In-app purchases are very important source de income for companies producing games for iDevices because through them they offer bonuses for existing applications or games, bonuses that complete the application and that cost money, quite a lot of money sometimes. In the video clip above we have an example with the application Tap zoo that led a little girl to spend $420 through in-app purchases. The application offers different bonuses through this purchase system, most of the bonuses cost only $0.99, but some of them even cost $99.99. A 5-year-old girl does not make the difference between the 2 prices so easily, and a family from the USA found out how easily $420 can be spent on in-app purchases.
The pops that appear due to this purchasing system encourage children to spend money, money that they don't have and money that they don't really consider spending. Apple implemented a way to block these in-app purchases, but unfortunately the company did not do it well enough. To block in-app purchases you can set a code on your phone, only you know that code and theoretically no other person can make purchases without it? Sounds good doesn't it? Well not really.. Once you enter that code it remains valid until... I don't know until when but once entered anyone can make in-app purchases from applications because the security mechanism does not reset at a certain time interval.
Leaving aside the whole problem with purchases, let's talk a little about the prices applied by developers. Most of the bonuses cost $0.99, but there are some that cost $99.99, and a person who often makes such purchases could overlook this difference. If you're in a hurry to make a purchase, you won't notice so easily that it says $99.99 instead of $0.99. Before jumping on my neck, consider that there are people who do not pay much attention to details and such a detail is extremely important.
So, what do you think? Do we have a new fail from Apple? Should limitations be imposed on this pricing method?
