Unfortunately, that is "fake news". Some of the games, mainly casino-type games, will give you a bank of credits or coins to play. You can play indefinitely if your luck holds out. If it does not, the developer encourages you to go online and purchase additional coins or credits. This is just e-commerce and is what makes the Internet possible. It is the method by which the original game developer can recover development costs. Our company would never see any of this revenue. We choose the games on the Senior Gamer for their overall benefits and whether or not they create a fun-learning experience - not for purposes of additional revenue. So, while you are free to buy more coins, we give you a "Reset" button on the tablet to allow you to restore the original credits and continue playing - without ever going online.

We do not ever charge a customer to play our games. Never have. Never will.

Yes.  If you already have an email address, there are apps installed which will quickly and easily get your email account set up on the tablet. Once configured, you can simply sign in using your current address and password. All of your emails will sync up (download to your tablet) whenever you turn on the power.  

If you do not have an email address, you can quickly set up an account with Google, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.   However, we suggest setting up a Google account so that you can immediately access all of the Google features - (such as email, photos, calendars, social networking, movies, books, etc.), as well as access to more of your favorite apps from the Play Store.

There are two ways in which app developers can recover development costs and make a profit: Selling advertising or charging a fee to remove the advertising from the app. Some developers make two versions of their applications, one with ads and one without - which requires a payment to remove the ads. (We use prepaid apps where we can for this type of app, especially if we love the program but the ads are obtrusive.) Other developers only make one version - with ads - this is the most common. With these apps, some have embedded ads which generally appear as a banner at the bottom of the screen, and while they can be slightly annoying, if Wi-Fi is not available then nothing much can happen if the user selects it. Other types of apps spawn an Internet ad. So, if Wi-Fi is not connected you never even see the ad.

We recommended training the user to not select any ads or to simply hit the back button if they do. By keeping the tablet in Airplane Mode, (the way it is shipped), the system will not try to access Wi-Fi even if directed to do so by the app.

Of course, if you don't want the user to get on the Internet, do not enable your Wi-Fi router. In other words, leave the router password out of the Settings for Wi-Fi. However, as extra protection, we also password protect and hide Wi-Fi access and Internet programs in two of our optional setup configurations from which you can choose when you get the tablet. If a small ad appears in an app, it is because we can't remove it. They generally don't pop up, just a small banner ad at the bottom of the screen.

In any case, we are sensitive to the fact that ads can be annoying. However, we are a service bureau with respect to the apps and not a developer of these programs, yet we have done everything we can to make it a good experience for the user. Since it is designed as a fun cognitive enhancement tool, learning to get around their tablet and all of their favorite games while avoiding a few obstacles can actually be a satisfying achievement for most seniors.

Yes.  We install software for protection against viruses, spybots, malware, and spam.  However, even without this extra security, your tablet is resistant to these threats by nature of the Android operating system which is based on Linux.  This operating environment was designed to be very virus-resistant.

Of course.  It is important that she knows to expect the package so that it can be delivered. Someone needs to sign for the delivery to keep it from sitting on the front porch.

IMPORTANT: You will need to judge the abilities of the person you are sending it to. Even with all of the training tools, guides and tutorials, a person with little or no computer experience, or with serious disabilities, might be overwhelmed unless there is a computer-experienced user available to get them started.

We have done everything we can think of to make it really easy to get up and running.  To begin with, there is a "How to Get Started" pamphlet, plus an illustrated User Guide, both on the tablet itself as well as a large-print version available online. In addition, we have Tutorial Videos on the tablet for all of the needed basic usage features that you will want to know.  The tablet is shipped with Wi-Fi disabled, but if you want the user to be able to access the Internet, and have Wi-Fi installed at your home, the tablet will connect to the internet as soon as Wi-Fi is activated.  (You will have to enter your router password the first time.)  We fully-charge the battery before we ship so it should have plenty of juice to get started right out of the box. An AC/DC charger is included to recharge the battery when needed. 

We see many successful installations of the Senior Gamer for the elderly if:

1) The senior really 'wants' to use it.
2) There is a 'tech buddy' there at the beginning to set it up and tutor them in the future.
3) Optionally, they may start with the Single Desktop screen setup with just one of their favorite games on it.

