Kindergartener Accidentally Orders Pricey Toy Through Amazon's Alexa
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DALLAS (CBS11) - Amazon's voice-activated Echo Dot promises to make life a little easier for users. Alexa can provide weather updates, set alarms and help you shop.
For 6-year-old Brooke Neitzel, the device made dollhouse dreams a reality.
"Alexa ordered me a dollhouse and cookies," Brooke explained to CBS 11.
Her mom said her child's innocent interaction with the high tech gadget led to high dollar charges.
"I thought to myself, 'I did not order those,' and I asked my husband, and he said he did not order them," said Megan Neitzel.
"The next morning, I asked my daughter and she said, 'I was talking to "Alexa" about a dollhouse and cookies."
Just like that, a more than $160 KidKraft Sparkle Mansion dollhouse and four pounds of sugar cookies arrived at the Neitzel home.
According to Neitzel's Amazon app, which she now uses to monitor her kids' interactions with the gadget, Brooke asked Alexa, " Can you play dollhouse with me and get me a dollhouse?"
After Alexa confirmed the order, the app shows Brooke responded, "I love you so much!"
The Neitzels said they saw this as a teachable moment. They have now activated parental controls requiring a four-digit code for purchases, and have set clear rules for their kids.
Brooke and her older brothers are back to using Alexa as a source of information for life's most important questions like, 'Who is Santa Claus?' and 'What is a penguin?'
They also rely on her for some kid friendly knock-knock jokes.
While they have been digging into the cookie tin, the family will not be keeping the dollhouse. Instead, they will donate it charity.
"It's Christmas-time. Let's give it to someone who needs it. [Brooke] agreed and we are narrowing down the choices of who she would like to give it to," Neitzel said.
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