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AIBU?

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Original poster

To tell DS that he cant buy them?

108 replies

loopylou6 · 23/04/2012 12:14

I am genuinely stuck here between overstepping the mark or being helpful.

DS has wanted a set of Dr Dre Beats headphones for months, its his 13th birthday tomorrow and he's saved a bit himself and also worked out that if he uses all of his birthday money then he can afford this item ( 130 quid Shock )
I don't agree with him spending this amount on a set of headphones but hey Ho...

Anyway, he found a pair on eBay, I was about to order them this morning, but decided to message the seller to check if they are the genuine brand ( normally they retail for a hundred quid more ) and it turns out they are replicas.

I think DS is being ridiculous to pay for these, but wibu to not 'let' him, or do I have to stand back and let him do what he wants with his own money?
Confused

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 23/04/2012 13:15

It's lovely when DS has his headphones on, he can't hear us talking about his terrible taste in music. Grin

inabeautifulplace · 23/04/2012 13:17

If he's going to read the thread, then I'd suggestl looking at something like a pair of Grado headphones at that price point, I'd bank on them sounding better than the Beats ones and they don't look like a cracker toy. I warn you though, they do look like cold war era Russian tech, so he might laugh.

valiumredhead · 23/04/2012 13:18

Do you pronounce it 'DrAY' btw?

OhdearNigel · 23/04/2012 13:18

Surely you will have to put through the payment anyway ? I thought that at 13 you couldn't get debit/credit cards so he can't pay through paypal, can he ?

If this is the case surely the simplest thing to do is refuse to put the payment through.

I have dealt with lots of people that have been ripped off by electronics sellers on Ebay - one of which was a 16 year old. My first thought was "why on earth didn't his parents stop him paying this obvious fraudster".

Mythical · 23/04/2012 13:20

I ordered a pair of gaming headphones on ebay, they claimed they were "genuine but not in original retail packaging"
They were fake, i could tell when they arrived the quality was crap. I asked the seller, he said i was wrong. I opened a case with ebay stating they were fake/counterfeit and ebay refunded me the entire amount and advised me to destroy the product.. (they didn't work anyway so just chucked them away)

OhdearNigel · 23/04/2012 13:21

i would also advise you report the seller to Ebay. They don't like people selling fakes

Sparklingbrook · 23/04/2012 13:21

DS1 is 12 and has a debit card, but he has never tried to buy anything online. I'm not sure if he can.

valiumredhead · 23/04/2012 13:22

How do 12 year olds have debit cards? You used to have to be 16. When did that change? Grin

OhdearNigel · 23/04/2012 13:24

How can you have a debit card on an account that has no income ?

PurplePidjin · 23/04/2012 13:26

I'd be looking into what actual djs use, too. I very much doubt Dr Dre uses the phones that use his branding.

Find out which brand his favourite recommend - write to them, you might get an autograph/some merchandise as well for being polite Wink

BellaVita · 23/04/2012 13:26

Both Ds1 and Ds2 have debit cards. They have an allowance paid into their accounts every month.

Mythical · 23/04/2012 13:27

You can do that, you won't have any facilities on it. I'm with barclays and it's called a cash card account. You can only get a debit card and that's it. very very basic acc, no overdraft, chequebook, etc

tantrumsandballoons · 23/04/2012 13:27

Both my 13 and 14 yo DCs have debit cards, they come as standard with a HSBC account at age 11

SlightlyJaded · 23/04/2012 13:28

Please please tell him not to buy them. For lots of reasons:

  1. Any counterfeit goods are potentially funding horrible things
  2. The price tag of the originals is 50% for the label and 50% for the quality - they do sound fantastic
  3. Now is the time to teach him the value of quality over labels surely? I think if he has saved and he really wants them (even though I think it's a stupid amount of money for headphones) then he should 'get' that he is getting them because they sound fabulous - not because the 'look right'. He will cherish them and take good care of them so much better if you buy the real deal.

