Smurfed.

(I hope that the title of this post doesn't have any innapropriate connotation. A quick search of the word didn't come up with anything)

Imagine my surprise this morning when I got an email with an iTunes reciept for $119.10. Honestly, I bristle when I get an iTunes reciept for .99, so this floored me. Especially when I saw what it was for:

*The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss, v1.08, Seller: Oceanhouse Media, Inc. (4+)
Write a Review Report a Problem $3.99
*2 Toki Tori HD, v1.0, Seller: Chillingo Ltd (4+)
Write a Review Report a Problem $4.99
*Smurfs' Village, WAGON OF SMURFBERRIES, Seller: Capcom Interactive, Inc.
Report a Problem $99.99 !!!! (despite contrary belief, sometimes more than one exclamation point is neccessary. this is one of those times. )

Report a Problem? Yeah, I should say so.

Miles likes to play on the iPad Ben generously gifted me for Christmas. The iPad that took me 3 days to open because although I really did want one, I didn't want such an expensive gift. After my grandma essentially told me to stop being so cheap and to open the darn thing, I did. And I like it. But Miles likes it more. So of course we know what happened. While the iPad was babysitting Miles, he downloaded to his hearts content. Only, anytime I try to do ANYTHING with iTunes I have to enter in my password, almost to my annoyance, but I was happy for the protection from potentially expensive mistakes. So I'm not sure exactly what happened, only when I was recounting the story at the office this morning, someone told me they just read a similar story a few days ago. And she forwarded it to me: http://consumerist.com/2011/02/8-year-old-girl-racks-up-1400-bill-playing-smurfs-village-ipad-game.html. I haven't had a chance to read the article yet, and don't have time to be blogging about this really but while I wait 24 hours to hear back from Apple it serves as a therapy of sorts, and hopefully a warning to others.

So although I'm pretty certain that a four-year old doesn't legally have the capacity to enter into that kind of purchase agreement and I trust that my request to kindly remove the charges will be sufficient, I am a bit concerned. Concerned that a kids game charges real, significant money (a few more purchases and Miles could buy his own iPad) during the course of play. Concerned that you can buy your way to advancment with the click of a button (so much for achievement based on skill development and hard work). And mostly I am concerned that there is a market for this and that people (and by people I mean adults) would even spend a nickel on a wagon of smurfberries ($99), a bucket of snowflakes($19) or this other virtual nonsense.

I guess I probably got Gargameled, really. All of this has driven me to break into my box of Valentine chocolates early (thanks dad), and subsequently spend even more time finding a "mouse"-free hiding spot for what's left.