Setting iPad to Restrict In-App Purchases

[pdmike]

As mentioned in another thread, I have been the victim of in-app purchases fraud. I think I have the problem solved - we'll see when my Visa bill comes next month with (hopefully) a credit on it to make up for the money I was conned out of this month.

Anyway - Apple sent me an email which supposedly gives instructions on how to restrict/elminate in app purchases on the iPad. According to Apple, you go into Settings/General/Restrictions. In Restrictions, there is a section under "Allowed Content" for "In-app Purchases." That setting is OFF by default. I would assume that, since I had been defrauded by an in-app purchase scam with that setting in the OFF position, the solution to the problem would be to turn it ON, which I have done. (The instructions from Apple only got me in there. They did not tell me what to do once I got there.)

Can I now assume that my iPad will no longer be able to make any type of in-app purchase?

 

[Diane B]

No judgement on this, but curious hiw you think your Ipad bought unintended apps. Or do you think someone else made the purchase? i wasn't sure of that from your post.

 

[Seadog]

I think that to not allow any in-app purchases, you would have to go into your iTunes account and do something. The issue is how did they make the purchase on your account.

 

[accordlayingkit]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Coxner
Quote:
Originally Posted by pdmike
Quote:
Originally Posted by pricej636
Go to iTunes store, from the top menu go to Store, View Account, Purchase History, Find the purchase for that amount and click on the little grey arrow to the left of that line. It should show you ALL the purchases for that charge. It will even show you the free apps that you downloaded during that period.

OK - problem partially solved. By following your gray-arrow suggestion, I was able to narrow it down to one app: "Bakery Story." It seems that iTunes charged me $89.99 for this supposedly "free" app.

I am contacting Visa, disputing the charge, and requesting that I be given a fraud credit in the amount of the charge. I will also be contacing iTunes.

Do you have kids? Bakery Story is one of those free apps that allows in-game purchases to get extra goodies or speed things up. Those costs can add up quickly and children often don't realize they're charging to the account. Smurf's Village is another one that has gotten a lot of attention in the press as kids run up $1000 or more in charges to their parent's iTunes account.

Publisher greed: Little girl amasses $1,400 iPhone bill playing ‘Smurf’s Village’

My solution to avoid iTunes fraud (and problems like the above) is to use a virtual credit card with a $20 limit on it. Bank of America and a few other banks offer this service. My max liability is $20. When that $20 is exhausted through legit purchases, I just add another one with a $20 limit.

Well, I did the same thing as the little children - I guess I purchased some "gems" to "help play the game better" totally without knowing that hard bucks were being charged for the purchase. Don't ask me how that happened - I certainly never did it knowingly. Eighty nine bucks in order to play some video game a little better? I don't think so.

I was able to talk to a human at Apple. She got iTunes on another line. Problem fixed. My credit card will be credited next month for the full amount of the charge (which I had already paid before discovering what was going on).

What a scam. How do they allow something like this to go on?
__________________
64GB, Wi-Fi, 3G - Let's BOOGIE!!!!

i took it as he did buy "gems" to make the game better? correct me if im wrong

 

[F15radar]

According to google you neeed to set the setting to off which means not to allow purchases. Thanks for pointing this out.

 

[pdmike]

According to google you neeed to set the setting to off which means not to allow purchases. Thanks for pointing this out.

If that is true, how could I have made unintended, In-App Purchases, with the Restriction setting for In-App Purchases set to OFF?

 

[F15radar]

Did you have enable restrictions on or off? If off then the setting would not matter.

 

[pluto6]

Sorry F15 Radar - you are incorrect.

To place a restriction - you turn it ON. To remove a restriction you turn it OFF.

By default, all restrictions start as off - which makes sense, why would Apple start you on a device that started you with restrictions? All restrictions you have to manage your self.

@pdmike - you can always "reset" the restrictions to default values and you will see them all turn off - again, setting the restriction requires you to turn it ON.

 

[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

Sorry F15 Radar - you are incorrect.

To place a restriction - you turn it ON. To remove a restriction you turn it OFF.

Actually it is the other way around:
If you turn something on, I.e. in-app purchases, it means that you can buy content within an app, but if you turn it off, you are not allowed to do so.

Easy check: Go to Settings->Restrictions and look for the status of Safari, or another app you can open.

Edit: You could think of the On/Off as a Yes/No switch.

 

[accordlayingkit]

well i havent messed wth any of the app settings since i bought mine and my son some how purchased and in app upgrade through "talking can" app it was only $1.99 but i just deleted the app rather than going throught the whole apple deal

 

[pluto6]

Sorry F15 Radar - you are incorrect.

To place a restriction - you turn it ON. To remove a restriction you turn it OFF.

Actually it is the other way around:
If you turn something on, I.e. in-app purchases, it means that you can buy content within an app, but if you turn it off, you are not allowed to do so.

Easy check: Go to Settings->Restrictions and look for the status of Safari, or another app you can open.

Edit: You could think of the On/Off as a Yes/No switch.

Serves me for not checking. . The settings are for allowed content. So on means it is allowed, and off means disallowed. Thanks for the correction. And sorry for the dis - F15.

 

[pdmike]

Sorry F15 Radar - you are incorrect.

To place a restriction - you turn it ON. To remove a restriction you turn it OFF.

Actually it is the other way around:
If you turn something on, I.e. in-app purchases, it means that you can buy content within an app, but if you turn it off, you are not allowed to do so.

Easy check: Go to Settings->Restrictions and look for the status of Safari, or another app you can open.

Edit: You could think of the On/Off as a Yes/No switch.

Well stated - and correct. The way they have the Restrictions options presented causes confusion. It is compounded by the fact that, at the very top of the Restrictions Options screen, it says Enable or Disable Options. When options are in effect, it says "Disable Options," leading one to conclude that options ARE disabled, when they are in full effect.

And the immediate problem - someone decided to put the In-App Purchases restriction under a sub-section which PERMITS the operation. So, in order to restrict the operation, one must actually turn the Restriction OFF, which is totally counterintuitive.

I discussed this very situation with a tech guy at Apple, and he confirmed that OFF is where you set the restriction for In-App Purchases if you want the restriction to be effective.

I always hated double negatives . . .

 

[Faizul72]

Hi there,

Need your help to restrict kids accessing apps. My 2-yr old kid enjoys so much the iPad, and I have download some educational apps for him. However, he somehow enjoys playing games meant for his elder brothers, not bothering all to have a look at his apps.

How I can restrict him from accessing other apps or games, not meant for him. I tried using Restriction tool, but it hasn't worked as I wanted.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

There is no way to restrict the use of apps unless they are age-rated and therefor might be restricted by placing an age restriction on them. You seem to suggest that this did not work, so there is no easy way.

Some Members have 'hidden' apps in folders and placed them on another Home page, but most kids - even 2 year olds! - soon work that out. Of course, you can always delete an app and then re-install it again later. Even a paid app is not charged for when you re-install.

Tim

 

[Faizul72]

Thank you Tim, seems I don't have much choice. But yr reply indeed gives me some idea. Kids do the unthinkable nowadays. Thanks again.