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[ike_]

"He's just as sick as I am, [because] he never believed he was being charged for every transaction, or every time he went onto the game."

Sick microtransactions bro.

 

[jelly]

The kid should be held responsible but that does not mean the dad should have to pay this. There should be a policy to force limits of how much you can spend on these games, no reason why a 60 dollar game can net you a bill of 8000.

Spoiler

Now if the kid was 7, I would be more sympathetic for him.

Yeah, kid, dad, companies at fault but the governments really need to nail these game companies to the wall and sort them out. Kids, adults are basically getting groomed into gambling like ways.

That kid needs to pay his Dad back but over a long time of course.

 

[Silent Chief]

Would be more believable if the son was 7 instead of 17. He can pretend he didn't know that Xbox points are money but then why did he type the credit card number?

Microsoft, Xbox's parent company, declined CBC's request for an interview, but said in a statement that the Xbox comes with a setting that prevents minors from making purchases without their parents' permission.

I almost LOLed at work when I read that response.

Also there's a picture of the father flipping through his credit card statement.
It looks like a nice stack.

And of course, the article doesn't even mention who makes FIFA.
Why can you even buy that much FIFA garbage? That's all on top of the season pass?

 

[NoHeDidn't]

So i guess we're gonna get a new thread everytime this shit happens? The old "contact news outlets to complain in the hopes i get a refund cause im a lazy blind parent" schtick is getting old.

Obligatory no refund should be given they give you enough warnings and parental controls via OS to protect yourself from this crap.The same way parents get blamed for kids missing school this dad should pay for giving his teen a credit card with 8k to spend on "emergencies".

 

[stryke]

Lol no sympathy here

 

[Fusilli Craig]

As a Canadian I laughed and cried reading your comment.

I'm Canadian too.

And yeah, the son is feeding Dad a line. I don't envy parents who have no interest in educating themselves on the toys their kids are using. I don't sympathise either.

 

[Silent Chief]

There should be a policy to force limits of how much you can spend on these games, no reason why a 60 dollar game can net you a bill of 8000.

It's probably FIFA 15 on EA Access.

 

[Zombegoast]

How the fuck can you spend $8000 in Fifa?

 

[Syriel]

Unlike some of the other cases, this one seems far less likely to believe as a 17 year old would almost certainly know that they were spending money each time. Also, unless the father doesn't have access to his email, Microsoft sends transaction receipts immediately when you purchase something (unlike Apple who sometimes groups them together).

The father probably didn't see the emails, because it was't the dad's account.

He gave his kid a credit card with an $8,000+ limit and said "just use it for emergencies."

Would be more believable if the son was 7 instead of 17. He can pretend he didn't know that Xbox points are money but then why did he type the credit card number?



I almost LOLed at work when I read that response.

Also there's a picture of the father flipping through his credit card statement.
It looks like a nice stack.

And of course, the article doesn't even mention who makes FIFA.
Why can you even buy that much FIFA garbage? That's all on top of the season pass?

Which is true. If his son was using a child account, Dad could have set it up so that it couldn't make purchases on his own.

 

[ClayKavalier]

I don't play many sports games, what can you even buy in the game that adds up to that much? Doesn't seem like there would be much potential for boosts and stuff in a sports sim. Are there that many alternate uniforms, stadiums, and stuff like that?

And Jesus Christ, what in the hell was that kid thinking? I usually have sympathy when someone's 4 year old inadvertently spends a bunch of money in in-app purchases on a free phone game or something, but what kind of 17 year old charges that much to their parents' card for something so pointless?

Would be more believable if the son was 7 instead of 17. He can pretend he didn't know that Xbox points are money but then why did he type the credit card number?

That would have been a good excuse back in the day but space bucks aren't a thing anymore.

 

[TimeEffect]

There should be a notice sent to players when a bill hits x amount

 

[Lord Radik]

Just wanted to give huge props to Games Radar's Connor Sheridan for this headline:

"Canadian dad discovers $8,000 bill from his FIFA Ultimate Teen"

http://www.gamesradar.com/canadian-dad-fifa-8000-bill/

 

[Mikey Jr.]

How the fuck can you spend $8000 in Fifa?

I was reading about this online.

Apparently there are $100 packs you can buy.

So this "kid", at minimum, but 80 packs.

And he thought it was a one time fee, despite xbox clearly telling you that you are being charged x amount of dollars.

