What is this kid doing on the computer alone in the first place? Doesn't his parents know about the dangers lurking on the web?!
Well, he was on a iPod Touch, not on a computer (and even possibly in the same room as his mother).
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Eleven-year-old Accidentally Downloads $1000 App
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Well, he was on a iPod Touch, not on a computer (and even possibly in the same room as his mother).
It depends on your setting. Even logged in, it typically confirms once by asking if you want to purchase that app.
It was cool of Apple to arrange a refund. That should be standard policy, especially if an app isn't even completely downloaded.
For 99-cent apps, I'm less concerned about "try before buying"... when they start costing $10 and up, I think there has to be a way to 'preview' them...
Tough to figure out how, though!
There was no reason why this issue shouldn't have been resolved at the Apple store level. That store manager deserves needs to be enlightened.
Surprising how heated the debate on this can get - I think it's a great story.
Boy makes mistake (as does mother, in not supervising him closely enough). The mother asks for help from Apple, and Apple complies even though they don't have to. The boy, and his mother are very unlikely to make the same mistake again - and the same holds for any parent reading this story!
Sounds like a win - win - win - win scenario to me!
Yes, but you are you missing the fact that this is an ideal opportunity for the armchair libertarians to wail about how intrusive the government is.
haha, this makes it onto MR?
My little cousin purchased $2,820.75 from the app store on an iPod Touch. And Apple wasn't going to refund any of it until a transcript from an internal chat was somehow included in a email to my Aunt that consisted of very rude talk behind her back.
I have the emails, but my aunt and uncle aren't finished with the fiasco with Apple's legal team, so I can't show them.
My little cousin purchased $2,820.75 from the app store on an iPod Touch. And Apple wasn't going to refund any of it until a transcript from an internal chat was somehow included in a email to my Aunt that consisted of very rude talk behind her back.
I have the emails, but my aunt and uncle aren't finished with the fiasco with Apple's legal team, so I can't show them.
No, there is a limit on how much money a person can risk as a result of a credit card transaction. The credit card must be authorized for the amount specified, or the transaction will be declined. There is a limit on the size of each transaction, and a limit on the total amount of credit available during the billing cycle. There is no way to charge a million dollars unless you have a credit line that large and you have authorized the credit card company to allow a single transaction of this amount. For most people, the transaction would simply not go through. For the rest, the IRS would probably come looking for some explanatory paperwork.
Your sarcasm is inappropriate. This poster has a right to her/his opinion. There are plenty of folks that think that kids are a bad idea, especially in their case. I'm proud of the fact I don't have kids: I'd beat them just like Joan Crawford did in Mommy Dearest.
http://www2.newpaltz.edu/~walterme/violence/CPSmain.html
That examen is worth nothing than - I would have the textbook lying next to me. Did you ever do a board examen here in the US...? No cell phones, no watches, no nothing. Camera watching you all the time...
What is this kid doing on the computer alone in the first place? Doesn't his parents know about the dangers lurking on the web?!
I have to agree.
People need face the consequences of their actions on the internets... maybe then they'll learn
Your sarcasm is inappropriate. This poster has a right to her/his opinion. There are plenty of folks that think that kids are a bad idea, especially in their case. I'm proud of the fact I don't have kids: I'd beat them just like Joan Crawford did in Mommy Dearest.
You sound like a wonderful human being.
Personal responsibility means making informed decisions, and you can't make an informed decision if the information isn't available. I think that restaurants like that should make nutritional info easily available. That, and quit advertising unhealthy food in ways that imply that it is healthy.
Yeah ....
I'm honestly not too surprised. On one hand, Apple keeps pushing the iPod Touch as a great little portable gaming system (so kids are getting them left and right), yet on the other, they make it a big pain to prevent a kid from purchasing unwanted software on it.
I know first-hand, because my g/f used to work for Apple, and got refurbished iPod Touches for both of her young kids, after they were constantly borrowing her iPhone. My own daughter got a refurbished Touch last Xmas as well.
I thought I'd be slick and create a whole new iTunes account for my kid that wasn't linked to any credit/debit card at all. That way, she can only purchase FREE apps unless I pre-load her account with some money from a gift-card first. (My g/f didn't do this, and her 3 year old started buying herself quite a few games one day! Until then, she just assumed said 3 year old wouldn't even be capable of navigating the App Store on her own and doing it!)
