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

  • 14-07-2012 10:56AM
    #1
    cloud493
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,835 ✭✭✭✭


    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.


«1

Comments

  • #2
    Riamfada
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,246 ✭✭✭✭Riamfada


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


  • #3
    PCPhoto
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,584 ✭✭✭PCPhoto


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


  • #4
    Canis Lupus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,880 ✭✭✭Canis Lupus


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


  • #5
    Festy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,425 ✭✭✭Festy


    I blame the parents.


  • #6
    shrewdness
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,709 ✭✭✭shrewdness


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


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  • #7
    Washington Irving
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,066 ✭✭✭Washington Irving


    Their description of the games is hilarious


  • #8
    monkeypants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,386 ✭✭✭monkeypants


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


  • #9
    dxhound2005
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,191 ✭✭✭✭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


  • #10
    mocata
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 365 ✭✭mocata


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


  • #11
    Aint Eazy Being Cheezy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,634 ✭✭✭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:


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  • #12
    Mycroft H
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,306 ✭✭✭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.


  • #13
    98q76e12hrflnk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,203 ✭✭✭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+.


  • #14
    cloud493
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,835 ✭✭✭✭cloud493


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


  • #15
    98q76e12hrflnk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,203 ✭✭✭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!!!!:confused::eek: you for real?


  • #16
    yomtea98
    Closed Accounts Posts: 941 ✭✭✭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


  • #17
    FlapsOfDoom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 178 ✭✭FlapsOfDoom


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


  • #18
    yomtea98
    Closed Accounts Posts: 941 ✭✭✭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


  • #19
    Herb Powell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,097 ✭✭✭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


  • #20
    Anita Blow
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭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.


  • #21
    krudler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭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.


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  • #22
    lightspeed
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,298 ✭✭✭lightspeed


    Will somebody please think of the children


  • #23
    Kells...
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,721 ✭✭✭Kells...


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


  • #24
    admiralofthefleet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,515 ✭✭✭✭admiralofthefleet


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


  • #25
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,579 Mod ✭✭✭✭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.


  • #26
    cloud493
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,835 ✭✭✭✭cloud493


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


  • #27
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭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


  • #28
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 25,909 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    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.


  • #29
    Logical Fallacy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,933 ✭✭✭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.


  • #30
    Immaculate Pasta
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,663 ✭✭✭Immaculate Pasta


    But.

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

    No question about that. :cool:


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  • #31
    Augmerson
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,162 ✭✭✭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.


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