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9 year old purchased xbox game.. advice?

10 replies

BabyUxX · 22/08/2023 12:36

Hi all. I'm a mum of 4 children, my eldest is 9 nearly 10, he knows right from wrong and is a lovely boy usually, I need some advice about something that happend yesterday. I was in the shower, he asked "mum can I have this game on xbox it's £25.00'' I said not today because I only have money for food until next payday. My card details are on the xbox as when I do agree to buy him something I can just buy it then without typing my details in everytime, well 5 minutes after he asked he came to me and said "mum the game just said its installing and I don't know how" I said what you mean? He said it's bought itself when he was on a trailer for the game. It apparently popped up saying he had purchased it without him buying it. I checked my bank and its definitely come out of my bank. Obviously I was really sad and mad because I only had money left for food and I said no for now, I was mad and said he had broken my trust now and I took his xbox from him (I didn't know what other punishment I could do/day at that time) well, since it happend he's been admimant that he has not done it and the game did buy itself. Obviously its very hard to believe that it bought itself, when usually you have to press buy it and then confirm the purchase. He's been crying all morning to me saying he wants his xbox back because he genuinely hasn't done it. Just to confirm none of my other children have an xbox, so it wasn't them and it happend within 5 minutes of him asking me if he could buy it, I hate seeing him so upset and usually I aren't a strict mum I make sure they know wrong from right but I usually hate taking things of them unless they do something bad.

Please can I have some advice, has anything like this happend to you before? Did I do the right thing taking his xbox? Am I being too harsh by not believing that it bought itself? I feel really sad knowing he's sad. But so am I knowing my money got took when I told him no 😔😢

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
romdowa · 22/08/2023 12:42

Games don't buy themselves. Sadly he's having you on

dementedpixie · 22/08/2023 12:48

So your card details are on there?

Is it set up to ask for a password or would it just buy it if you clicked on it? If there isn't a password to input then this is partly your fault.

If there is a password and he has input it then that is him being dishonest.

If he hasn't played the game could you contact xbox (whoever the game was bought from) and see if they will refund the purchase and remove the game

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DaddyPigMustDie · 22/08/2023 12:51

I think lesson learned for you both of you - don't have your card details linked without a pin or something, and for him, sometimes clicking on buttons on the Xbox has consequences. Even as an adult I'm always careful when looking at something online that I haven't inadvertently signed up to something or whatever.

I agree see if Xbox will refund it but otherwise chalk it up to experience. Does he have any pocket money or anything he could use to reimburse you?

RedToothBrush · 22/08/2023 12:53

romdowa · 22/08/2023 12:42

Games don't buy themselves. Sadly he's having you on

This

He may have pressed the wrong button and not thought he'd bought it, but he has.

The issue here is having your card details stored.

Unfortunately the punishment should stand even if it was accidental because of the impact. He needs to learn to be more careful even if it wasn't deceitful.

gamerchick · 22/08/2023 12:54

He's lying.

But I struggle to have loads of sympathy for anyone who hooks up a bank card, so you need to take some of the blame. It's not necessary. Take the card off and get points cards if he wants a game.

SofaSlob · 22/08/2023 12:55

I think you have done the right thing. Yes these purchases can be accidental, perhaps thinking there is another click before buying. But only if your kid is clicking away in the right place to buy the game in the first place. Its a big expensive lesson to be careful in e-stores, so absolutely a small ban is what I'd do too.
It happens to us all at some point + believe me that you have got off lucky. A friend hosted a play date + the invited kid spent £300! She manages to get some refunded so perhaps you can try xbox too?
So sorry its gonna be a tough week for you.

Whinge · 22/08/2023 13:05

romdowa · 22/08/2023 12:42

Games don't buy themselves. Sadly he's having you on

Yep he's having you on. All the crying and moping because you took his Xbox away is ridiculous. Especially as you explained you needed the money for food.

Hopefully you'll be able to get a refund, but you can definitey make sure you remove your card details

CatsOnTheChair · 22/08/2023 13:37

As has already been said, request a refund
https://support.xbox.com/en-GB/help/subscriptions-billing/buy-games-apps/refund-orders

Take your card details off the x-box - or have them password protected/require email authentication to spend/whatever parental controls Xbox use.

Whilst your son has probably chosen to buy the game, your actions also allowed it to happen.

Xbox Support

https://support.xbox.com/en-GB/help/subscriptions-billing/buy-games-apps/refund-orders

ICanBuyMyselfShowers · 22/08/2023 14:37

Did you not set it up so that a pin or password has to be entered? My card details are saved to the devices but a pin has to be entered in order to purchase anything. The card details being in the Xbox for convenience can be made secure by using the settings that require a pin to purchase anything.

Don't relent and give him his Xbox back. I'd be having some change of rules when he finally does get it back. The game in questions would be a flat no now.

If you've not set him up with a child account and chose to set him up as an adult profile instead I'd be changing that now. If it means setting up a second profile with his correct age then I'd be doing that and turning on all parental controls so that he would need the password to install anything. It has the added benefit of you controlling screen time and him not having access to age restricted games too.

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