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Parenting

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Original poster

Fortnite! DS Driving me mad wanting to continually buy on this 'Free' game!!!

75 replies

mummytippy · 11/07/2018 10:16

My DS has turned 12 last week. He loves playing Fortnite with his friends. He's been playing this game now for about 9 months.

On and off he has purchased 'battle passes' and 'skins' plus accessories but it seems as now most of his school friends also play he's wanting to buy more frequently.

My DS gets £ 5 pocket money a week so previously if he's wanted something I've said along the lines of well that will be this weeks pocket money gone etc.

The Microsoft account is linked to my debit card.

For his birthday he got £ 75 in his birthday cards and he opened a bank account where he now has his own debit card. I want my DS to learn about money management. We are due to go on holiday in 3 weeks so I'm trying to encourage him save all his pocket money up for the holiday for that alone.

At this point in time the debit card has arrived but he's not opened it and I currently have it in my possession.

As he wanted a few Fornite skins he asked if he could have £50 of his birthday money for this. With gritted teeth I agreed but said he had to save the remainder £25 for our summer holiday in 3 weeks. He agreed. The s/o I set up to his bank account went in last Friday making his total £30. By the holiday he'd hopefully have £50.

Since agreeing to this he has since wanted to make 2 further purchases... one for £20 and another one for £10. I've refused, explaining he needs to save his money as we agreed.

He's now saying it's his money to do what he likes with and I'm being unfair! I've told him I'm not and he's going back on what he agreed. He's demanded the debit card and said the only way he'll learn is by letting him do what he likes. I explained I'm trying to avoid him overspending as he'll be sorry on the holiday with no spending money and I'm not going to fill any financial gaps or listen to any moaning!

Any ideas on monthly spending limits for this wretched 'free' game and tips most welcome.

One boy at his school (he's in year 7) is allowed £10 per month to spend on this game.

I actually cringe the moment he mentions this game's name... I loathe it!!!

Thank you in advance.

OP posts:

Original poster

mummytippy · 11/07/2018 15:03

Thanks Incy but you are of help.
The fact you don't let your dc play says it all really.
My gut thought it's an 'all' or 'nothing' situ with this game with no in-between.

OP posts:

mozzybites · 11/07/2018 15:18

My dc at 10 don't play this game but they do play other games with in app purchases, they are just not allowed to make in app purchases, it is a condition of playing them.

mozzybites · 11/07/2018 15:22

We play candy crush a bit and no purchases is a family rule.

Interested in this thread?

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12 year olds Families General parenting Secondary education

WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 11/07/2018 15:27

YABVU. It’s his money and he should be able to spend it how he likes. By doing so, he will learn the true value of money, especially so if you’re going on holiday and he sees things he wants but can’t buy because he’s spent it all.

You keep going on about how he “agreed” to spend the remainder on the holiday. However, he only “agreed” because you practically forced him to, by holding the rest of his money to ransom if he didn’t “agree”.

If you force someone into an “agreement”, don’t be surprised when they turn around and renege on it. I don’t actually think it can be called an “agreement” if one party is strong armed into it.

ProfessorMoody · 11/07/2018 15:30

A monthly limit for virtual things is a good idea - that way again, once it's gone it's gone. Maybe you could physically get an Xbox voucher with the money and he'll be able to see what he has left then.

I disagree with the comment that spending money on virtual things is a waste of money though. Its a hobby, in the same way anything else is. Most adults wouldn't see anything wrong with spending a fiver on a coffee and a cake, or a glass of wine or two. I don't do any of that, so if I want to buy something in a game that I spend a lot of time playing, I will.

keepingbees · 11/07/2018 15:42

For me it wasn't so much the money was a waste, it was the extortion for what it was. Most of the things my son wanted were around £16 for things like a pair of wings or a dance. A fiver would have been more like it. It's just ripping kids off because they can.

WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 11/07/2018 15:43

100% Agree with this. The majority of adults are happy enough to spend money on alcohol every week, yet they are literally pissing it away.

I’m not a big gamer, but I am a Pokemon Go player that puts money into the game. At least I see the effects of what I buy months and years down the line.

blackbirdbluebottle · 11/07/2018 16:00

I hate this game so much. Personally I would let him spend the money on fortnite and then let him suffer on the holiday providing there are no overdraft charges or anything on the card

Isawthelight · 11/07/2018 17:20

But if He had £500 birthday money and wanted to spend it all on the game then that's his choice as it's his money. Does anyone tell you how to spend your birthday money

Omg, well that's just absolutely ridiculous. You're comparing a just turned 9yo with a grown adult who has a grasp of finances and budgeting.

OP I don't think you should allow your DS to spend all his money on the game, if anything I think it'll make him even worse and he'll just want to spend more and more on it.

Mammaof · 11/07/2018 17:51

@Isawthelight he's 12 not nearly 9

missyB1 · 11/07/2018 18:32

12 year olds are not adults, in fact nowhere near. They still need parenting.

EscapistTendencies · 11/07/2018 18:40

My gut thought it's an 'all' or 'nothing' situ with this game with no in-between.

That's not my experience. Just set a monthly limit if necessary. My DS10 has also had to budget his money so he has some holiday cash, no issues, he's just put aside X amount for his holidays and can spend the rest, however he's saving for FIFA 19 so only spends a little on fortnite. He bought fortnite save the world for £25 a few months back and earns most of his v bucks on there which he can use in battle royale, might be an idea?

