Inadvertent $1500 in app purchase Tap Zoo - warning!

You're going to bring Apple down. Please reconsider buying that iPad. And consider reading the descriptions of Apps you purchase from the Apps Store.

I think some people forget that smartphones should only be sold to smart people.

Ok everyone, I'm 13 and I got my iPhone for my birthday this year and my younger sisters best friend told me to get Tap Zoo, which I did and I love it!

My mum and my dad also have iPhones which I have bought this App on and my 4 year old brother plays Tap Zoo on all 3 of these iPhones from my iTunes account which has money on it from the iTunes cards and he knows all about the in App purchases and comes up to me asking if he could by some stars ect.

I know I'm not the one people would usually take advice on but I think it actually comes down to knowing what games you kids (or in my case siblings) are playing, I don't think it's apples fault at all, and people shouldn't just let others buy 'free' Apps or any Apps without playing the game or AT LEAST reading about the game first, then go blame apple.😕

I know many will just ignore this but I'm just saying that even a kid who has forgotten her iPhone passcode (😢), knows what's going on with the game and doesn't just let people buy stuff because it's free then let them have it.

So basically - Please DON'T blame apple for this

Thanks :-) 🙂🙂

And I agree with christopherfromsioux falls, smartphones should only be sold to smart people.

😁haha

Should PayPal be responsible because I let a child on my computer logged into my PayPal account? Should Amazon be responsible because I had their 1 click checkout enabled and I was logged into my account and let a kid roam free? Stop blaming Apple because you can't monitor your childs actions. It isn't hard to get a refund through the App Store.

Here we go again.... some people will just defend Apple over and over again.....

@Chantelstar98 you really do sound like you are 13... not

Don't get me wrong David, I can rant all day long at Apple. I can't change the friggin' email sound on my iPhone? My BlackBerry could do that YEARS ago. Limited selection of SMS sounds, a god awful failure of a notification system when you look at what Android has to offer, etc.

I'm not so much as defending Apple as I am trying to make a point that Apple is not responsible for peoples bad parenting. Should I blame the makers of a steak knife if I give it to an infant and the infant puts it in their mouth and kills themself? Now, that's a pretty big extreme. The point is Apple gave users the ability to block in-app purchases so this really isn't a point to argue over.

If you want to argue over how locked down the iPhone is, or how Apple is leveraging their monolopy on the app store to promote iBooks more than the Kindle app then I'm all for it.

Sorry rnawky my post wasn't directed at you, it is directed at the users who seem to always talk down to the people looking for help, ie with stupid childish comments like "Smartphones for Smart People"

I know this is not Apples fault, but they are so strict on what can be sold on the app store, yet something like Tap Zoo and others like it that are obviously scams get through.

iPodiUser, I read throughout the forum and found your summary the most balanced IMHO.

Yes there are ways to disable in-App purchases, but are we supposed to know all? Guess what, I and the majority of the people on this forum discovered it because they had an issue. I found it when I called Apple support center complaining for an unauthorized purchase, they helped me find the option and change it.

I had an iPod touch for more than 1 year, my 7 year old is attracted by it just like it's attracted by any similar device. The fact he plays with it means he is unsupervised? Not really, he doesn't have the password and cannot download even Free apps without my help. And he knows he cannot surf the web without me or my wife checking where he's going as it could be dangerous. And he has been playing with various kids games for the iPad for a year without any issue. Then came Tap Zoo, sold as free, and 3 days after I authorized the free app purchase, he inadvertely spent a little fortune in 15 minutes tapping on Buy /coins button the size of a nailpin on a iPod - even supervising him with a magnifier I wouldnt have been able to tell he was actually 'spending real money - the darn thing is misleading at best.

Of course it's my responsibility whatever he does, but this is just simply way too misleading. How can Apple allow a free app, clearly targeted for youg kids, to charge GBP 160 in only 15 mimutes and pretend we should know better BEFORE incurring these charges? It's the walled concept of the Apple / iTunes system at stake here. Why having all this satefy settings on explicit materials not appropriate for kids (of which I am clearly glad of) if we then realize Apple allows this Free apps to be marketed on its shop with a clear scope of taking advantage of lapse of attention?

Sure I will be more careful, but it still leave a sour taste in my mouth that no RTFM comment can take away.

It's simple, Apple is NOT repsonsible for the actions of your children. Is Tap Zoo a scam, no! Do you actually read the banner on that app in the app store that specifically states

"PLEASE NOTE: this game lets you purchase items wothin the game for real money. Please disable in-app purchases on your device if you do not want this feature to be accessible"

Now if you are TOO stupid to read this before downloading for your child then you are the idiot. Again, smartphones should only be sold to smart people.

let me add the following 2 issues which I find even more misleading on the part of the App Developer and on Apple that allows such misleading behaviour on a game targeted only for youg children:

1) unless you enter into the specific Tap Zoo description, you DON'T SEE ANY SUCH NOTICE so you can download the FREE app and not know about in-App purchases

2) the notice "the game lets you purchase items within the game for real money. Please disable in-App purchases on your device if you do not want this feature to be accessible" DOESN'T SAY that such purchases wouldn't require the Apple Store password to be inserted - given you need the password even to download an update for an application you already have, a normal person who hasn't googled for hours manuals and forums can easily assume that for any real money purchase you would be warned / a password be requested.

My kid's Nintendo Wii doesn't allow him to browse the internet unless I input the password, and does not allow him to buy anything unless he steals my credit card details...

The fact that many kids have fallen for this without realizing they were spending real money is a clear sign that any judge or jury would agree it is a misleading free game targeted for kids.

So if you saw a sign for free food, but there was a sticker on the food that said it was poisonous, would you just grab the food and give it to your kid without reading the label first?

Glad to see that you call stupid and idiot those who didn't know what "purchases within the game for real money" could entail - you are indeed the smart one here.

> So if you saw a sign for free food, but there was a sticker on the food that said it was poisonous, would you just grab the food and give it to your kid without reading the label first?

See what would happen to Tesco or any other reputable supermarket (read Apple Store) if they were to give food for FREE with a smalll sticker on it saying poisonous - shop closed by police within minutes?

I rest my case

It's time to stop coddling people who only use half their brain. Apparently you DONT read, so you would just give your kid the poisonous food first without reading the label, and then wait for the cops to come, when you could have prevented the poisoning all along by reading the label.

I rest my case.