Mom speaks out after 8-year-old son orders 70K Dum-Dums on Amazon
A Kentucky mom is speaking out after her 8-year-old son unknowingly ordered 30 boxes of Dum-Dums lollipops on Amazon -- racking up a $4,200 charge.
Holly LaFavers of Somerset told "Good Morning America" she was preparing for church last Sunday when for some reason she felt like checking her bank account.
"I had just gotten paid, and so when I looked at my bank account and it was in the red, I just immediately panicked," LaFavers said. "And then looked to see what was causing that, and I saw the $4,200 charge to Amazon. And so immediately looked over at Amazon [to] see what had happened."
She quickly discovered that her son Liam had placed an order on Amazon of over 70,000 Dum-Dums.
LaFavers explained that Liam is allowed to play on her phone as a reward. She said he often window-shops on Amazon, adding themed items -- like carnival supplies -- to the cart. But this was the first time he'd ever actually placed an order.
"He knows he's not allowed to push the [order] button," she said. "Never has this happened before. He just likes to shop on there, window shop, I guess."
After discovering the order, LaFavers said she immediately called Amazon. She was instructed to reject the delivery to initiate a refund. The family stayed home to intercept the package, but despite tracking the delivery in the app, the first 22 boxes showed up without notice.
"Liam went outside to ride his scooter and started screaming, 'My suckers are here,'" she said. "There were just 22 boxes of suckers on our front porch."
Two hours later, the remaining eight boxes arrived, which LaFavers said she was able to reject by waiting outside.
Eventually, Amazon agreed to refund the full amount of Liam's order. The company confirmed the refund to ABC News Tuesday, saying in a statement, "We're glad we were able to work directly with this customer to turn a sticky situation into something sweet."
Prior to the refund, LaFavers shared her story on Facebook and offered the unopened boxes of Dum-Dums for sale. Thanks to friends, family and strangers in her hometown of Somerset, Kentucky, within two hours, she said, every box was accounted for -- purchased by local banks, doctor's offices, and even a chiropractor.
"My friends and family in Somerset truly stepped up… and they were able to help," LaFavers said. "They understood that it wasn't anything malicious, and that I was an honest person. That's amazing."
Liam, a second-grader, doesn't fully understand the concept of what happened, according to LaFavers.
"He knows that there were a lot of boxes delivered," she said. "He knows I've not let him open any of the boxes. He clearly saw me upset on Sunday…but he doesn't really understand that [by] buying all of that, the money came out of my account."
Liam lives with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a condition he was diagnosed with at age 4, according to LaFavers.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can cause lifelong physical, behavioral and cognitive challenges due to prenatal alcohol exposure. Children with FASD may struggle with impulse control, emotional regulation, and understanding cause and effect.
Liam came into LaFavers' life when he was 4 months old and was officially adopted by her when he was 2 and 1/2.
She said educating others about FASD and raising awareness of the condition is one reason she's sharing her story, explaining, "These kids go undiagnosed because it's not as well known."
Reflecting on the experience of Liam's unexpected Amazon order, LaFavers has one message for fellow parents.
"Don't panic. And I panicked, I can say now that I'm on the other side of it, don't panic," she said. "Everything will eventually work out. Just have faith that everything will be OK, because it will be fine, and make sure you lock your phone."
