After the consent order by U.S Federal Trade Commission over its in-app purchases in the App Store, Apple Today sent out an email to some of its iTunes users, giving them a chance to obtain a refund by filling out a simple form through a special link.
The step was taken by the company is specifically for the users who have made recent-app purchases, with Apple stating that unauthorized purchases “made by a minor” are eligible for a refund, with all requests required to be submitted before April 15.
The Mail read:
Dear iTunes account owner,
Apple is committed to providing parents and kids with a great experience on the App Store. We review all app content before allowing it on our store, provide a wide range of age-appropriate content, and include parental controls in iOS to make it easy for parents to restrict or disable access to content.
We’ve heard from some customers that it was too easy for their kids to make in-app purchases. As a result, we’ve improved controls for parents so they can better manage their children’s purchases, or restrict them entirely. Additionally, we are offering refunds in certain cases.
Please follow the steps to submit a refund request:
Find your in-app purchase records. Check your email for iTunes receipts or use a computer to sign in to your iTunes account and view your Purchase History.
Use this link to submit your refund request to Apple.
Provide the requested information and enter “Refund for in-App Purchases made by a minor” in the Details section.
Apple will review your request and contact you via email about your refund status. All refund requests must be submitted no later than April 15, 2015.
The agreement signed with the FTC in January states that, Apple will be required to refund its customers whose children have made purchased unauthorized in-app items, which totals of about $32 million. Apple has added a pop-up warning message in iOS 7.1 describing a 15-minute window which allows users to make in-app purchases for 15 minutes without reentering a password.