I would rather teach my DC to buy little of quality than heaps of shit I just wish I followed same mantra

Mythical · 23/04/2012 13:31

I would also buy them from a retailer - yes you will pay RRP BUT you then have a receipt and protection if anything happens without faffing about with opening cases on ebay.
When dh's gaming headphones stopped working after less than 2 months we just went back to the shop and they swapped them for a new pair..

newyearnewattitude · 23/04/2012 13:36

natwest give you a debit card at 11... DS (almost 13) has one but not an ebay account so any purchases are through me, likewise Amazon (but there I get 5% discount too) and ebay via Quidco also = cashback Grin

my ds toyed with getting some 'beats' and he found 'replicas' in town for £15 but decided to waste spend his money on his rowing stuff instead...

Teeb · 23/04/2012 13:37

It's funny that he seems concerned by the reviews of the genuine lesser pair than the fakes on ebay. What kind of quality does he suppose they will be?

I think as the parent you need to tell him not to be a mug.

stealthsquiggle · 23/04/2012 13:38

I assume we are talking about these ones, OP?

It is these that I can get for £205 Sad.

takeonboard · 23/04/2012 13:45

My DS(10) saved his xmas and birthday money to buy them (Solo Beats £130ish). I think it is way too much money for headphones but it is his gift money and its up to him what he wastes spends it on.
However I don't allow him to go out alone with them on his head as he will sure as hell be mugged! He uses them a lot.
I wouldn't buy fake/replica anything though, they will definitely be crap and it just isn't fair on the original creator/designer. He would be better off going for say Skullcandy headphones if he wants to save money, they aren't Beats and won't have the same sound quality but they will be a hell of a lot better than fakes and he will get a guarantee.
I went past HMV last week and they had some kind of offer on Beats, can't remember what though and they are selling them in o2 shops with 20% off according to DS

Birdsgottafly · 23/04/2012 13:53

I don't really understand the problem.

There are blue genuine DR Dre headphones on Ebay for the amount he wants to pay.

Why his he looking at replica's?

Part of the point of these (for teens) is so that they can tell their mates the've got them, he can't, if he's bought replica's.

KLdragon · 23/04/2012 13:59

Don't do it. I live in KL and can pick up Dr Dre fakes for about £8-£15 . Look ok but only last about 2 months and the sound quality is not in the same league as the original. Can't believe people are paying over £100 for fakes in the UK

IloveJudgeJudy · 23/04/2012 14:09

Another poster saying "don't let him do it". His friends will know if they're fake or not. They seem to have a nose for it! Have teenagers myself. Fakes don't seem to cut it. I'm sure that once he's thought about it, he'll agree.

I think in this case you have to put your foot down, be the parent. He'll thank you later. Let him save up some more money and buy the real thing, or buy Skull Candy. Skull Candy seem to be an OK second choice around here.

You can tell him that he will be found out by his friends if he buys the fakes and he'll probably never hear the end of it, or he'll feel bad for himself. Good luck, though Smile.

ComposHat · 23/04/2012 14:12

Do not buy them - they are FAKES not replicas and leaving aside the moral and legal considerations 130 quid is a shit ton of money to pay for something that WILL sound like the music is being played under water. The sound quality will be a thousand times worse than the cheaper, genuine Beats headphones he's turning his nose up at. He's young and will probably be heartbroken when he discovers his latest toy sounds awful

Sorry to get all prissy but it is also your duty to stop your son doing something so morally and legally dubious.

I don't like the sound of the Beats headphones, they are sooo bass heavy. But that's beside the point.

If he likes the bass-y sound go for a pair of Sennheisers. If wants image, look at a pair of WESC headphones.

I own these as they sound good and are pleasingly retro.

www.whathifi.com/review/panasonic-rp-htx7

But Panasonic probably won't cut it with his mates.

Sparklingbrook · 23/04/2012 14:15

I hate all the peer pressure. Sad It comes unexpectedly early IMO. DS2 (10) hasn't succumbed yet. He doesn't know the pain of being 'brand aware'.

Squirrelz · 23/04/2012 14:24

The sound quality will be a thousand times worse than the cheaper, genuine Beats headphones he's turning his nose up at.

^^ This.

If he's not wanting the cheaper genuine ones because of the reviews, how does he think the fake ones will sound?

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