Lifestyle

My kids spent £600 on their iPads without my knowledge


My nine and eight-year-old kids spent £602 via my iTunes account buying merchandise from the online gaming platform Roblox. I hadn’t realised my bank card would be available to use on my children’s iPads. When I discovered the spending spree I contacted Apple for a goodwill refund. The answer was: “Sorry we can’t help you but do have a nice day.” I then explained my predicament to Roblox. Their response was to terminate my children’s accounts, without any warning on the grounds that they “take fraud very seriously”. My kids are heartbroken because they’ve spent their own savings for years on Roblox, building up an incredible collection of armoury and clothing. As my nine-year-old eloquently put it: “My whole life is now ruined.” JD Brighton

To non-parents, this sounds like staggering incompetence on your part. But parents are up against online gaming giants who specifically target young users, luring them in with addictive attractions and blurring the line between free and chargeable goodies. The games have been dubbed “bait apps” because they incentivise children to buy virtual accessories on their parents’ cards while playing. In 2014 the US Federal Trade Commission ordered Apple to pay out $32.3m (£24.6m) to reimburse American parents for unauthorised app purchases made by their children. Some children had run up bills of several thousand dollars, many of them unaware they were spending real money, while parents were equally unaware a single click could debit their bank card. Banks are supposed to reimburse customers for unauthorised transactions, but only if they have not been negligent with their card and security details. Arguably, parents who allow their children access to their logins, albeit unwittingly, are negligent. One father reported his son to the police in hopes a crime reference number would help him reclaim £3,700 that his 13-year-old son unwittingly spent on his iPad.

Apple claimed that you had previously made a claim for unauthorised spending by a minor – an allegation you deny – but it offered to refund the money as a goodwill gesture after I got in touch. Roblox did not respond to a request for a comment, but on the same day that I contacted the company it informed you it would reinstate your children’s accounts. A few days offline will have hopefully taught them to be vigilant in future. You, meanwhile, need to investigate protection measures, including setting up different Apple IDs for your children. Apple’s Ask to Buy and Family Sharing sends a request to the card holder each time a child tries to make a purchase or download. You can eliminate in-app purchases entirely by turning on Screen Time on their devices.

If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions



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