Angry with online gaming rip off

[Lovemum1990]

so, where do I start!
my uncle passed away in October 2017 and his 16 year old son came to live with me.
Before he passed, my uncle put aside some money to set his son up and left us with his bank details so we could clear off any outstanding debts and buy his son/ my cousin, the stuff he needed. Furniture, clothes etc etc
As h
the will beneficiary we had to follow the correct steps and contacted the bank to arrange the transfer of the funds. Obviously with the funeral and stress we didn't get round to doing this until the end of November and was informed by the bank it would take 28 days.
As time passed I called the bank for an update and was informed they'd sent a cheque in the post. I asked them to confirm the amount and to my horror, the said it was for £2.
It turns out my cousin had spent £1800 on ad ons within 1 month on an Xbox live game!
We have access to my uncle's phone, email and post and at no point did Xbox, the bank or anyone for that matter flag this up! he spent £500 in one day alone! Surely the bank or Xbox should have frozen the account? I remember spending a few hundred pounds once in the Trafford centre and my bank called me to check there was no suspicious activity.
I'm absolutely fuming that this wasn't picked up. Is there anything I can do?

I presume your cousin knew exactly what he was doing? I would confront him, tbh, and ask just who he thought was going to pay for his uniform, food and phone etc going forward. Losing a parent is hard but it us not a license to take money that is not yours to take.

So was the card in your uncles name? I'd contact xbixexplainibg that your cousin is under 18 and unable to authorise these transactions. I'm sure they will refund you. If not go to the bank and request a charge back. 8 work for a bank and this happens frequently. I've never known them to refuse a refund or charge back.

Thank you I will look into that

The card is in my uncle

I did this but he just starred at me blankly in the face. No remorse, no apology.

That’s terrible, what an awful thing for him to have done. Maybe as a 16 yr old his thinking behind it was that as his dad had died that his dad wouldn’t be charged/it didn’t matter that he’d done it, was he aware your uncle had set money aside to provide for him?

I’m stunned that it allowed it. Are you sure the email account linked to the Xbox is your uncles and not your cousins? As every time you buy something on the game store it emails a receipt.....

Is it possible he’s gone through the settings and changed it so that the receipts goes to his emails?

It would be worth speaking to the bank although I’m not sure how far you will get with it as your uncles card was clearly registered on the Xbox and there’s obviously no pin set up...on my kids Xbox we set up a pin so they can’t buy anything without us entering the pin first. So the bank will probably say there should have been a pin on it, but it’s worth asking and explaining the situation.

I don’t know if you’ve took the Xbox away as punishment but I would highly suggest you go through the parental controls before he has it back and remove your uncles card details and set it up so a pin is required to purchase anything

Well, the account us shut st least now. Has he thought about where future cash is coming from for his addiction? I'd have his x box off him for a start. And lay down some basic house rules, regardless of his recent loss. Boundaries are key. It's good of you to take him in, is he aware of what the alternatives were, by the way.

With respect the lad has just lost his dad.

IMO put this to bed as grief and in a few months if apt talk then.

^With respect the lad has just lost his dad.

IMO put this to bed as grief and in a few months if apt talk then.^

absolutely agree and I would lay off discussions about who will oay for his food etc. It was £1800 - that wouldn't buy food etc for that long and he should be welcomed into the house as a bereaved child. Not a lodger who needs to pay his way

I’m sorry about your uncle and it must have been terrible for your cousin. However. Providing he is NT, he must have some concept of money and this isn’t acceptable. He’s not 11 and can’t pass off ‘not knowing’

However there have been many many many stories and reports in the news over the last several years about children running up bills on in app purchases and games on phones / consoles. Did you not think to check the set up of it?

How is he generally? Does he concentrate at school? Do his homework? Chores?

You need to explain his age.

I remember taking out a wonga loan when I was 15 and then I couldn't pay it back - my grandfather managed to get them to drop it because I had lied about my age etc etc.

Is the game 18 rated? Maybe if it is that could go in your favour too?

Yes he was aware the money was to set him up with us and was coming to me to help sort his room out and sort him for Christmas and clothes.

As a result of waiting I put in extra hours at work and covered the costs myself however he knew that this money would then of been put away as a flat deposit that I was then planning to add too.

I have took the xbox but had a serious talk with him.

He has not apologised and was actually just staring at me when I was saying how much he has affected me financially.

Im really lost with how I am meant to deal with this going forward

Thank you for your reply

Also I understand completely about losing his dad which is why im treading carefully however I am disappointed as I know he knew what he was doing and i know he knew where the money was going and what it was being used for.

I have three children already and work full time with my partner so our home is generally very settled. I have experience with childhood grief as I work in the children's sector however i am finding it is very different when it happens to yourself.

I would never of expected this from him.

The xbox was set up on my uncles emails and there has been no purchase emails sent only a warning from xbox about bad language that hes been using.

Following advice I am going to continue to contact xbox again and the bank today.

Thanks again for everyone help

Just read this thread and was curious about the outcome. OP Did you have any luck getting any of the charges refunded?

I have contacted the bank and Microsoft following advice.
The bank would not even look into this for me and said it is just unfortunate.
Microsoft however have launched an investigation but have stated that they only refund up to 90 days so if we are entitled to a refund it would only equate to half of what was spent.
We will find out hopefully by Friday.

Thanks for updating. I'll keep my fingers crossed that Microsoft refund you even if it's not all of the money. 🤞🏻

I'd be curious to know how it pans out.

Surely when your uncle died, had a bank account would be frozen.
The payments should not have been authorised after that time.

His bank account

Why should Microsoft take this as a loss? Effectively he has stolen and spent his own money was but the loss is and will be his.

Microsoft have agreed to refund the total amount. I cannot tell you how shocked, emotional and happy we are right now. My faith in humanity has been full restored! So Happy!

Wow, that's fantastic news. I'm so pleased for you all. Given the unusual and sad circumstances I'm glad that MIcrosSoft refunded you.

I told you I was keeping my fingers crossed for you.🤞🏻😉

Ps. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Top marks for updating