A 5-year-old girl spent almost $4K purchase on Amazon, giving her mother sticker shock.
On March 27, Lila Varisco of Westport, Massachusetts, was riding in the car with her family when she asked her mom, Jessica Nunes, to use her cell phone. It wasn't an odd question as Lila likes to play games on the device.
"I went about my day thinking nothing of it until my phone buzzed at 2 a.m. the next morning alerting me to a shipped Amazon order," Nunes tells TODAY.com. Worried her account had been hacked, she checked Amazon and discovered her credit card had been charged a total of $3,922.
In the car, Lila ordered 10 children's dirt bikes (in assorted pink and blue colors) and a children's two-seat ride-on Jeep (a treat for herself and her 2-year-old brother), which totaled $3,179. The girl also purchased 10 pairs of white cowgirl boots in women's size 7 for $743.
"Ironically, that's my shoe size," says Nunes.
Lila bought the bikes from two different sellers, one of which immediately sent Nunes an email to confirm it was a valid order. While Nunes canceled that batch, the second seller had already shipped the remaining five bikes, which arrived that day. Nunes was able to cancel the boots order. However, the Jeep arrived on March 31.
Fortunately, all the companies have agreed to process returns.
Nunes speculates that Lila purchased the bikes after seeing the same model at the park the day prior.
"There was an older boy with a bike and Lila was devastated because she was too young to ride it," says Nunes. "I don't know how she found this exact item (on Amazon)."
Lila was "matter of fact" in her explanation. "She said, 'I just wanted it and I got it,'" says Nunes. The mom said Lila also placed an Amazon order without permission last Christmas, when a package of lip glosses showed up on their doorstep.
In a "teachable moment," the pair talked about the value of money and the concept of instant gratification. Lila enjoys treats, says Nunes, but she also earns privileges with good behavior and hard work. As an independent spirit, she says, "If there’s a will, there’s a way. And Lila found it."
Nunes is a business owner who uses Amazon frequently and doesn't always double-check her order history, although she will now.
"It's absolutely hilarious that she (placed an) order on such a grand scale," says Nunes.