X Box rip off

[anncrighton]

I have just discovered that my 13 year old has spent over £200 on Xbox buying Fifa points. He has been in floods of tears - they were usually amounts like £7.99 - he did not realise it amounted to such an amount. I had absolutely no idea he was spending money like this on X Box - X Box apparently had his debit card details. Usually he buys Xbox games with Amazon using my credit card and with my permission. I think it is appalling that Xbox can let a 13 year old spend over £200 without a parents knowledge - this is something that should be made unlawful. Other parents please be warned !!!

[Kirkenes]

Gamer I think you can get help via live chat with Microsoft at most times of the day and night . I was just surprised that the OP managed to get the money refunded (presumably on her DSs card?) this way.

[gamerchick]

Yes been there and done that kirk the help team are pretty awesome apart from permabans where they direct you to the forum to ask your question many a disgruntled parent has posted on there.

I'm am pretty gobsmacked they refunded immediately without quibble on a sundry night and a PP is right in asking how that was done for future issues that crop up on here.. It'll be a big help.

[littledrummergirl]

Live chat is fab. We had a problem years ago and they ended up closing an account that had gone wrong and transferring a year's Xbox live onto the new account which they set up. That was a Sunday afternoon as well I think.

[Hotpatootietimewarp]

Yep I wouldn't have had the nerve to phone and ask for a refund after my 13 year old had spent money he knew he was spending! It would have served as a hard lesson learned unfortunately and I don't care if that makes me hard faced, how will he ever learn other wise? All he has learned from this is that mum will sort all his problems out regardless of what they are

[ProfGrammaticus]

So have you now educated yourself and your son about adult, child and teen accounts, OP?

[SouthWestmom]

The account types are a bit frustrating, even if you try to customise them. If I set adult, as ds has an 18 game it seems to then not let me disallow other things like purchasing etc. Or if I want to let him talk to his friends online, I can't stop other things. I don't think the Xbox parental controls are as good as they should be. I'd prefer a list of things to say yes or no to like on a tablet.

[foragogo]

I hope you have now removed the card details from the account and put a password on purchases and set it so that it requests a pw before purchases?

My 11y old regularly buys FIFA points but it is my debit card details which are stored and he knows to come and ask me first, even when spending his own (birthday) iTunes vouchers etc. All accounts are also set to demand a password before making any payment which only I know. I also get an email to confirm every purchase so would know if somebody got round the password (I worry about friends although I trust that he will always ask - a friend of mines kid had a friend sleepover that spent £800!)

Parents have to take responsibility for putting proper controls in place when they give young children these incredibly powerful machines, not just leave them to it. How do you know he's not downloading 18 games?

[anncrighton]

Yes - he says it will take a couple of days to show in the account but I'm now wondering if it is my son's Xbox a/c or his Bank a/c but my son says he can transfer it. If not, he gets £10 pw pocket money so he can do without pocket money for 18 weeks and spend it. The man I spoke with (well it was on a chat line - didn't actually speak with him) was probably in USA or somewhere else in the world. Anyway, he was helpful and so was the advice from Supercee 7. So .... my first chat on Musmnet was worth it :-)

[Kirkenes]

I'm glad it worked out. Im pretty sure Microsoft can spare the money . Good luck setting up the parental controls. I found the most useful was the time restrictions as it automatically limited their play to what I thought was reasonable. Otherwise some kids will play on for hours and hours a day. You have the upper hand at the moment so I think it would be good to set up everything how you want it now. If you tried doing it when he was 15/16 it might cause huge teen tantrums.



Neorf I know the parental controls aren't perfect but I think the general idea is that a teen isn't allowed an 18 game. - although I've not used parental controls for a while as my DC are all over 18

[OneMagnumisneverenough]

my son age 8 at the time ran up a £25 bill on my CC buying stuff on an ipod game after he had asked permission and been told "No". I took the money from his Christmas money. He is 14 now and can be trusted. OP I'm very surprised that if you've had the money refunded at all and incredulous that it has all happened within a few hours on a Sunday night.....

[iminshock]

Completely agree. My 13 yo son did similar.
It's a fucking evil addictive poison and I wish I'd never let him get one. You have my complete sympathy.

[iminshock]

FIFA is particularly seductive to kids. I bloody detest it.

[SouthWestmom]

Kirkenes I agree and if every other parent did the same my son would not play 18s.
What I want is for him to be able to play online, not buy anything, not use Skype, not watch 18 films, play this one game and then the rest are things like minecraft and fifa etc. However it's very blanket.