A Kentucky Mom's Sweet Dilemma: 80,000 Lollipops and a $4,000 Bill
A child from Kentucky exploits his mother's smartphone to place an order for 70,000 Dum-Dum lollipops, intending to distribute them among his pals.
Carnival Catastrophe – A Kentucky woman finds herself in a sticky situation when she is besieged by a mountain of lollipops and a hefty bill, all thanks to her young, well-meaning son.
In the quiet town of Lexington, Holly LaFavers has a sweet problem: an 8-year-old son named Liam with an insatiable fondness for Dum-Dums lollipops. During a moment of distraction, Liam took advantage of his mother's unattended phone to place an order for a staggering 70,000 Dum-Dums lollipops as prizes for his planned carnival.
Unaware of the impending deluge, LaFavers attempted to halt the shipment, but to no avail. Boxes filled with sweet treats began to pile up on her doorstep as Amazon had already delivered 22 cases to her home.
"He told me that he wanted to have a carnival, and he was ordering the Dum-Dums as prizes for his carnival," LaFavers reminisced. "Again, he was being friendly, he was being kind to his friends."
The fun turns sour when LaFavers checks her bank account and realizes she's been charged an eye-watering $4,000 for the order.
"When I saw what the number was, I just about fainted," LaFavers admitted.
The situation worsens when LaFavers notices that eight more cases from the order are missing. After a trip to the post office, these cases are finally returned to sender.
Despite the initial shock, LaFavers managed to navigate the refund process with the help of the bank and the media. According to her, "After a long day of working with the bank and talking to a few news stations Amazon called and they are refunding my money."
In light of the episode, LaFavers plans to tighten security on her phone and account to prevent any more unexpected lollipop deliveries.
Safeguarding Your Amazon AccountTo protect your wallet from unwanted purchases by your little ones, consider the following measures:
- Parental Controls on Amazon Devices: Enable parental controls on devices like the Amazon Fire Tablet, and use services such as Amazon FreeTime to restrict access and set limits on purchases.
- Password Protection: Ensure that all purchases require a password.
- Account Security: Use account settings like two-factor authentication (2FA) and regular monitoring to keep your account safe.
- Communication: Talk to your children about online safety and the importance of seeking permission before making purchases.
- Boundaries: Set clear rules and expectations for device use and online shopping to instill good online habits.
By applying these tips and combinations of parental controls and account settings, you can ensure your account remains secure from unauthorized purchases.
- Holly LaFavers is relieved as Amazon has agreed to refund the $4,000 she was charged for the unexpected 70,000 Dum-Dums lollipops.
- In an effort to prevent future lollipop disasters, LaFavers will be implementing strict measures such as password protection, account monitoring, and parental controls on her Amazon devices.
- Despite the ordeal, the carnival planned by Liam still went ahead, albeit with reduced prize quantities due to the missing eight cases of Dum-Dums.
- LaFavers has recognized that this was a valuable lesson about the importance of safeguarding her home-and-garden, deals-and-discounts, and shopping accounts from unwelcome intrusions, especially those from her young, well-meaning son.
- As a result of the incident, LaFavers has started a new lifestyle by becoming an advocate for educating other parents about the need for account security and online safety, especially when it comes to shopping and fun events like carnivals.