NeedAUsernameGenerator · 11/07/2018 18:54

I would let him have the rest of his money after your holiday. He can either restrict his treats (without moaning) for something he really wants or he might realise that in-game spending isn't really worth it after all.

ProfessorMoody · 11/07/2018 19:02

he might realise that in-game spending isn't really worth it after all

But it probably is worth it to him

GarethSouthgatesRevenge · 11/07/2018 22:27

@keepingbees and @WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue I play games too but I'm trying to teach my son what's worth spending money on.

Skins in Fortnite add nothing to the gameplay so they are an extravagance. The Battle Pass seems ok value for money.

As a parent of a 12 year old, my job is to teach him how to make these choices about value. It's much harder in a virtual world when it's £5 a pop instead of 10p on a sweet you don't like.

I strongly encourage him to buy vouchers for games so he can choose how much he wants to spend and then isn't sucked in by manipulative games. I also encourage him to code so he cab be a beneficiary rather than a sucker.

WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 11/07/2018 22:34

I also encourage him to code so he cab be a beneficiary rather than a sucker.

GarethSouthgatesRevenge Why does buying something that brings you happiness make you a “sucker”? If you’re getting enjoyment out of something, it isn’t a waste of money.

Original poster

mummytippy · 12/07/2018 20:54

@keepingthebees It's definitely the extortion that brasses me off too... just no need for the amounts charged... especially when they know the majority of the players are kids!

OP posts:

Original poster

mummytippy · 12/07/2018 20:59

@Escapist Thank you for the tip on buying Fortnite Save the World... I look into that. Sounds like you have a v sensible 10 yo ds :-)

OP posts:

WhatToDoAboutWailmerGoneRogue · 12/07/2018 21:17

especially when they know the majority of the players are kids!

mummytippy Actually, they’re not. As of April 2018, 62.7% of players were aged between 18-24.

Original poster

mummytippy · 12/07/2018 21:36

So surprisingly nothing was said in a 'pestering' sense by my DS since I posted last yesterday. I told him I'd confirmed with his friend's mum his friend's limit which is £8 per month. This was met with a groan... but then nothing more was said.

Today Season 5 has come out and he's asked very calmly to buy the battle pass (£7.99) as he understand he needs to save the remainder for holiday spends The Battle Pass will last 75 days. I've told him I've set an £8 limit same as his school friend. He's currently preoccupied in looking at rewards within Season 5...

I've also told him that the Xbox will remain linked to my card and so he's set me up within his bank account so he can make transfers to me to cover his Xbox purchases. So far so good... maybe he's listened but something tells me the test will be when the next 'special limited edition outfit' comes out.. and I have to remind him of the £8 limit.

OP posts:

Hawthorn1000 · 21/09/2018 22:53

Interesting thread with lots of different views some of which made me think twice about my own approach to the kids and money.

Struggle a little with the idea that it is their £500 birthday money and they should spend it on whatever they want. It is their money but maybe this is when we teach them how they use it? Some for immediate purchases and some for longer term things (presents for Mum and Dad at Christmas!).
More to the point of the thread though, just clearing up the mess of £715 of Fortnite payments by the lad.
Comments on addiction are very accurate as the way the lad managed this was most efficient and clearly driven by a compulsion. There are no attached cards on any accounts so he did it the hard way and 'borrowed' a card from a wallet in the house. He also then intercepted a warning text from the credit card company querying irregular payments and confirming that there was no issue with the payments. And so they continued to allow payments...…..
The child knew he would be found out but his only focus was on the VBucks he would get.
Seriously complicated issue I think but Fortnite is a very clever product. The blend of a 'shooter' game with strategy, interaction with peers and, in my view, the really clever bit is the whole cultural bit of the dancing and cult aspects, Children fodder!
My own experience is that Epic Games are not entirely unreasonable but they don't get or want to get the big issues here for obvious reasons. The question that I have not yet answered well from them and which I would be interested to know from the community is 'who spends £715 on an online computer game in a week'?

Joexxx · 27/10/2018 22:09

You could explain to him that when he is old enough he will want a car, Better start saving now if he wants one, the insurance alone will cost the earth! X

Mummydarlz12 · 24/11/2018 16:28

I Absolutely hate fortnite! my ds(12) Threw a glass at me!,i told the cheeky little sod no more fortnite,Well that set him off.it was all effing and jeffing all bloody night long,i swear by the end of it i wanted to start drinking again! in the end i just said nope,and took the the gamestation or whatever.he is now tring to act good to get his games back,AIBU?

sickmumma · 16/12/2018 13:10

My DS is 9 and has been playing fortnite, he doesn't get pocket money yet - in fact his chores earn him the PlayStation time at the moment but he has asked a couple of times about getting a skin (he has a friend also 9 who spends £10-£20 a week - Well his parents do on it a week 😳) and I have explained it doesn't make a difference to how they perform and is a waste and for now he's accepted that and for his birthday he was allowed £20 voucher and also for Christmas he will get a £20
Voucher and that's it for the year 😳 maybe I'm just a bit mean but even the guy said in game it's such a waste and not to buy it! I also said if you've got the basic skin
People will think you are worse than you are and then you will surprise them
When your actually good!

NinJin · 26/12/2018 23:01

Maybe have him play a different game? Fortnite's gay

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