Apple has started to notify any parents claiming for their children’s accidental in-app purchases how they will be compensated.
Parents are being advised how they will be compensated for any mistaken in-app purchases made in games and apps sold on the App Store by their children, a topic which has caused many news headlines in the past months.
Approximately 23 million people are part of a class-action lawsuit and will have received an email from the Apple In-App Purchase Litigation Administrator describing how to apply for compensation.
The compensation application deadline has been set as January 13 2014 and Apple has said parents can claim a $5 (or potentially £5) iTunes gift card for any mistaken purchases made under the $30 (£19.50)
The maximum compensation awarded will be for a single 45 day period without parental permission, but only certain apps will qualify.
“To be eligible for an iTunes Store Credit, or in some case, a cash refund, you must: (a) have paid for Qualified Game Currency Charges that a minor charged to your iTunes account without your knowledge or permission; (b) not have knowingly entered your iTunes password to authorize any such purchases or given your password to the minor to make any such purchases; and (c) not have received a refund from Apple for those charges,” reads the official Apple In-App Purchase Litigation site.
Prior to an Apple iOS software update it was possible to make accidental in-app purchases very easily, especially by younger generations tempted by the additional content or levels they could unlock at the touch of a button.
After a password was entered in the App Store, the iOS device user wouldn’t need to enter it again for another 15 minutes, leaving a window where quick and easy password-free purchases could be made by minors.
Such was the case with a five year old boy running up a £1,700 bill in five minutes earlier this year.
Now, Apple has changed that and tightened parental controls within iOS devices, but not before some parents were faced with rather large iTunes invoices, who will now be able to claim for compensation.
Next, read our iPad mini tips and tricks.
Via: CNET
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
