So I blocked my credit card pointlessly today. Thanks to Apple iTunes.
This is what happened!
I purchased an app via iTunes for my daughter, on January 13th. The app was priced at Rs.110 and before I clicked the in-app checkout, I recall seeing the ‘buy this app at a special price now!!’ message in an excited font and color.
So, I went ahead and clicked it – bought the app.
I got a text message and email from my bank immediately (within seconds). The transaction was on Apple iTunes and was for Rs.60! Not Rs.110. I was a bit confused, but recalled the ‘special price’ message and assumed (wrongly) that it was *that* app purchase.
Today, I got a text message + email from my bank for a charge of Rs.110 on the same card, again, via Apple iTunes. The time mentioned was 11:37:45 on January 15th! I called home and checked if my daughter was using the iPad – wife confirmed they haven’t even touched the iPad today day, so far.
I panicked, like anyone who finds an unknown transaction communication from his/her credit card/bank. I called the bank and blocked the card immediately. I also asked for a new card, fully aware that it also means I’d get a card with a new number and I need to change the card details in those online merchant websites where I had used the card for auto-debit. It is a headache, but given this situation, it seemed like the right thing to do.
I also did another thing, after blocking the card. I tweeted about it.
And then I found from tweeple that the Rs.60 on January 13th was a verification check charge since I had changed the card details on that day (old card had expired).
I got this mail from Apple.
It refers to my changing the card details, but not the reversible charge of $1 (or INR60) that it mentions *only* in the support pages. I found out about this much after blocking the card. This does not seem to fall in the line of Apple’s legendary UX and I’m annoyed.
To be fair, I don’t expect my bank to tell me this. It is after all a transaction for them and they sent me the confirmation immediately enough. Where they did not inform me on time was the actual app purchase charge – I got it 2 days after the transaction (happened on a weekend, and there was a public holiday on Monday – is that the reason for the delay?). Or, did iTunes charge the card only today, given the time mentioned in the email from my bank right up to the last second?
I expect Apple to communicate this when the card change communication reaches me and not expect me to have known this since it is listed in their help pages. Why? Simple – unknown or mysterious credit card charges are serious issues for customers given all the credit card misuse threat. I won’t mind even if Apple sends me umpteen messages/text messages for this – it is being done for the safety of my card.
But, they did not inform me even once, while they could have easily added a simple note (linking the relevant help page) to at least let me know that this kind of a charge exists. In fact, I’d assume they could add it in every communication for every purchase, if they can’t discern a card charge from a app-purchase charge.
It is, technically, not a big issue – I will get a new card in a week and have to live with a blocked card for a week. I have other cards I can use. I’m just considering the plight of someone with one card.
Yes, my bank could have taken in a request to unblock the card and reinstate the old card – they refused to do, now. But I do understand that this could be a safety net for customers and see sense in enforcing this strongly.
And to think I’m not a regular Apple user and have only recently started buying stuff from iTunes enthusiastically. Shucks!