You can now apply for a refund from your kids' unauthorized Amazon in-app purchases

Get some of that Candy Crush money back
 By 
Marcus Gilmer
 on 
You can now apply for a refund from your kids' unauthorized Amazon in-app purchases
If you've fallen victim to tap-happy kids, there may be some relief Credit: Newscast/REX/Shutterstock

If you've been the victim of a tap-happy child who goes on a Candy Crush spending spree while you tried to just taste the sweet, sweet relief of a 10 minute nap, there's more relief in sight.

The FTC announced on Tuesday that Amazon will begin considering and offering refunds for unauthorized in-app purchases made by kids between November 2011 and May 2016 on Amazon devices.

In 2014, the FTC alleged that Amazon allowed kids to make unauthorized purchases on smartphones and tablets, pointing out the lack of password protection to make these purchases.

What's more, the FTC also noted the way "freemium" games used special in-app currencies and suggested something nefarious in the way that tricked kids into spending real money because the special currency (like, say, donuts in The Simpsons' Tapped Out) "blur the lines between what costs virtual currency and what costs real money."

Amazon made some changes in 2012, limiting such purchases to under $20, but that didn't stop kids from making unlimited purchases under that amount and still racking up hellacious credit card bills for mom and dad.

A federal judge ruled in favor of the FTC in April 2016 and appeals from both sides in the ruling were withdrawn in April 2017, clearing the way for an agreement to offer up to $70 million in refunds.

The FTC has previously settled similar claims with both Apple and Google.

Most customers eligible for a refund should have already received an email, according to the FTC, but if you didn't and want to see if any purchases on your account are eligible for consideration, log in to your Amazon account and head to this page.

The deadline for applying for a refund is May 28, 2018.

Topics Amazon

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Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

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