SEATTLE—As part of an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission, Amazon has started refunding parents for unauthorized in-app purchases their children made.
The FTC says approximately $70 million in charges may be eligible for reimbursement.
Amazon has already emailed eligible customers about their refund opportunity. Consumers can also check the Message Center in their Amazon account to learn how to request a refund.
According to the eligibility requirements from the FTC, any unauthorized purchases made by a child under the age of 18 between November 2011 and May 2016 could be entitled to a full or partial refund.
Customers can apply for a refund through Amazon’s webpage or by following the link in their email. All applications must be completed by May 28, 2018. Amazon may contact customers for more information about their purchases prior to issuing a refund. Applicants may call 866-216-1072 to check the status of their refund requests, LowCards.com explained.
“Amazon’s Appstore was launched in 2011, and at the time, it did not require passwords for in-app purchases. Children were able to buy special add-ons for their favorite apps without their parent’s permission,” said Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com. “Amazon updated the store in 2012 to include password protection, but that was only for purchases over $20. The site has since fixed these issues, but the FTC is requiring Amazon to refund parents for any unauthorized purchases.”