child has been buying stuff on game apps without realising. I do believe her when she says she didn't know. I am dealing with that.

Now obviously that is my issue, not anyone elses apart from the following:

1. A recent OS update on my phone changed my settings so that my Wi-Fi would constantly turn on. I didn't realise this. So although I would make sure my Wi-Fi and data was off, it was turning itself back on. When I realised, it took me over half an hour to eventually find the setting the disable that so it was well hidden.
   
2. My phone provider never flagged up any unusual activity. To go from never buying apps to spending £150+ a month on Google play surely would have triggered something on my phone providers system?
   

So I'm putting in complaints to my phone company, Google play/app developers and Samsung. Not expecting much back but AIBU in thinking that my phone provider in particular should have flagged this?

I am adding additional passwords etc now.

[Travisandthemonkey]

Can’t really see how it’s their fault.

[Sirzy]

Onus is on parents to supervise and have passwords.

It’s shit but I don’t think you can blame anyone but yourself

[dementedpixie]

You can password protect Play store purchases

[ItIsChristmasTime]

I think your phone company will say you shouldn’t have allowed anyone else to have access to your phone. I hope I am wrong.

[SushiMonster]

This issue has been all over the news, for years.

Up to you to ensure your have in-app purchases turned off or to require your password.

[MrsGrindah]

How come it’s taken so long for you to notice...three bills each ten times more than you usually spend?

[VanGoghsDog]

Yeah, you can set restrictions on the play store and spending limits, etc which would not have been changed by the system update. So it is your own fault.

[SparklyLeprechaun]

You get an email every time you buy something on play store, have you not noticed for 2 months?

I sympathise, DS went on a shopping spree when he was 6, but I noticed within an hour and Apple refunded us.

[Shoxfordian]

It's clearly your fault

I'm sceptical that your daughter didn't know she was spending money as well.

[Thomlin]

I've been refunded from apple before when DDs bought something she shouldn't have. I've also been subscribed without knowing to those dreadful game things that charge you £4.50 a week. Complained to EE and got refunded in full, over £250 worth by the time I had noticed.

Call them and see what they say, worth a try.

[babysharkah]

Your fault sorry. She probably knew what she was doing too.

[KnightlyMyMan]

Sorry OP but this is on you!
You gave your child (obviously too young to know when she was buying something) a device and didn’t supervise properly.

My 6 year old niece knows how to turn the WiFi on and off on the iPad (not that your DD did that in this instance - but simply saying ‘I thought the WiFi was off’ doesn’t really cut it)

It sucks but (try as you might) there’s no one to blame but yourself x

[Fr3d]

A friend was in America and ran up a huge data bill without realising it and they did knock a lot off her bill. Apps might be different though

[Cranky17]

I’m very suspicious as to why the settings change when an update occurs and think this is sneaky on apples part. Not all the settings revert back to the original. But the one that makes money does. Call me a cynic.

[GhostSauce]

Don't you get an email? I get email notifications every time I make a purchase,

[SheWoreBlueVelvet]

Definitely complain. They know this can be an issue and yet do very little to prevent it.
They refunded my DP phone. I had no idea in app purchases were set to on on his phone and DP wasn't used to kids playing on his phone so had no idea it was a thing.

[TheOxymoron]

Ok call them, explain it’s your daughter and you’re really upset. They will reimburse you once and then lecture you about passwords etc.

[cdtaylornats]

How would your phone provider know if you were buying in Google Store or in an app?

If your phone provider did monitor those then they would be pilloried by the privacy campaigners.

[ILoveDolly]

Do speak to them, they are willing to help in these situations.

[BreakYourselfAgainstMyStones]

I'm not so sure they will refund 3 bills worth.

You're supposed to set up passwords, check your emails and check your phone bills.

You may get 1 month refunded if you are very lucky, I would just chalk it up to experience and make sure my phone was secure in future.

[Funkyfunkybeat12]

Speak to them and they might refund you, but don't be too quick to just believe your daughter that she had no idea. The price comes up when you click on it and she obviously knows exactly where to click. I would explain to her that there will be no more games until she can earn her own money doing chores and then she can pay for her own in-app purchases.

[boringlyboring]

Surely the provider notifies you with a bill each month?

[M3lon]

I too know someone who has had this kind of purchase refunded. Its definitely worth a try - especially given their update blew a hole in your restrictions.

[Magenta46]

The same thing happened to a friend. Contacted the phone company and they wavered the excess bill after seeing that a 40 odd year old woman would not be buying "dress the dolly" type apps at 6 am.