I'm seeking advice and sharing experiences after a frustrating situation with Apple. My 8-year-old nephew made in-app purchases in a game called "Stumble Guys" totaling around $80 using his own Apple ID and the Family Sharing credit card, all without the permission of his guardian. He doesn't fully understand these transactions and having not received informed consent from me, the cardholder, feels problematic since he's a minor, which usually means such contracts are voidable. After multiple contacts with Apple, including phone and live chat support, their final stance is that the decision regarding the refunds is firm, and my credit card provider can't process a chargeback either. Based on local laws, transactions by minors made without a guardian's consent should be reversible. However, Apple is still refusing to issue a refund, citing internal policies. I'm left considering taking this to small-claims court, which seems excessive for something that should be easily resolved. Has anyone had similar experiences with Apple, and is there a serious escalation path I can follow?
1 Answer
It seems like there’s only so many times you can say that your child made a mistake. Apple does provide good parental controls, but you need to enable them first. It’d help if you also mentioned which country you're in since laws can vary significantly.
I'm from Israel, and this is my first attempt at getting a refund for his purchases. He's an 8-year-old who doesn’t speak English; he’s just clicking on ads that pop up in the app. I can’t believe Apple allows that without a prompt to the cardholder!