Can Apple refund a $99.99 in-app purchase made by my younger brother?
Asked by
MellowCedar42
My younger brother, who is in third grade, used my iPhone for a few minutes and somehow figured out my password. He downloaded a free game and made a $99.99 in-app purchase using my saved credit card. I noticed the receipt email and submitted a refund request about 30 minutes later, as soon as I saw it. This is my first refund request, and the app was newly added to my purchase history. I'm worried the request will be automatically denied and wondering whether there's any way to explain the situation or appeal the decision. I also don't understand how he discovered my password, since I never gave it to him or stored it anywhere on the phone.
Answers
Unfortunately, sharing access to the phone or account can make the purchase look authorized, even if you didn’t personally approve it. Still, submitting the request promptly was the right move. If it’s declined, explain that it was an accidental purchase by a child and use the available appeal process.
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Change the password immediately, and consider requiring a password or biometric confirmation for every purchase. When letting a young child use the phone, Guided Access or similar restrictions can prevent them from leaving the intended app and making purchases.
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You generally can’t add a personal explanation after submitting the initial request, but if it’s denied, there may be a one-time appeal option. The quick timing, new app, and lack of previous refund requests could help, so keep an eye on the request status rather than assuming it’s automatically rejected.
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Apple may approve it, but there’s no guarantee. From its perspective, the purchase happened on your device through your account with your payment method, so it may not treat this as an account hack. The fact that someone else in your household made the purchase doesn’t automatically require Apple to refund it.
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