No way to complain, Nintendo Shame

[Kayela]

My 10-year-old son spent over £1500 between July 2020 and Dec 2020 on in-game purchases for Fortnite, with my card, without my knowledge.

I didn't notice it, as the card is for a savings account I use every year to save for Xmas (presents, food, treats). I don't look at the account, just put money into it. I know how stupid that sounds now, but it's worked fine for years. When I found out I was devastated and so was my son as he didn't understand the scale of what he'd done or the consequences on the rest of the family.

I contacted my bank who initially said they would be able to help, but after further investigation said they couldn't dispute the charges as it was a 'civil matter', because it was my son that had been using my card, it wasn't fraud.

I contacted Nintendo who confirmed that the quantity and pattern of spend on the account was very irregular and that they would refund the last 90 days. They refunded £500 really quickly (which was helpful during the Xmas period). However, that was 57 days, not 90 days.

I have continued to contact them to try to further the case. I cannot speak or email the same person twice. I cannot speak to a supervisor or manager. They have no complaints process! I am £1000 out of pocket with no way to even complain to a multi-billion dollar company!!

My son will not touch his Switch. He hasn't done so since the evening I found out. We are in a new 'lockdown' and that was the way he socialised with his friends. He has been affected terribly by this, as have I.

Does anyone know of a similar situation, or have any advice for me to further this. I feel strongly that I want to do something to protect others from going through this gut-wrenching situation. More importantly to stop children from being made to feel so awful, depressed, and guilty through Nintendo's utter exploitation and refusal to rectify the situation.

I contacted Nintendo who confirmed that the quantity and pattern of spend on the account was very irregular and that they would refund the last 90 days. They refunded £500 really quickly (which was helpful during the Xmas period). However, that was 57 days, not 90 days.

I’m guessing you lied and told them it was fraud, where their initial review led to them refunding the first set of payments. But then they delved deeper into the account data and discovered no fraud occurred, hence why they won’t refund the other payments and refuse to discuss it further with you. They probably think you scammed them.

You haven't been exploited you failed to set controls

This is a parenting issue. Please become ‘tech savvy’ so you can keep your child safe online.

I'd be selling his left kidney on eBay

@Crumpetsandhoney

In app purchases exploit children and lone them up to be exploited as adults. Being naive about tecn isn't a crime but there is a growing scandle of games letting children make huge purchases. I'd contact your mp as well. Current safeguarding by rich companies is pis poor and putts profits before people

If parental controls are set up correctly children cannot make in app purchases. This is on the parents, not Nintendo.

However, Don't you think that a multi-billion dollar company should at least have a complaints process??

But what will you complain about? That you're not tech savvy? This is your fault, not Nintendo.

Please can you stop blaming Nintendo for this exploitation! Aside from needing to take a huge responsibility yourself, it is Fortnite that is the potential exploiter of your child NOT Nintendo.

I have a Switch for my 7yo and agree with the PP, that is the most family friendly of the consoles. They have separate child/adult accounts, numerous parental settings in place, they even have a parent app where I could switch off access after a particular time/instantly if I wanted to. I don't need to use such heavy handed settings, but there are plenty of restrictions in place to stop things like this happening.

Fortnite is a god awful game, aside from the grooming to drive a child to want constant paid upgrades, it is completely inappropriate for a primary school child to be playing due to the nature of its killing theme. My Psychologist husband has done some research into the game, and only a child age 12/13 minimum has the maturity to handle the game. In our house our child will never have it.

I think you are incredibly lucky that Nintendo have given you anything TBH. I've only heard of one off activities being refunded, not several months of purchases that you've only just noticed. Ok, give one more try at getting the full 90 days of purchases back, but I just don't think it's worth the energy to keep on hounding Nintendo when they have been more than reasonable.

Moving forwards, I think you should draw a line under the situation, get the settings bullet proof and reinstate the Switch for your son. It's the perfect time to ban Fortnite but he should be able to play other suitable games with his friends. It's an important development skill for your son to be able to use technology like this properly, not be scared of it.

Are you expecting a refund of the last 90 days consecutively or the last 90 days with purchases? It could be that in 90 calander days he only spent on 57 of them so Nintendo are right? Just a thought.

Was thinking this too, TalesTheCat.

OP, any comment on this?

Yes, ritzbiscuits, I never understand parents allowing their young primary aged children to play computer games that are clearly labeled as suitable for 12+

Do they just not care about these ratings? The games have been given them for a reason.

Op what is it you wish to complain about? Nintendo is not responsible for this. You and your son are. Anything they do to help you is a good will gesture.

Also op. Your language that you’ve been exploited by them etc. Unless there is something missing here and your son has additional needs, then he knew exactly what he was doing. He might not have added it all up. But he knew full well he was spending your money.

It’s not Nintendo’s fault you didn’t set up controls nor do you monitor your bank accounts.

No one has exploited you or your son. Your son has knowingly spent the money and you were not paying enough attention to notice.

