14 DAY TRIAL // Leaving kids to use smartphones and tablets unattended is a terrible idea, not only because they could easily end up watching inappropriate content, but also because, as one family found out, they could spend thousands of dollars on things they don’t really need.
A child in Wales, for example, purchased Roblox items that are worth nearly $1,900, all after hijacking Touch ID to add her own fingerprint and thus complete verifications when making a payment.
Katie Phillips says her eight-year-old daughter somehow managed to enroll her fingerprint on the iPad, eventually getting the right of paying for stuff without the need for authentication from a parent.
No refunds
The girl spent between £0.99 to £19.99 on Roblox in-app purchases, according to the BBC, and the parents claim she is not the one to blame.
“It was hard to be too angry with her because she didn't really know what she was doing and she didn't understand. We are really angry, but she is innocent. She said she thought it was free,” the mother said.
Barclaycard, on the other hand, says there’s nothing they can do, other than waiving the interest on the purchases the daughter made in the game.
“Unfortunately, customers are liable for the transactions authorised using their Apple ID, and we are therefore unable to provide a refund. However, we empathise with Ms Phillips' situation, so we have made arrangements not to charge any interest on the transactions,” the company says.
The bigger question is how the daughter ended up adding her fingerprint to Touch ID without having to enter the device passcode. Most likely, the eight-year-old knew the passcode already, which allowed her to easily complete the enrolling of a new fingerprint, in turn then used for authentication whenever a purchase was made.