My son spent over £100 on Google Play!

[BooseysMom]

Hi,
Have posted this on the Gaming topic but no response.

I am a complete gaming technophobe so please be gentle! My son, who is 8, is a massive gamer and he loves Roblox so much it's become his raison d'etre. I allow him a few pounds every week out of his pocket money to buy Robux. My bank details are on Google Play. He is warned to not go over his limit and I have password protected it. However, he changed his pass-code on his phone to fingerprint ID. Imagine my shock when I found out he had spent over £100 in one month on Robux!! I went mental and got it out of him what had happened. He had been able to pay for Robux using his fingerprint ID, completely bypassing my password control. His punishment is to have no pocket money until Xmas! He knows it was wrong and has apologised.
My issue is how the fcuk can this have happened, that the fingerprint ID bypassed my password control? Do I have a case here against Google Play, or was it entirely my fault?
It's def a warning for parents out there! My bank details are now deleted off Google Play and won't be reinstated.

Sometimes I believe finger print takes over passcode.

Same as my iPhone and iPad I use Face ID rather than passcode.

However, on my iPad there is a setting to completely disable in app purchases and Face ID won't work it on it. You need the physical passcode I set up.

Unfortunately you have to much info and trust to an 8 year old

Not sure how your mistake should be google plays fault. Fingerprint ID is common and easily set up

Why does an 8 year old have his own phone?

Entirely your fault I’m afraid. Technophobe or not, giving a child access to a device with access to an account with access to payment details is a recipe for disaster. He knows it was wrong? Well that’s 8-year olds for you: no impulse control.

Set up Google family link families.google.com/familylink/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=families_google&utm_term=google_family_link&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqPGUBhDwARIsANNwjV5CLmZHpiZD5hstKaK9zGXNsCZc-Swvx2nVX4T5bYbWSJ4ErQ7CGMUaArpdEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mine can’t download any apps even free ones or make in app purchases without me approving it via my own Google account.

@Garman where does it say it was the 8 year olds own phone?

The fact that you allow your child access to money in online games is to blame here. I also think docking his pocket money until Christmas is hugely unreasonable. That's a long, long drawn out punishment that will prolong his feelings of shame and ultimately lead to resentment rather than contrition. At the core of it, this was a parenting failure rather than out-and-out bad behaviour.

It literally says he changed the pass code on HIS phone, read it.

In the OP
However, he changed his pass-code on his phone to fingerprint ID

Do I have a case here against Google Play, or was it entirely my fault?

No, and yes. What kind of case do you think you have against Google play, you left your details on there and gave your son access to them. That's entirely on you I'm afraid.
I think stopping his pocket money for six months is over-egging the pudding though.

I don't think an 8 year old has the impulse control to avoid spending money on a game when he has free access to the Google play account. The games are designed to lure you into spending money, they make it very easy, and kids don't have the ability to navigate that. They also don't really understand the value of money and how much £100 is, especially when its an abstract £1 here and there online.

Don't you get an email from Google play each time a purchase is made. I think I do...

Thanks for all your replies. Yeah hands up, he has his own phone and the Google account on there is mine. I set time limits and have gone through everything with him and he somehow put the fingerprint ID on there and I didn't know how to get it off. DH did it. So there is no bank account on there any more as I removed it. Lesson learned. We talked about taking the phone off him but is that a step too far?

@Garman @DockOTheBay ok apologies. I misread.
Even so @Garman it wasn't a helpful comment. The OP wanted tech advice not sarcastic parenting criticism.

Don't you get an email from Google play each time a purchase is made. I think I do...

I don't no. It was only when I checked my payments on my account. Just feel so stupid.

What I don't get is how the fingerprint ID was set up so easily bypassing my password protection

Yes, 8 is far too young for a phone, even with parental controls.

I would take the phone off him. He’s 8, presumably not allowed to take it to school.. why have one?

Well I think he's demonstrated why it's a bad idea for an 8 year old to have unlimited access to a phone hasn't he?

I wouldn’t remove his pocket money but would let him have it with a small reduction each week until the £100 is paid back to you. I’d also remove his phone, he doesn’t need it.

Needmorelego · Today 07:52

@Garman @DockOTheBay ok apologies. I misread.
Even so @Garman it wasn't a helpful comment. The OP wanted tech advice not sarcastic parenting criticism.

Thanks. Yeah I did say please be gentle! Maybe I'm too trusting but please read above post. I want to know how the fingerprint ID was set up so easily bypassing my password.

I have fingerprint ID on Google Play, I think when I set it up, I put my password in as normal and then it said "enable 1-click purchase', I selected that and now use my fingerprint.

This happened to me with my son 6 years ago with microsoft/xbox. We had paid for something one each (me and DH) for e.g a birthday/an achievement. Xbox is set up so once your bank details are on file , no password or number from the back of the card is ever required again. He was older than your DS, and spent more like £500. This was before the days everyone had banking app's and I had no idea until I had no money left at the end of the month!
We appealed to microsoft and got the majority of it back, but not all.
There should be much more robust financial systems in place to stop this happening.

I wouldn't be too harsh with him. Eight is still very young to understand the implications of spending money like that. They don't really understand value of money at that age or get the link between pressing the buttons on phone and money that they can't see being spent.

I would absolutely lock it down and make sure he is only using it supervised so you can see what he is doing.

It would have asked him if he wanted to enable fingerprint log in. You can choose to override the manual password which is what he's done. It doesn't know that he doesn't know the password because it's designed for an adult.

You can put parental controls on google play

support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1075738?hl=en-GB

BuffyFairy · Today 07:41

Set up Google family link families.google.com/familylink/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=families_google&utm_term=google_family_link&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqPGUBhDwARIsANNwjV5CLmZHpiZD5hstKaK9zGXNsCZc-Swvx2nVX4T5bYbWSJ4ErQ7CGMUaArpdEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mine can’t download any apps even free ones or make in app purchases without me approving it via my own Google account.

Thanks for this. My Google account is on his phone. Maybe I need to set up his own account. The whole thing is so confusing!

Because fingerprint ID is essentially a step above a passcode, so it overrides 8it. The phone doesn't know that the passcode is yours. It thinks that the owner has set a passcode and now wants something more secures, like a fingerprint.

However OP, I know you don't want parenting advice but given your technophobe status, I have to wonder why your child has a smart phone? How are you ensuring his safety on it if you don't understand it? Presumably it has been locked to prevent internet access, apps, messaging services etc? In which case is he just using it to play pre approved games?