Lol at all the posters getting a kick out of giving the OP a telling off. It's pathetic. I think the OPs realised her mistake. She isn't the first and won't be the last to have this happen to her.
She posted to ask how she can contact Nintendo

@SetRisk

Lol at all the posters getting a kick out of giving the OP a telling off. It's pathetic. I think the OPs realised her mistake. She isn't the first and won't be the last to have this happen to her. She posted to ask how she can contact Nintendo

No, she posted expecting everyone to pile onto “evil Nintendo exploiting kids and fraudulently taking 1000s!!!” A 2 second internet search shows how to contact Nintendo - she just wanted to publicly “shame” them into giving her money she’s not entitled to.

If she has realised and accepted her mistakes, she wouldn’t still be chancing her arm for an unjustified refund on goods her son has actually used. That’s pathetic.

Well that's very odd as from my experience Nintendo ask for the CVC code every time, so how did your son know what that was but not realise what he was doing? Smells like bullshit to me.

Nintendo are aware of in app purchasing issues and have built in safeguards against it to the Switch. You, out of pure laziness have chosen not to look into what those are and are claiming not being tech savvy as an excuse. It's not, as a parent these days you have to be tech savvy because online platforms can get much darker than just over spending on them.

If I were you I'd be speaking to your other son who set it up as he's either set up your child's account to look as though he's over 18 or given him the card CVC. You can also ask him to show you the controls at the same time and how to unlink your card.

@SetRisk

Lol at all the posters getting a kick out of giving the OP a telling off. It's pathetic. I think the OPs realised her mistake. She isn't the first and won't be the last to have this happen to her. She posted to ask how she can contact Nintendo

She has already spoken to them she just wants people to agree they are in the wrong they arnt in the wrong she is!

Now if she was talking about xbox I would be totally with her they had 12 months of my money everytime I cancelled they renewed the continuing payment I closed my account to stop them in the end and never got my money back 😒

@SetRisk

Lol at all the posters getting a kick out of giving the OP a telling off. It's pathetic. I think the OPs realised her mistake. She isn't the first and won't be the last to have this happen to her. She posted to ask how she can contact Nintendo

She’s posted to say she feels “exploited” by them snd wishes to complain. Just reading it you’d know that.

This is solely down to you as parents. I have a responsible teenager but even I have the accounts set up so he has to have an email sent to me to ask for a top up on his account to buy things. You are very luck that you got any money back.

What have you done about your son stealing the card details from you ? If my son did that to me and spent £££ his console would be sold to pay for some of it.

How did the card details get onto the account in the first place. I think that's important to know, if your 10 year old actively took it from you somehow and entered the details you really have no claim on Nintendo, he knowingly stole from you.

If you entered once for a valid purchase and some lack of control in their system allowed in to keep on using them it's a different matter.

Had you this card linked to the account or did the person setting up the account link it? Did your 10 year old son input the card?

I am not a gamer but would imagine that your son used up the items in the game to advance faster and therefore they cannot be taken back.

In fairness to Nintendo do not have to refund you anything. If you are contactjng them keep it factual. How you and your son feel are irrelevant to them. That is down to your son, not them.

Your ten year must have some concept of money. If he doesn't, working on that should be a priority. Also console needs to be sold. Your son is upset because he feels guilty. He must have known either someone was paying for the items or that he was stealing them.

More importantly to stop children from being made to feel so awful, depressed, and guilty through Nintendo's utter exploitation and refusal to rectify the situation

Honestly? They should be feeling all that tbh.
I'd be worried if my 10yo didn't feel guilty for stealing 1000's from me!!

Thank you to those that have posted constructive messages for me to take advice from. That's been really useful.

To those many that have made the consensus of opinion that it's entirely my fault as I didn't set the parental controls correctly (as I let my 18-year-old do it for me). Also that my 10-year-old must be a delinquent and know what he was doing - I'm sure he did know he was doing wrong, but actually not the extent or consequences. Thanks, I think this perspective has been exhausted now. Well done to everyone that would have done things so much better. I accept my mistakes.

I am really surprised though that no one cares that according to Risk Monster, Nintendo is the richest company in Japan in 2020. Nintendo reportedly has a net worth of 890.4 billion yen, or approximately $8.3 billion USD as of this year. ... $7.7 billion USD). And yet they specifically state that they don't have a complaints process or any way to escalate an issue .... maybe that's why they are so rich?

It's clear this is my mistake, but as someone kindly said I'm not the first and I won't be the last. The clue is in the title .... there is no way to complain!!

Your DS absolutely should be feeling 'awful, depressed and guilty'. He spent £1,500 of money that didn't belong to him, on Fortnite. 11yr old DS has played for a couple of years, and also plays FIFA and other online games that have in app purchases. He wouldn't dare spend money online before asking me or DH for permission. You have nothing to complain about here, he made legitimate purchases, this is between you and your DS.

Well clearly you don't accept your mistakes as you still bizarrely think that Nintendo should refund you even more than the £500 they've already given you and want to complain.

This is 100% your responsibility, no one else's.

What does your 18 year old have to say about all of this?

@Clymene

Well clearly you don't accept your mistakes as you still bizarrely think that Nintendo should refund you even more than the £500 they've already given you and want to complain.

This is 100% your responsibility, no one else's.

Yep, this. Take some responsibility, OP. There’s nothing for you to complain about.