 

[Ponn]

I have a hard time calling a 17 year old a kid. I mean, at that point I don't even think its a discussion about parental controls. If you can't trust your 17 year old with a credit card not to charge $8000 worth of dlc for a FIFA game he is not prepared for the real world he is about to step into.

 

[BinaryBear07]

At least he has the sickest MUT team in the world......

 

[Chris Metal]

 

[Glitchesarecool]

Can we be done with these threads? Yes, it's a terrible problem with how game companies are being run these days, but the stories are becoming a dime a dozen and this one doesn't even have to do with the game, but with the son's shitty spending habit on an emergency credit card and trying to pass it off.

 

[Raonak]

17 years old? The kid is clearly bullshitting

 

[fernoca]

Usually I'm 50/50, but...17 years old. Months away of being 18. This was no kid pressing buttons or a touchscreen to proceed to play.

 

[Memorabilia]

The dad should do a charge back and threaten to sue in small claims if Microsoft won't work with him to reduce the final bill.

Kid is an idiot, but this kind of excessive DLC/micro-transaction stuff is predatory bullshit.

 

[Megatron]

I was 9 and knew the credit card on my Xbox Live account was connected to real money (this was back in the day when a card was required).

Hopefully MS stick to their guns and don't refund.

I don't understand this mindset at all. Yes, the dad and kid are at fault, but this kind of practice is predatory and wrong. How can a company sell $8,000 in digital content to a game they already charged$60 for? Yeah, the dad screwed up by trusting his 17 year old son, but this is excessive. Why actively root for the big corporations with the bullshit policies?

 

[NoHeDidn't]

You think that's bad, my mom is 59 and probably has spent more or equal to this kid playing those stupid slot games on iPad

Ouch man hope she has a fat bank account since these games offer no chance at return on investment like real slot machines.I mean gambling is a bad addiction but at the very least you really can win some of that money back.However with online games like Fifa etc there is literally nothing to gain but entertainment.

 

[Brinbe]

One time fee, my ass! He knew exactly what he was doing

 

[Symphonia]

I don't understand this mindset at all. Yes, the dad and kid are at fault, but this kind of practice is predatory and wrong. How can a company sell $8,000 in digital content to a game they already charged$60 for? Yeah, the dad screwed up by trusting his 17 year old son, but this is excessive. Why actively root for the big corporations with the bullshit policies?

Because they're not forcing you to spend extra money. You can buy the game for $60 and leave it that or, if you choose to, you can spend money on optional microtransactions. Not once did EA say the kid had to buy $8000 worth of content. The kid made that choice himself. There is nothing predatory about that at all.

 

[Syriel]

The dad should do a charge back and threaten to sue in small claims if Microsoft won't work with him to reduce the final bill.

Kid is an idiot, but this kind of excessive DLC/micro-transaction stuff is predatory bullshit.

A charge back would likely find against the dad unless he claimed his son stold the credit card and this was fraud.

And what would he sue MS for?

1) The kid was explicitly authorized to use the card.
2) The transactions (and the price) are clearly marked.
3) Every purchase via the Xbox One gives you a confirmation screen listing the price and asking you to confirm. You can't "accidentally" spend money.
4) MS was just the storefront. It didn't make the game or the DLC.

Not to mention, the Xbox account system allows parents to put limits on child accounts, including limits on purchases.

The failure here was not on Microsoft's side. It was on the part of the parent who gave his underage kid a credit card with a $8000+ limit.

 

[MODEYV3]

More parents need to educate themselves on the dangers of FIFA and credit cards.

Im not sure if this was a joke, but I'm laughing out loud. Haha.

I swear dad, I thought that it was an $7,625.88 one time fee to access all of this game.

Haha!

P.s.

Spoiler

Kid was lying

 

[NoHeDidn't]

I don't understand this mindset at all. Yes, the dad and kid are at fault, but this kind of practice is predatory and wrong. How can a company sell $8,000 in digital content to a game they already charged$60 for? Yeah, the dad screwed up by trusting his 17 year old son, but this is excessive. Why actively root for the big corporations with the bullshit policies?

Its simple really these companies already greased all the wheels and cogs they needed to in order to do this.Until there is a policy change it falls on the consumer or parents to monitor their spending especially when you give a teen a CC with 8k on it.

Stop confusing us supporting taking responsibility for supporting greedy companies like EA.

