Apple Emails iTunes Users to Offer Refunds for Unauthorized In-App Purchases

[RaduTyrsina]

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Back in January this year, Apple has signed an agreement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission which requires Cupertino to provide full refunds to parents whose children have purchased unauthorized in-app items. Now Apple has started sending out emails to those iTunes users who were in this situation The affected users needs to fill out a form through a special link and all requests are required to be submitted by April 15. Apple states that only unauthorized purchases “made by a minor†are eligible for a refund. Here’s he content of the email:

Dear iTunes account owner,


Apple is committed to providing parents and kids with a great experience on the App Store. We review all app content before allowing it on our store, provide a wide range of age-appropriate content, and include parental controls in iOS to make it easy for parents to restrict or disable access to content.


We’ve heard from some customers that it was too easy for their kids to make in-app purchases. As a result, we’ve improved controls for parents so they can better manage their children’s purchases, or restrict them entirely. Additionally, we are offering refunds in certain cases.


Please follow the steps to submit a refund request:


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 your refund status. All refund requests must be submitted no later than April 15, 2015.

Since the number of such complaints has been constantly increasing, Apple has decided to add a pop-up warning message in iOS 7.1 detailing a 15-minute window which allows users to make in-app purchases for 15 minutes without reentering a password. The grand total of refunds is expected to reach around $32 million.


Source: iPhoneForums