Are you a kind of person who like to download the application from the
app store? If yes, you should be aware of the unintentionally in-app
purchases. Since, some application may contain hidden costs.
According to "Google faces legal action over in-app purchases" article, it says that Google is filed by angry U.S. parents in the issue of overpaid
in games of their children without their permission. Apple also faced the same problems last
year which they had to alter its billing process by asking for permission
before in-app purchases.
Moreover, I think the over purchases that children have made in the games is not only Google but also their parents responsibility. For Google, when user want to buy the application, they have to enter purchased password only once. Therefore, when you want to buy some extra in-apps such as game's item, you can buy them directly without re-entering the password. This is too easy to buy in-apps. So, I think users should be asked to re-enter the password every time that they are going to purchase on something in order to avoid the accidentally purchases. While, for the parents, I think they should be close to their children most of time that they plays games so that they can observe and control the way of their children playing or spending something on the games.
Even though I have no need to buy any charged applications today, perhaps, I may have to buy them tomorrow. So, when the time comes, I will think carefully before clicking on purchased bottom.
__________
Reference
Google faces legal action over in-app purchases (2014, March
11). BBC News technology. Retrieved March 12, 2014 from http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26528512
I never buy them, and I also think that children may be confused. My solution is that parents shouldn't let kids play game in mobile phone and shouldn't buy those devices for kids.
ReplyDeleteI download many games from app store but they're all free. And I see in-app purchases but I never buy them. For me, in this situation, parents are wrong. As In said, they shouldn't let their children play games that not free, including online games that usually have in-app purchase. I mean if parents don't let their children buy games for the first time, the children won't purchase anything in future(at least they don't know credit card number or password, so they can't buy)
ReplyDeleteAlthough like In (Pabhavi, March 13, 2014 at 3:17 PM), I never buy, or even play, games on any of my computing devices, I tend to agree with Kloy, that games are popular and not necessarily a bad thing (Suwapit Dokthien, March 13, 2014 at 5:22 PM). It is the parent's responsibility whether a child's device has access to a credit card to make payments with.
ReplyDeleteI do pay for a few apps, and my smartphone and tablet can authorize payments from one of my cards, however, when I set up games on devices for the children of friends, I never enter any payment details - I like to see them have fun, especially the 6 year old, but he is perfectly happy playing free versions of games, and as Kloy might also think, I would not trust a six-year old. I don't think he would deliberately be naughty, but if it was possible, I can easily imagine him accidentally running up charges. If it's impossible, there is no worry.
If for some reason I did want to download a non-free app, I would enable payments, and then disable them again afterwards. I agree with Kloy that parents are responsible for what happens on devices that they, the parents, have set up for a child. And if the parents set it up to allow purchases, they are responsible for them, unless the app tricks users into making purchases, but I think that is unlikely - such apps would quickly be banned from iTunes, Playstore and the like.
Or am I wrong? As I say, I never play games, not even the ones that come pre-loaded on my computers and devices. I pay for things like the OALD app, subscriptions to The New York Times and other things that probably don't much appeal to your average younger gamer.
While I'm confessing my oddness, I never watch TV, either, but I do like a big screen for watching DVDs and things I download. And my guests do like using the TV to actually watch TV.
I didn't buy these mobile games, too. Mostly I play games on my computer, which I think buying them from the internet is cheaper than buying from shop. And the one reason I like to play computer games is because it has no other charges, and I prefer to play games on the big screen rather than the small one.
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, I have no problems with additional charges from the computer games' providers.
I agree that there should be some steps that require re-enter password. As I haven't played such games, I think it would be better if game providers give us a brief details of terms and conditions before we buy it as well. The article from the Guardian states that there is only 7% who read terms and conditions when they buy something online. These terms and conditions, in my opinion, is often too long which program providers want to "close their legal gaps" rather than encourage us to read and understand it carefully.