 

[proshaw713]

idiot 17 year old son
father in denial

 

[ike_]

Reminds me of the time I cost my parents a $350 phone bill when phone bills were usually $25/mo, back when the "internet" was just a long distance modem call away.

Kids and parents both suck. Confirmed.

 

[Radio]

This is why you should build your child a PC and teach them about Steam sales. They'll instantly become cheapskates and learn the true value of $2.49. Or they won't and they'll own all the games.

 

[DiscoJer]

This sort of thing takes advantage of people the same way gambling does. Yet gambling is highly regulated and this is not.

Despite much of it being aimed at kids.

Yeah, parents shouldn't be handing out their credit cards without some supervision. But still, some people just can't control themselves. If there are no limits, they will end up doing stuff like this because of their brain chemistry.

 

[Outtrigger888]

I have no credit cards attached to my consoles and my iPads are locked out of IAPs and password locked. My kids android tablets have no cards attached to them either. Really not that hard to stop this from happening.

 

[Memorabilia]

I don't understand this mindset at all. Yes, the dad and kid are at fault, but this kind of practice is predatory and wrong. How can a company sell $8,000 in digital content to a game they already charged$60 for? Yeah, the dad screwed up by trusting his 17 year old son, but this is excessive. Why actively root for the big corporations with the bullshit policies?

Agree 100%. Just remember, there's a defense force for *everything* on GAF. Predatory corporations who as a matter of intentional game design set this kind of crap up to feast on idiots need to be called to task. Something this dumb would never happen in my household, but plenty of Americans are out there who can easily be taken advantage of. I have a shark of an attorney on retainer who'd eat these guys alive for the fun of it, but how many families could afford that? The bottom line is corporations of all stripes have devolved to the point that predatory practices and/or deliberate fraud are part of their business plans. Welcome to America, circa 2016.

 

[travisbickle]

It's obviously addictive, how old do you have to be to legally waste $8K in a casino?

 

[Megatron]

Because they're not forcing you to spend extra money. You can buy the game for $60 and leave it that or, if you choose to, you can spend money on optional microtransactions. Not once did EA say the kid had to buy $8000 worth of content. The kid made that choice himself. There is nothing predatory about that at all.

Really? Not predatory? I can buy a car for $8,000. Please tell me, what tremendous value did they get for their $8,000? You get that it's possible to take advantage of people and still follow the law, right? There is nothing ea can possibly sell you in FIFA that is worth $8,000. Not even a lifetime subscription to every FIFA made for the rest of your life. Nothing is worth this money. These schemes are put together to take advantage of people with bad judgement.

 

[RPGamer92]

This is why you should build your child a PC and teach them about Steam sales. They'll instantly become cheapskates and learn the true value of $2.49. Or they won't and they'll own all the games.

Because PC games don't have microtransactions in them /sarcasm.

 

[Memorabilia]

A charge back would likely find against the dad unless he claimed his son stold the credit card and this was fraud.

And what would he sue MS for?

1) The kid was explicitly authorized to use the card.
2) The transactions (and the price) are clearly marked.
3) Every purchase via the Xbox One gives you a confirmation screen listing the price and asking you to confirm. You can't "accidentally" spend money.
4) MS was just the storefront. It didn't make the game or the DLC.

Not to mention, the Xbox account system allows parents to put limits on child accounts, including limits on purchases.

The failure here was not on Microsoft's side. It was on the part of the parent who gave his underage kid a credit card with a $8000+ limit.

I guarantee it's not as cut and dry as you're making it out to be. The mere threat of a lawsuit would likely result in a favorable settlement. Going to the press was the right first step to take. Regardless of how dumb this kid is, this kind of game design is predatory and wrong.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

It's obviously addictive, how old do you have to be to legally waste $8K in a casino?

19. So a little over a year for his son.

 

[proshaw713]

dont you get email notification when you purchase stuff on XBL.

bought like 40 req packs, had a huge email list after

 

[MODEYV3]

I don't understand this mindset at all. Yes, the dad and kid are at fault, but this kind of practice is predatory and wrong. How can a company sell $8,000 in digital content to a game they already charged$60 for? Yeah, the dad screwed up by trusting his 17 year old son, but this is excessive. Why actively root for the big corporations with the bullshit policies?

Youtubers spend over that amount on FIFA all the time, therefore that would be a stupid business decision as a whole. Its cheaper hiring a lawyer than refunding the 8k.

