Boy spends £4000 on Fifa...

[X-13]

Tasteful choice of accompanying picture in that article.

 

 

I didn't notice until you mentioned it...

[Guest Guest]

Yes. Yes we can. Until kids are earning themselves... have their own bank account... they can shut their mouths and accept pre-paid cards for chores. When they get their own money and own accounts... let them piddle away their own money. Thats the only way they learn. If its your own money.... its your responsibility to look after it and the account.

 

My point is you know how it works, most people don't until they get a big fat bill. I'm not saying the parent is blameless but I don't think it's unfair to say a lot of people don't understand this payment system.

 

Lets replace computer game with almost any other product. You go into a clothes shop with your kid and buy them some shoes on your card (equivalent of setting up the xbox with live gold by card). You walk out the shop taking your card with you. The next day your kid walks in, grabs himself that designer jacket, takes it to the till and the attendant says "Should we just stick that on the same card as what was used to buy your shoes?" Without any authorisation from the card holder payment is taken.

 

When the bill came through for your card would you challenge it or would you accept it? What if he had bought up half the store without anyone questioning it, would you challenge it then? I suspect you would.

[sted]

My point is you know how it works, most people don't until they get a big fat bill. I'm not saying the parent is blameless but I don't think it's unfair to say a lot of people don't understand this payment system.

 

Lets replace computer game with almost any other product. You go into a clothes shop with your kid and buy them some shoes on your card (equivalent of setting up the xbox with live gold by card). You walk out the shop taking your card with you. The next day your kid walks in, grabs himself that designer jacket, takes it to the till and the attendant says "Should we just stick that on the same card as what was used to buy your shoes?" Without any authorisation from the card holder payment is taken.

 

When the bill came through for your card would you challenge it or would you accept it? What if he had bought up half the store without anyone questioning it, would you challenge it then? I suspect you would.

 

but a shop is a 1 time only contract itunes/appstore/xbox live etc is a service contract with details kept on file for future transactions its not the same thing (and you do agree to this via the terms and conditions which i know nobody reads and maybe some of this needs to be in letters the size of a house separate) and you would think most people have seen the news stories recently and then go checkjust for piece of mind (i know if there was anyone in my place but me id probably lock my kindle/xbox down so you needed a password to buy stuff). At what point though do you have to stop hand holding people through life and let them make mistakes? do we ban cars because parents dont teach their kind the green cross code and they get knocked down? i dont get how this is any different really

[gshaw]

Ultimately the sensible solution would be for any account holders under 18 to only be able to use pre-paid cards, maybe 16 if you go for the youth debit card schemes. Publishers won't do it as they're actively preying on young \ naive gamers to increase their profit margins and they're raking in the £££ right now.

[tom_newton]

It is a bit disturbing that these kids are only a few short years from being able to go out and work, get a mortgage, their own credit card, etc., and seem to have no idea of the value of money. Surely every purchase must have a price tag attached?

[featured_spectre]

On the xbox it tells you a price in either MS Points or in Physical money (until the MS Points finally get taken out of circulation which I believe is the end of this month) so he could well have spent loads on MS points and not realised just how much he was spending (10 lots of 8000 points would be around £720)

[Arthur]

 

Teenager killed himself after £420 bill for Xbox games on mother's credit card « Neowin

Edited February 28, 2014 by Arthur

[localzuk]

Poor kid

[featured_spectre]

It can eat away at some kids, and unfortunately they dont realise how bad things can get.