Apple today sent out an email to anyone who has made an in-app purchase for any iOS apps, stating that the company has been hard at work trying to eliminate unauthorized in-app purchases. For a while now customers have been complaining that some apps make it too easy for kids to purchase unwittingly purchase in-game items, so they've improved controls to allow parents to manage the purchases or restrict them entirely. The email states that one new way they're trying to protect its customers is to offer refunds to anyone whose kid accidentally bought something on your phone.
Of course, there's no real way to prove that your kid was the one who purchased something in a game, and you can expect many people who spent, say, $99.99 for 2400 donuts in The Simpsons Tapped Out, to start considering this for themselves. (Yes, they're premium currency but no one needs that many donuts. No one.)
Hopefully people don't take advantage of this- one simple step to prevent your kid from making in-app purchases could be to simply not allow them to play with your phone and maybe read a book to them once in a while, but hey, what do I know.
From the email, here are the steps to take to request a refund.
- Find your in-app purchase records. Check your email for iTunes receipts or use a computer to sign in to your iTunes account and view your Purchase History.
-Use this link to submit your refund request to Apple.
-Provide the requested information and enter “Refund for In-App Purchases made by a minor”
in the Details section.
Apple will review your request and contact you via email about the refund's status.
If you want a refund get on it soon- you can only submit your refund request by April 15th.
