I need some advice about a situation I'm facing. Recently, an unwanted subscription for about $40 was purchased on my Apple ID by a minor, without my consent. As soon as I noticed the charge, I went to reportaproblem.apple.com to request a refund. Unfortunately, I received an automated reply saying, 'This purchase is not eligible for a refund.' Now, they're asking me for more information to understand my situation better, which I provided. I explained that the purchase was accidental, made by a minor, and that the subscription hasn't been used at all. I'm really stressed because this is a significant amount of money for me, and this is only my second refund request ever (the last one was in July). Has anyone experienced something similar? Did Apple eventually approve your refund after a second appeal? Any tips on what I can do next?
3 Answers
First off, you might want to secure your device to prevent this from happening again. Consider setting your Apple ID to require a password for all transactions or disabling in-app purchases entirely. Just a heads-up though: if you go for a chargeback option, it could lock your Apple Account, which might cause you more trouble down the road. As for your refund, be aware that if Apple denies your initial request, their second decision is pretty much final—no more appeals after that.
Have you thought about putting a password on your phone? This could prevent kids or anyone from making unauthorized purchases. When it comes to your refund, Apple usually handles refund requests for children's purchases if you report it quickly and accurately, so that might still work out for you.
Some purchases simply aren’t eligible for refunds through the automated system. Contacting Apple Support via phone is your best bet. Make sure to express that it’s a billing issue and speak to an actual representative. Just remember, they don’t have a legal obligation to refund since a password was entered at the time of purchase. And definitely avoid doing a chargeback, it could result in account issues.
Exactly! It’s best to talk to Apple Support directly by phone instead of chat. Explain the billing issue and see if a real person can help you. And remember, they technically don’t have to refund you since they see it as an authorized payment, so it’s good to be clear about the circumstances.