Our senior tablets are recommended for seniors with some computer experience and/or with local assistance available from a computer-experienced person in order to help them get started - activate their Wi-Fi, go through the User Guide with them, etc. An individual with serious learning or physical disabilities may benefit from having a caregiver always operate the tablet for them for purposes of viewing or listening to programming, such as movies, YouTube, audio books, etc. The worst possible scenario is when an elder senior is sent a tablet as a 'gift' from someone a thousand miles away with no one to help them. It goes into the closet immediately and the senior feels inadequate.

It is important to be sure that this is the right fit for the user as there is a considerable return fee due to the amount of labor involved in the customization process.

Yes. Pretty much the same as with any tablet. It depends on whether there is an app available for your printer and if the printer is installed on the network. Regardless, one easy way is to copy the file to a USB flash drive and then plug it in to your computer. Or, even easier, you can always email an attachment to yourself and then open the email on the other computer and print the attachment. Or you can send a file to "the cloud" and have it sent to your computer.  

However, if you don't have another computer or are in the market for new printer, there are Wi-Fi printers that don't need to be attached to a computer or that just plug right into the network. If you get one that is Google 'Cloud Print' compatible, you can print to your printer from anywhere that you can get a Wi-Fi connection. We pre-install the Cloud Print app on the tablet before we ship. Lots of ways to skin this cat.  

Yes. All touch screens are made of glass and glass breaks. We install screen protectors against scratches, fingerprints and shattering, but an elbow or knee in the center of the screen, or a child beating on it with a fire truck, can be a big problem. For that reason, don't leave on the floor when you have crawling children. And, don't leave it on the bed where you might accidentally put your elbow through it. Dropping the tablet is not as big an issue unless it hits just right on a hard surface. If going out with it, keep your tablet in a case that covers the screen.

We get very few requests to replace screens, but if something stupid happens, then let us know. We always have replacement screens in stock that we can install for you - pretty much at our cost. And, unless you live in a high risk environment, buying insurance for this purpose is probably a waste of money.

We tried phone support 8 years ago and it was a failure. Novice users didn't have enough knowledge to explain the issues they were having. And, since people in general don't want to read instructions, many of the issues were of the "where is the power button?" variety.

What we offer is 12-month, 18-hour/day, almost instant, email support from our support desk. This has proven to be better for having users, or their helpers, detail a question for which we can send a step-by-step instruction list they can refer back to later. Has worked well for us and our customers.

We include a 90-page illustrated User Guide both online and on the tablet, a number of video tutorials and a Getting Started set of printed pages in large type and in 'American English'.

This is a learning device meant to help seniors retain mental sharpness while enjoying their favorite games. We do not drop ship to isolated seniors with no computer experience who do not have someone, (caregiver, family member, friend), who can act as a "tech buddy" to help them get started and who can contact us if there are technical issues not covered in the documentation.

Yes. You must request a Return Authorization within 30 days and return within 14 days of the authorization. There are return fees and shipping charges for any non-defective merchandise that is returned, which will be deducted from your refund. You must agree to these terms at the time of order.

As a note: Returns are tough on all of us. We split the actual cost of returns with our customers just to be fair. A returned tablet that has been used for an hour is still treated as "used" and has to be sold to a refurb distributor. Right now, used tablets are getting 89% of wholesale in the refurbished retail market. That is 11% less than we paid for the components alone. For the refurb company to make a profit, our price is further reduced by their margin. Any damage to the tablet that requires parts replacement is charged extra to us. The rest is all labor and license fees to install 100 programs, set up a custom tablet, include accessories, and absorb packing and shipping costs.

We charge these return fees in order to hold down our product prices - because many of our customers are on fixed incomes. By eliminating "Buy To Try" orders, our product return ratios are extremely low because we do our best to screen customers so they know what they are getting and alert them to the return fee both before the order, via our website references, and again when we send the return authorization. You can see the link to our Return Policy on our pricing page and also the policy itself and the acceptance of the terms at the links below:

https://intouchtablets.com/seniors/pricing-gamer.html
and
https://intouchtablets.com/seniors/return-policy-gamer.html
and
https://intouchtablets.com/seniors/terms-gamer.html

To avoid these fees, one should be sure that the product will be a good fit for the senior user. It has been made as easy-to-use as possible, but seniors limited by advanced age, and physical or mental disabilities may be hampered somewhat - especially without help. If they struggle with a phone, they may struggle with a tablet. Give it some thought.

Basically, your tablet is warranted to be free of manufacturing defects for a period of 12-months from purchase.  Software is not covered.  See the complete warranty description by clicking on the following link in this website: Warranty Coverage .