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Amazon Offers Refunds For Unauthorized App Purchases By Your Children

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Your next delivery from Amazon might not come in a brown box, but instead in the form of a refund check. The online retailer has begun offering money back to customers whose kids cost them some unexpected dough.

Amazon is now handing out refunds for in-app purchases children made without a parent's permission.

The "free" apps from Amazon's store and used on devices like the Fire tablet allowed under-18s to buy things like mobile game upgrades or virtual currency without a password.

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It would end up on mom or dad's bill.

A federal court found Amazon liable. The Federal Trade Commission says more than $70 million in unauthorized charges from November 2011 through May of last year may be eligible.

Amazon should email you if you're affected. Check the retailer's refund site.

Apple and Google earlier settled similar claims totaling tens of millions of dollars.

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