12 year old 'unwittingly' runs up £1,150 bill on Xbox Live

cloud493

Daily Moan wrote:

Boy, 12, unwittingly ran up £1,150 bill on father's credit card by racking up 'Microsoft Points' while playing on his Xbox

By Kerry Mcqueeney

Nik Ghera thought he was using up game points to 'improve' his characters
However he was actually purchasing an 'online currency' which charged his dad's credit card
Dad Sam only realised when he tried to use his card and was told he had insufficient funds
The council worker is now warning other parents of the hidden costs of games console

A 12-year-old boy accidentally ran up a £1,500 bill while playing Xbox Live - leaving his cash-strapped dad with no choice but to pick up the tab. [Clearly in the space of the heading and this sentence being written, the poor bastard was robbed of a further 350 quid]

Sam Ghera's son Nik thought he was using up game points every time he 'improved' his characters while playing Call of Duty and Fifa.

However, with each click he was actually purchasing an online currency - which was draining money from his dad's account.

Now Sam, from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, wants to warn parents of the hidden costs lurking behind games consoles after he was left with a sky-high credit card bill.

http://www.xbox.com/security.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -bill.html

Note to the Daily Mail: Choose one spelling of Xbox and stick with it.

Riamfada

Daddy gives son credit card, massive bills everyone else's fault but his.

PCPhoto

how the Fe*ck .... is this council worker the ONLY person who doesn't get a monthly credit card bill ??

Canis Lupus

tut tut... letting his 12 year old son play an over 18s game.

Festy

I blame the parents.

shrewdness

Serves him right for giving his son the card details and then not monitoring it's usage.

Washington Irving

Their description of the games is hilarious

monkeypants

Agree with all of the above. Also, well done to the Fail for writing the story six months after events occurred.

dxhound2005

Two children 8 and 9 in Newry ran up a bill of £1500 in a month with Apple. Apple paid it back after the BBC got involved. Starts about 1:50 in this broadcast.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/b01kwkkm

mocata

Withdrawing cash on a credit card proves that he is a noob when it comes to handling his finances in general

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

PCPhoto wrote: »

how the Fe*ck .... is this council worker the ONLY person who doesn't get a monthly credit card bill ??

This. "between December and June" He never once glanced at his statement :mad:
Time for little nicky to get a summer job :pac:

Mycroft H

Guarantee the child knew what he was doing and because it was so long before it was noticed, he thought he could get away with it too.

98q76e12hrflnk

Well, to be fair m$ are sly when it comes to things like that. No passwords and not being able to remove cc without a bit of hassle. All so easy for people to judge. He didn't use the system so how was he to know. And above post about over 18 how many of you were below 18 and playing them so please stop being so hypocritical. If not 18 I bet you were 13 at a stage playing 16+.

cloud493

Not even sure how anyone spends that much on xbox live :eek:

98q76e12hrflnk

mocata wrote: »

Withdrawing cash on a credit card proves that he is a noob when it comes to handling his finances in general

WHAT!!!!:eek: you for real?

yomtea98

He knew what he was doing .He had to buy microsoft points with real money and would have been asked for example 200 mircosoft points for 10 pounds.Got caught out when his dad found out and blamed the game

FlapsOfDoom

What I want to know is, how do you add extra weapons in call of duty.

yomtea98

declan2693 wrote: »

Well, to be fair m$ are sly when it comes to things like that. No passwords and not being able to remove cc without a bit of hassle. All so easy for people to judge. He didn't use the system so how was he to know. And above post about over 18 how many of you were below 18 and playing them so please stop being so hypocritical. If not 18 I bet you were 13 at a stage playing 16+.

But his son used the system and and he knew what he was doing

Herb Powell

It's quite obvious, if you've ever used XBL, that you have to actually buy Microsoft Points, and they have nothing to do with "improving characters".

Unless he is seriously thick, he knew exactly what he was doing

Anita Blow

"Unwittingly" my hole.
You're asked multiple times to comfirm and it clearly shows how much the points cost. When you run out of points you're even asked if you want to purchase more.

krudler

Typical blameless culture, its not my own fault, its the evil games company, its not that I'm an idiot parent who let a child use my credit card, its that theres HIDDEN COSTS (there isnt, it tells you in real money how much MS points cost) stupid parent is stupid. none story.

lightspeed

Will somebody please think of the children

Kells...

Improve character's is the bit that get's me.

admiralofthefleet

bring back the good old days of the N64 and the Gamecube when you had to save up to get a game

Cabaal

PCPhoto wrote: »

how the Fe*ck .... is this council worker the ONLY person who doesn't get a monthly credit card bill ??

He likely was actually using a Debit card such as a Visa Debit I'd say, explains why he was unable to take out funds.

cloud493

Like, even If you bought every single call of duty map pack.... Mental.

PogMoThoin

It's not just Microsoft, companies today make it way too easy to rip ourselves off unknowingly, they do not do enough to prevent it, in fact encourage it. It's a growing trend.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/107033731246200681024/posts/hH788zwmM12

mocata

mocata wrote: »

Withdrawing cash on a credit card proves that he is a noob when it comes to handling his finances in general

Not really, tiny charge for doing it and can allow a couple of months extra with next to no interest. Not noticing unexplained charges for 6 months proves he's a noob at handling finances.

Logical Fallacy

FlapsOfDoom wrote: »

What I want to know is, how do you add extra weapons in call of duty.

I want to know why the guy was paying for things that unlock as you play.

The kids excuse is bull**** tbh.