 

[Ponn]

I don't understand this mindset at all. Yes, the dad and kid are at fault, but this kind of practice is predatory and wrong. How can a company sell $8,000 in digital content to a game they already charged$60 for? Yeah, the dad screwed up by trusting his 17 year old son, but this is excessive. Why actively root for the big corporations with the bullshit policies?

I wouldn't say 'rooting" for big corporations but many, many gamers don't understand that game companies really are fighting to keeping prices reasonable for games in the face of inflation. I begrudingly accept dlc knowing its why we still have $60 games. All those games on mobile are free for a reason even if half of the users don't really get why they are free. All these things are being subsidized because of these things people hate. It's hard to say what the gaming landscape would look like without these things, what companies wouldn't be around, how much more games would be and what would and wouldn't get made. It has far more reaching reprecussions then just "rabble rabble ethics" that should be thought about. And keep in mind these are still goods people are buying, their just digital so people will see their value differently than others. In the end its about self control, precautions and in this case trust. Things all people should be practicing anyways.

 

[TheSpoiler]

Well, pretty much any time someone tries to sell you something, it's "predatory". The entire point is to entice you towards purchasing their thing. What do people think advertising is? Or sales in general? Promotions?

Consumers forget their power. They forget how, without them, these businesses have and can do absolutely nothing.

 

[DAREALGUMMY]

Um... Why doesn't he set up spending limits or alerts of unusual purchase activities on his cards?

This isn't the game's fault. It's the dad and his lying kid.

The fact that FIFA can somehow accumulate this amount in game is fucking atrocious.

Dad is still a moron.

 

[Radio]

Because PC games don't have microtransactions in them /sarcasm.

It was a joke about Steam sales making people cheap, not about PC games not having microtransactions. /explainingmystupidjoke

 

[Memorabilia]

I wouldn't say 'rooting" for big corporations but many, many games don't understand that game companies really are fighting to keeping prices reasonable for games in the face of inflation. I begrudingly accept dlc knowing its why we still have $60 games. All those games on mobile are free for a reason even if half of the users don't really get why they are free. All these things are being subsidized because of these things people hate. It's hard to say what the gaming landscape would look like without these things, what companies wouldn't be around, how much more games would be and what would and wouldn't get made. It has far more reaching reprecussions then just "rabble rabble ethics" that should be thought about. And keep in mind these are still goods people are buying, their just digital so people will see their value differently than others. In the end its about self control, precautions and in this case trust. Things all people should be practicing anyways.

I don't disagree with the notion of self-control. I'm big on personal responsibility. So, in these types of cases I'd favor a moderate settlement. But there's a difference between "reasonable DLC" and this kind of bullshit. The mere fact that its even possible to spend $8000 on FIFA "digital goods" is deliberately predatory.

 

[family_guy]

Should have just played Rocket League.

 

[kamineko]

What does 8k get you in FIFA, anyway?

That's a lot of sex and cocaine

 

[Symphonia]

Really? Not predatory? I can buy a car for $8,000. Please tell me, what tremendous value did they get for their $8,000? You get that it's possible to take advantage of people and still follow the law, right? There is nothing ea can possibly sell you in FIFA that is worth $8,000. Not even a lifetime subscription to every FIFA made for the rest of your life. Nothing is worth this money. These schemes are put together to take advantage of people with bad judgement.

Because, realistically, they don't expect someone to spend $8000 on content for Ultimate Team. If some dumb kid and his idiotic father are too stupid to spend that much, thats their fault, not EAs. Again, they are not forcing you to buy anything, they are offering extras. Much like your car you just bought, the dealership will offer you extras for a fee, but will not force you to buy them. If you want in car sat nav, buy it. If a kid wants a specific player, let him. If the same kid is stupid enough to buy $7999 more content, then more the fool him. It's HIS fault for buying it, and HIS FATHERS fault for not teaching his son how to spend responsibly. Not EAs.

 

[themagicalkitsune]

The weekly "my kid charged my credit card with a billion dollars for some pay-to-play game" thread. Is looking after your credit cards that hard? Is monitoring your child's game activity even harder?

 

[Outtrigger888]

The sad thing is. That shit like this could potentially fuck up a family's life to the extent of them going bankrupt or being piss poor. There needs to be laws on this type of shit. If my kids spent 8000$ I'd be fucked and wouldn't recover for quite awhile.