Smithers, R. (2011, May 11). Terms and conditions: not reading the small print can mean big problems. The Guardian. Retrieve March 14, 2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/may/11/terms-conditions-small-print-big-problems
I'm one of those people who almost never read the terms and conditions agreements I agree to. Just this morning I signed up for PayPal to receive payment for a domain name I'm selling, and I didn't even open the terms and conditions I agreed to.
DeleteIn Australia, this is not a big risk since any grossly unfair term or condition would not be upheld by Australian courts applying the law.
And I'm sure that PayPal doesn't have anything nasty or surprising in its service agreement- it wouldn't risk it's reputation by doing that.
Actually I am the one who in the 93% population too lol. But it seems to me that we can't sure that which providers is trustworthy or not, so I think it may be better if providers give us a brief summary of terms and conditions for us to understand them easily.
DeleteI completely agree with you guys. Honestly I'm not the kind of people who read the terms and conditions carefully. Regarding Book, It's an excellent idea if providers give us an understandable summary of conditions, I totally agree with you.
DeleteNormally I play free app. I know that sometime I want to use real money to buy some extra in game. Sadly, I do not have a credit card. But I use real money in some computer online game, big amount for this game. However, when the time pass and I feel like I bored that game, I stop playing it maybe for one year. Then, last month, as I have finished school, I want to play that online game again, unfortunately, I already forgot passwords, also an ID which use with that. I feel like 'Oh my God! my money just gone in one blink!' Could you imagine that you spend 500-1000 almost every weeks, for maybe one years, and all of that just gone because of your bad memory. That cause me changing my mind and won't using real money for online game or apps. anymore. The free one is good, you can delete it any time you want to, also install it any time you want it again, with no cost!
ReplyDeleteI think it is about children ages. Like when I was 12-16, playing card game, Yu-gi cards. Well, in my school, most of my friends play real cards, for that I won't lose my face, I have to buy real one too! And every one want best cards for their deck right? (one deck can have 40-60 cards) The real card not sold in deck like the fake one that cost 25-50 bath, it sold per card! some can be 450-1,000 bath for just one piece of card! The highest cost that I have ever seen sold at 1,500 bath. Imagin that you have to buy card in that rages prices for 40-60 cards, someone have more than one desk, how much money the children spend for that! This experience plus with the onilne game that I tell before, becuase of them, I have not buy any toys, game anymore. I think that If I have not wasted money like that, I could have bought brandname bags, jeans, wears, or anything that reasonable!
To resolve these poblem, I think parents must teach their child how to use money, not blaming them or saying "No! You can't buy that, those, this, theseeee!" Because If parents do like that to children, they will scare, but still wasting money for what they want which never tell their parents anymore. So this will cause bad habit for young, and make big problem when they are teenager. Children want toys, which not much cost. In contrast, teenager want bigger than toys, they might want brandname to beat their friends, want some love with girls or boys they like. They will wasted money for that, and If they can not afford, they won't ask or tell their parents, they will find the ways to get money, asking their friends or do something like sell themselves or drugs for money. This is the reason why there are many crime nowadays!
So, teach them as their ages, not as what you have met before. It might cause big problem if children think different ways. However, how could we solve these problem? as today it is fashion to use things like those. Like games, everyone want to beat their friends right? How could they stop wasting money with genious developer's apps.!?
I think this problem won't be happened if they play in limited. I'm the one who love to play online game like get. That was only one times and last time for me, I paid around 500 bath for that game that still make me feel such a pity when I think it again. Because of my friend show me that she but special event item that have to pay by cash and it make me jealous her so much. So I asked my mom for it, she gave a money for me and didn't said anything to me. I used that money for buy it and it made me happy for a while. After that I asked my mom again for my pocket money but she didn't gave it to me. she told me that she already paid 500 bath for me already and that was my pocket money. She tough me about this lesson that I can play a game but I have to play in concentrated and know value of money. I still feel sad until this day.
ReplyDelete