iTunes refund after Bristol boy's £1,700 spending spree

The family of a five-year-old boy who spent £1,700 of his parents' cash on iTunes has received a full refund.

Danny Kitchen, from Bristol, was using the family's iPad when father Greg put in a pass code, believing his son was downloading a free game.

The next day the Kitchens received emails which itemised successive £69.99 purchases, but they were believed to be sent in error and dismissed.

Sharon Kitchen said Apple had been "fantastic" in helping with the refund.

The Kitchens were alerted to the situation after receiving a phone call from their credit card company to query last weekend's transactions.

Danny said he had learned "not to do it again".

Mrs Kitchen said "He was very upset when he realised what he had done.

"His brothers and sisters were telling him off, but of course he didn't know what he did - he's only five.

"To be honest, I'm not sure how he did it."

She added that he had asked for the pass code for a free download and then continued to play with the device for a further 15 minutes.

Martyn Landi, a writer with Apps magazine, said: "We are hearing stories like this all the time, so credit to Apple for paying the money back.

"But it is a risky strategy for parents to simply think they can claim the money back if all goes wrong.

"A few seconds spent checking these things can save a lot of money and stress in the long run."