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AIBU?

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Original poster

Moshi Monsters website - why so much???

42 replies

michelleantoinette · 10/06/2012 13:13

I have two kids who have just got into the Moshi Monsters website (due to a homework project !!!). Anyway, they are loving it but keep coming up with things they can't do because they are not members. The cost of membership is almost £30 per year. That's £60 for me and I'm thinking I could buy a new microwave for that price!

Why is this kids website so expensive?

So as you can guess, we are not signing up but it has made me really mad.

Michelle
(mum of Thandie 9, Dak 7, Kobe 5 and Ayo 3)

OP posts:
TheMonster · 10/06/2012 13:15

DS (5) adores Moshi MOnsters. We pay for the monthly pass at £4.95 and use it as bribe Grin
This week, for half term, we bought him the DSi game - £30 well spent for the hours of silence that ensued!

LindyHemming · 10/06/2012 13:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dropdeadfred · 10/06/2012 13:18

My dd loves this!!! We have just paid for her second year of membership. £30 divided by the 365 days she visits the site ( well at least 300 days) is just 10p per day

PissyDust · 10/06/2012 13:19

They don't need to be members to play most of the games etc.

Please be wary of them accepting friends and chatting, I have heard a few stories of children being groomed on there.

If you did want a membership for a few months you can buy a card, mine got bored after a few months although I did ban them from accepting friends,

P.S we don't do tickers here.

Original poster
michelleantoinette · 10/06/2012 13:23

What's a ticker?

OP posts:
confusedpixie · 10/06/2012 13:25

A homework project that needs Moshi Monsters?! Please tell me they accidentally misinterpreted it or something?

Can they share an account if you end up paying? My sister and I did with Runescape back in the days when that was popular. It meant that we levelled up very quickly too. No idea what Moshi Monsters is though really, only that my cousins have it.

YADNBU though, that is expensive, but then online games are now :/

Trills · 10/06/2012 13:27

YABU

Why would a kids website not charge that much if they can get that much?

confusedpixie · 10/06/2012 13:28

The names at the bottom of your post is what pissydust is referring too. Other parenting sites allow tickers in the signatures of posts which usually indicate children and ages or how far along in pregnancy the poster is.

AnnieLobeseder · 10/06/2012 13:29

Hi Michelle and welcome to MN. I'm assuming you're new because you've given you and your kids' real names (which we tend not to do here).

DD1 loves Moshi Monsters and chose to spend her Christmas money on membership. They can play just fine without membership, but the site is really high quality and educational, so I'm very happy to pay for their service. After all, they have to pay to provide it to us. I guess they make a mint on marketing too though.

It really is up to you whether you pay for membership or not, but at the end of the day, it's really not that expensive and quite competitive for a paid site.

Original poster
michelleantoinette · 10/06/2012 13:30

Yes, it started out as a project in school about Monsters. The children had to draw a monster, give it a name and write connective sentences describing their monster. And then, a web address was sent home with some instructions how to log on and find the free version.

And the obsession began... :)

Would love it if they shared but they have really individualized their rooms and monsters, oh well.

I'm starting to calm down now.

OP posts:
LisaLaundryThatsLAAANDRY · 10/06/2012 13:34

My ds has a months pass at the moment.I bought it from Argos :-) My ds really wanted the games machines and you can only get them if your a member and i think you have to be a member to get the different houses aswell

Original poster
michelleantoinette · 10/06/2012 13:37

Thanks for all the advice folks. I might do the month thing as a special prize for good behaviour.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone!

x

OP posts:
pumpkinsweetie · 10/06/2012 13:37

My 2 eldest have these passes which i re-new every month if they have been well behaved.
It keeps them happy and i get some peace & quiet for a few hours to get on with chores etc, which is well worth the money from my pov-shame about the awful moshi music though lol, i just turn the volume button down lolGrin

NorbertDentressangle · 10/06/2012 13:39

&yo DS has just really got into the website but only the free bit.

BodyofEeyore -I wondered about getting him the DSi game for his birthday -is it any good? Does it have its limitations? Its just that its one of the more expensive games at £25+ so don't want to get it if its not great.

AnnieLobeseder · 10/06/2012 13:40

I made the mistake of buying the CD as a treat. Now it's all the DDs want to listen to in the car. Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!

pumpkinsweetie · 10/06/2012 13:42

Omg there is a CD, glad my dcs aint seen it yet Wink

confusedpixie · 10/06/2012 13:46

Oh, that sounds better, I honestly was wondering if the school had just said "Here is a site to join, we'll be doing it in class." and left them to it!

Lizcat · 10/06/2012 14:10

When you work out over the year just over 50p per week is very little for the quality of website. DD makes a pocket money sacrifice each week of 50p to fund her membership which I buy each year and she gets the choice each September when it is due for renewal.

valiumredhead · 10/06/2012 14:20

I hate MOshi MOnsters - I didn't realise that they keep debiting your account, I thought I was just paying for 6 months. Grrrrrrr!

Dropdeadfred · 10/06/2012 14:33

God I keep singing the Zak bin spin song... I do think the songs are catchy Blush

borninastorm · 10/06/2012 15:32

I just learned yesterday that Moshi Monsters was created by the man who started the Firebox online shop.
I've been dying to share that nugget of info since I read it Grin
If you're interested here's the link
Moshi Monsters Millionaire

confusedpixie · 10/06/2012 15:36

born: I never knew that, I love firebox. I knew they were some of the first to sell the toys related but never knew he started it!

confusedpixie · 10/06/2012 15:39

It's essentially the modern neopets I think, but you didn't have to pay for neopets when it first came out. It is the main thing targeted at 'tweens' that I can think of from when the internet started to become popular.

Rockpool · 10/06/2012 15:49

I think it's an absolute racket,a license to print money,not educational in the slightest.

My dp works in IT designs and writes software and thinks it's a hoot. Parents paying ££££££ for errr nothing just some site many people could design and just sit collecting the cash which is what it is.

The members only thing is appalling as it's pressurising kids to part with cash to get that bit extra ie entry to a few extra features woopy doo.

My fiends dd was bullied by some member in the Us(quite nasty).

Our 3 are only allowed to befriend people they know and we check. They are only allowed to go on it once a week sometimes twice.

I refuse to pay for it,have explained they're just trying to take money off kids and let our 3 spend their pocket money on it if they so wish by buying cards in WHSmiths. They're not daft dtwin 1 was going to buy a card last week then said "actually I'd rather have Lego as I'll have something real to keep".I also pointed on he can still go on it for free and he has a personally good DS.

Honestly unless you're loaded and money is no object don't waste your cash on it,it's an utter rip off.

FullBeam · 10/06/2012 16:00

I agree with a lot of what you have said Rockpool. The sheer number of related Moshi products is overwhelming. I'm not surprised the founder is a millionaire. I also don't like the way the monster gets 'sad' and 'neglected' if you don't visit for a few days.

But, on the positive side, my dd's enthusiasm for all things Moshi has meant that she has willingly and rapidly read about 6 books, including detailed guides to Moshlings and alternative pathway stories. She not usually that keen on reading, so there have been some benefits to it.