Immaculate Pasta

But.

Looking good on a nerdy video game > £1,150 credit bill

No question about that. :cool:

Augmerson

The kid was spending 5.99 a month to play on Xbox Live? Is there not a subscription for a year? Yeah it'd cost more than 5.99 but it would all work out in the end. Anyway, I doubt the kid 'unwittingly' ran up the bill. At 12, playing with his friends on the net and possibly with ones at school, would have understood the mechanics of the game.

Father Damo

PCPhoto wrote: »

how the Fe*ck .... is this council worker the ONLY person who doesn't get a monthly credit card bill ??

With the amount of junk mails for special offers banks send these days I dont even bother opening my mail if I see its from the bank.

1ZRed

And I bet this little kid has also been bought call of duty? Seems like under 13 year olds is the majority of the players.

Sh1t parenting all round these days!:rolleyes:

Augmerson

Augmerson wrote: »

The kid was spending 5.99 a month to play on Xbox Live? Is there not a subscription for a year? Yeah it'd cost more than 5.99 but it would all work out in the end. Anyway, I doubt the kid 'unwittingly' ran up the bill. At 12, playing with his friends on the net and possibly with ones at school, would have understood the mechanics of the game.

5.99 is what it is going through XBL. Year-long subscriptions can be bought for less than £40 last time I checked.

Doff

Serves him right for letting the Xbox babysit his son, He should sell the kids Xbox and TV along with other stuff to raise money. Then he should spend more time with his son. Kid knew what he was doing. What extra guns can you buy in COD anyway?

IvySlayer

Augmerson wrote: »

The kid was spending 5.99 a month to play on Xbox Live? Is there not a subscription for a year? Yeah it'd cost more than 5.99 but it would all work out in the end. Anyway, I doubt the kid 'unwittingly' ran up the bill. At 12, playing with his friends on the net and possibly with ones at school, would have understood the mechanics of the game.

Kids, even at age 12 tend to be smarter than their parents with technology. I'd say he knew exactly what he was at.

kierank01

Doff wrote: »

What extra guns can you buy in COD anyway?

kid thinking on his feet i'd say

minidazzler

Saul-Goode9 wrote: »

Their description of the games is hilarious

Yeah, I wanna buy those weapons!!! How the fook do I get them?

Seriously, if this kid was buying avatar products, which it probably was, I'm gonna laugh my ass off.

I find it funny how the dad is blaming Xbox for the kid having a regular account set up rather than a minors account, which has all the things he suggests. Whose fault is that really?

£5.99 a month for Live? I pay €50 for the year, and that's a lot. Why do parents do the monthly sub for their kids?

I'm thinking the kid was trying to buy "hax" using MS points.

cloud493

cloud493 wrote: »

Nik Ghera thought he was using up game points to 'improve' his characters
However he was actually purchasing an 'online currency' which charged his dad's credit card

What dinosaur wrote this drivel? An 'online currency'...Wooooohhhhh!!!!

theteal

minidazzler wrote: »

£5.99 a month for Live? I pay €50 for the year, and that's a lot. Why do parents do the monthly sub for their kids?

:eek: damn right that's a lot, try ~€37 for 14 months

anyway, the kid knew what he was doing. expensive lazy parenting bill

cloud493

Good parenting from the dad :rolleyes:

Tombi!

Kids know what they're doing. Bad parent is bad.

Just to add, it's not Microsoft's fault at all. It's the parent's fault. You're letting a 12 year old kid play a game where it's about killing people and the kid can't even tell what a fooking credit card is used for and how to use it. I'd say it'a parental issue.

Oranage2

I blame the video game - They're proven to turn children violet and now they can add thieves to the list!!!

Bad Panda

Because of Nik, the lying little b0llocks, we have to endure more 'the evils of video games' nonsense!

Game face, Sam! FFS.

bonzodog2

Oranage2 wrote: »

I blame the video game - They're proven to turn children violet and now they can add thieves to the list!!!

If it washes off in the shower, no harm done eh?

cloud493

It is the dailymail :rolleyes:

meoklmrk91

Wouldn't be surprised if microsoft stepped in and offered to cover the bill as a good will sort of thing. Pretty much every young lad has an Xbox so can't be upsetting the parents. Seriously though the kid knew I exactly what he was doing, and I think it would be far better if microsoft didn't step in and taught people a lesson. I love how everytime something like this happens the parents come out and blame the company, maybe if they were are little more involved in their children's lives **** like this wouldn't happen, I know so many children who spend every waking moment in their rooms on their own, and have to be dragged out if th room for meals etc.

Micky Dolenz

Xbox is shite.

Dartz

Riamfada wrote: »

Daddy gives son credit card, massive bills everyone else's fault but his.

Not really. Parents need to sleep, after all. I 'borrowed' my parents card and they didn't figure it out until the bill came and they couldn't explain some of the charges.....

I lied. They assumed the card details had been stolen somehow.

Parent's just trying to get out of the bill for not paying attention. Kid should be arrested for theft/fraud.....

B.A._Baracus

How did that kid run up a £1,150 bill anyways!!! :eek:

He must of downloaded everything he saw. Sure most new Arcade titles are 1200 ms points (something like 14 euro) .. unless he was buying 'games on demand' from Live.... probably the case.


Stupid kid.
But then again, we're all guilty of doing stupid things when we were younger.

Orim

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

How did that kid run up a £1,150 bill anyways!!! :eek:

EA has a system where you can buy player packs for your fantasy team. It's a random system and you can spend as much as you want.