to request a refund from Apple / iTunes

[pootlepootle]

My youngest dd (9) likes to get free apps for my iPhone. Games that allow her to build icecreams and then eat them and all sorts of daft stuff. it keeps her happy when we are sitting waiting for my eldest or at the doctors or whatever.

Anyway, she's been doing this for several years without a problem. I allowed her to download an app that had something to do with Hello Kitty. i didn't take much notice, just saw it was free.

Now £27.98 has arrived on my bank statement. when checking this it seems that it has come from inapp charges "hello kitty".

I don't know what an inapp charge is. But now i do. it appears that you're buying coins or somesuch within the game. Children get confused that it's not 'real' money. Especially as if you've downloaded the game in hte last fifteen minutes it won't ask for the password again.

you can switch it off so it doesn't happen to us again but I'd never heard of it. Do I deserve a refund? Other people seem to have got one but I'm not sure that it isn't my fault for not paying more attention to exactly what she was doing.

There's links to it discussions.apple.com/thread/2589575?start=0&tstart=0

and maybe i've been a bit of an inattentive parent and deserve to be charged £30 odd for rubbish to teach me not to be so slack. But whether IABU or not, I do wish i'd known about it.

Hi,

TBH I would ask for a refund in your case! £27 is a lot for a free children's game to ask for in app! There should be no in app charges possible for a small child to request. I have an iPhone clogged up with kids apps for my DD and I never check for in app charges! Maybe I should start though...

I would ask for a refund. I accidentally bought a tv series in HD twice - tried to stop the download but it had already started and billed me, somehow. I contacted them and they refunded me quite happily and were very nice about it so its worth a go.

Have heard about cases like this on the news etc and Apple usually pretty good and understanding especially where young children concerned. No harm in asking

You deserve a refund, they should make it clear that the in app charges apply in the same way that a screen comes up to ask you to confirm if you are over 17 or whatever it is for age restricted apps. Especially when the apps are aimed at children.

I'd try for a refund but maybe chalk it up to experience if they don't agree. Perhaps go see the apple genius guys to see if they can put some blocks on the phone?

I've stopped it from happening again myself. there's quite an easy way to do it - on the link i included.

I'll write for a refund - it's a ridiculous amount in a game when you think that the normal price for things is £0.69. There's people been stung for £600 upwards so i have got off lightly. would hate not to be able to let her have the phone as then i'd have to listen to moaning instead! she's offered to save up to pay me back but I think it's my fault more than hers.

I recently got a large refund for something similar. They said we don't usually refund... But will on this occasion.

My son once downloaded £150 worth of coins in a very similar situation. After recovering from my heart palpitations, I called Apple and they were very understanding and gave a one off refund.

Yanbu we had the same problem with a smurf app my dd racked up a £50 or so bill one rainy afternoon - tbh we should have put more parental controls on. DH asked for refund but we did not get it - not too sure how persistent he was though

This happened to my friend, apple refunded the money. :)

Well I'm swimming against the tide, I think YABU. When you install the app if there is a + sign next to the price it means there are in app purchases available, so back away from the app or tell your children they can't have any extras.

Secondly you are allowing your child to use your phone without supervision which means they also have access to the Internet - you should be supervising just as you would for a computer.

Thirdly in app purchases are covered in apples literature - they have been available since IOS 3.0 (I think) so YABU expecting apple to refund you because you didn't read your terms and conditions properly or have adequate common sense to protect your credit card