But then I realized all the little games we bought and put on my iPhone a long time ago were not going to be transferable to her iPod Touch without re-purchasing them. No way I was going to re-buy them, and she was getting all upset she had stuff on my phone that wasn't on her Touch. So I wound up redoing her Touch so it shared MY iTunes account. Not happy about that though, and sure enough, despite my warnings, she bought about $10 in software one time!
Apple really needs to re-think the way this stuff works. I'd be all for something like Android's store apparently does where you can request a refund for anything you download within the first 24 hours.... but frankly, some people will still abuse that too. (They'll start using it as a "free rental" service, grabbing things for a day and then requesting refunds.) So maybe a setup where you can refund apps up to 24 hours later up to the first X number of times, and then the account reverts to only giving refunds within the first hour or 30 minutes?
I'm honestly not too surprised. On one hand, Apple keeps pushing the iPod Touch as a great little portable gaming system (so kids are getting them left and right), yet on the other, they make it a big pain to prevent a kid from purchasing unwanted software on it.
I know first-hand, because my g/f used to work for Apple, and got refurbished iPod Touches for both of her young kids, after they were constantly borrowing her iPhone. My own daughter got a refurbished Touch last Xmas as well.
I thought I'd be slick and create a whole new iTunes account for my kid that wasn't linked to any credit/debit card at all. That way, she can only purchase FREE apps unless I pre-load her account with some money from a gift-card first. (My g/f didn't do this, and her 3 year old started buying herself quite a few games one day! Until then, she just assumed said 3 year old wouldn't even be capable of navigating the App Store on her own and doing it!)
But then I realized all the little games we bought and put on my iPhone a long time ago were not going to be transferable to her iPod Touch without re-purchasing them. No way I was going to re-buy them, and she was getting all upset she had stuff on my phone that wasn't on her Touch. So I wound up redoing her Touch so it shared MY iTunes account. Not happy about that though, and sure enough, despite my warnings, she bought about $10 in software one time!
Apple really needs to re-think the way this stuff works. I'd be all for something like Android's store apparently does where you can request a refund for anything you download within the first 24 hours.... but frankly, some people will still abuse that too. (They'll start using it as a "free rental" service, grabbing things for a day and then requesting refunds.) So maybe a setup where you can refund apps up to 24 hours later up to the first X number of times, and then the account reverts to only giving refunds within the first hour or 30 minutes?
What's so special about $75?
I've heard this general idea mentioned by a few people but I'm more than a little curious as to why it's always $75 that's mentioned as the threshold.
Why is this? What is so special about $75?
I've heard this general idea mentioned by a few people but I'm more than a little curious as to why it's always $75 that's mentioned as the threshold.
Why is this? What is so special about $75?
I get refunds all the time. Maybe its because I usually go to the "problem" section in the itunes store. But failing that the creator. But I have gotten refunds from several. Also Its early and Im not thiinking too clear..but you can go to your ACCOUNT and authorize whichever device you wanna allow to use your purchases. Of course I dont think this will help if you set up a new account for a gift, but you can GIVE apps to others. I apologize if my somnambulism has misread your intent. WOuldnt be the first time.
I
Log on to their device using your account and download the games from the app store, it is free because you already purchased them. LOG OUT of your account. Simple.
OR
have all the devices synced to a single computer that is authorised to each itunes account then simply choose the apps you want on each device from this shared list and sync. Easy.
If you cannot be bothered to spend what little time it takes to get this information to safeguard your own money or to prevent a child from seeing things you don't want them to see then the best policy is to outright disable the features. Unless you enjoy taking a risk with your bank balance.
Should have let the charge stand IMO, they agreed to the terms and conditons
Well IMO you'd feel differently if your credit card incurred an accidental and irreversible thousand dollar charge.
Well IMO you'd feel differently if your credit card incurred an accidental and irreversible thousand dollar charge.
Not really, because you can file a dispute with the credit card company for being charged an unreasonable amount due to an accident. If most items in the iTunes Store are between $1 and $5, and you happened to accidentally buy the one that was $1,000, that could be considered an unreasonable accident because there would have been no confirmation that the credit card was present at the time of purchase. Let the credit card company deal with it if the merchant won't accept the excuse.
My iTunes is set up to prompt me when I attempt to purchase anything that costs more than Free, and that prevented me from making one or two accidental purchases due to an Apple error that failed to mark some items Free in the database, even though they were listed as Free.