I recently had a situation where I made some purchases in a game while my account had no money. When I tried to request a refund, I found out that refunds aren't allowed on pending orders. Eventually, after I added funds to my account, I tried again, but was told the refund window had already expired. It seems unfair, especially from a big company like Apple. Does anyone think this is a sneaky tactic on their part?
4 Answers
Remember, Apple isn't responsible for parenting. That’s on you to manage.
You might want to check the options Apple provides to secure purchases, like requiring a password for every buy or using Touch ID/Face ID. If you had these features set up, it could have helped prevent unauthorized transactions. It's key to have these protections, especially if you’re dealing with minors. How long after the purchases did you ask for a refund? If it was more than a month, that’s on you too.
Honestly, I think Apple isn't to blame here. When you make purchases, it's on you to ensure there’s money in your account. The refund window expired because you didn't request it in time, which was supposed to happen way before the funds were actually available.
I don’t see this as a ploy either; it seems more like a result of how their policies work. You might still want to try disputing it by explaining your situation. An actual person may handle your request differently, rather than an automated response.

It was about 2 weeks later. Honestly, I'm not very tech-savvy—I just use my phone for calls and reading.