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FTC Files Suit Against Amazon For In-App Purchases

Posted by samzenpus on from the a-fool-his-kids-and-his-money dept.

Charliemopps writes The Federal Trade Commission has filed suit against Amazon for illegally billing parents for in-app purchases of digital goods prior to requiring a password for making purchases. "The FTC's complaint, filed Thursday, asks the court to force Amazon to refund the money to those customers. In-app purchases typically involve virtual goods bought within an app, like extra coins or energy in a game, according to the FTC. Some bills totaled hundreds of dollars, and some virtual goods cost as much as $99.99." We recently told you about Amazon's refusal to reach a settlement over these FTC complaints.

3 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Where is section 5? by sumdumass · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here is the complaint in PDF
    http://www.ftc.gov/system/file...

    It says section 5(a) but I'm having trouble locating section 5.
    http://www.law.cornell.edu/usc...

    Anyone got any ideas where I'm doing it wrong?

  2. Re:Failing to learn from history? by rmdingler · · Score: 4, Informative
    Indeed. They were persuaded to refund 32.5 million or so US Dollars by the ftc...arguably a small percentage of the take from the operation.

    They knew what they were doing, and they also know only a given percentage of those affected will ever seek damages.

    If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  3. Re:about time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    I really know nothing about how Amazon works internally, so perhaps you can enlighten me.

    how do they manage to do such great things with software?

    By ripping off Android for their mobile platform and then screwing developers who sign their awful agreement?

    How do they manage to operate such a huge warehousing and logistics operation?

    By allegedly exploiting and shorting their employees and having soulless fulfillment centers/neo-sweatshops?