Apple Sued Again - By Parents...

[Renegade]

This gave me a bit of a laugh (via):

http://www.dailymail...addictive-games.html

Parents sue Apple over children's costly and highly addictive apps: Some are aimed at children as young as four - but can rack up bills up to £1,300
'In-app' purchases allow children to rack up bills
'Game currency' purchased with real money
Bills of up to £1,300 from 'free' apps

Parents whose children have accidentally run up huge bills playing games on their iPhones could be in line for compensation from Apple.

Campaigners are awaiting the result of a U.S. court case in which a group of disgruntled parents are suing the company  after their children’s innocent game playing ended up costing a fortune.

They accuse Apple of enticing children to spend money on iTunes

It's very different from the usual law suits you read about.

[wraith808]

That's the reason I made my son open his own itunes account.  They make it very hard to sign up for one without a CC, but you can.  And he funds it with his own itunes cards.  It does suck that the tunes that have DRM can't be shared, and apps can't be shared... but I figured better that than a surprise billed to my CC.

[Edvard]

+1

We pay my son as generously as we can for doing tasks over-and-above his regular chores, and he uses the money for iTunes, games, phone minutes, etc.
He has his own bank account (Chase has special accounts for kids 13(?) and over), and his own debit card.
Works out pretty well. 

... and I really can't see how Apple could not have foreseen this, seriously.
Kids making surprise purchases that get challenged in court have been around practically since credit cards were invented.  Then they go and publish games (primarily played by children) with an easy way to ding your choice of money pool (handed over by less-than-attentive parents) and VOILÀ!  Instant lawsuit.
:facepalm:

[Stoic Joker]

... and I really can't see how Apple could not have foreseen this, seriously.

-Edvard (April 19, 2012, 02:58 PM)

I'm sure they did. But caring wasn't a limiting factor.

It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission...and most people either won't check (unless it's reall high), or will just pay it...to avoid the hassle (unless it's real high) ... and that's the money they (get to keep) were after in the first place.

[app103]

I kind of lump this kind of in-game marketing to children into the same category as what happened in the 80's with the 900 phone numbers that racked up enormous phone bills for parents with their kids calling their favorite cartoon characters and Santa Clause for $2.00/minute auto-billed to their phone bill.

The phone companies instituted a voluntary block that parents could apply to their accounts to block anyone from calling 900 numbers, and soon after, there was a law passed that made it illegal to market 900 numbers (and other similar auto-charge things) to kids.

With this example, and the resulting laws that were enacted, Apple may be in some really hot water with this, or at the very least, the app developers that are deliberately marketing the auto-billed stuff to kids.