Kid Rings Up $1700 Xbox Live Bill, Mom Blames Microsoft

[Unesh52]

It's better than the PS3's ham-handed system. You can only have one master account that holds a credit card, and money must be parceled out in round amounts to the other accounts. That means when my brother and I get visa gift cards for Christmas, we have to change the card info every time we want to make a purchase.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

Yes, it's the mother's fault for not paying attention, but it is surprisingly hard to take your card info off an xbox. You don't just type it in for each purchase, it's there perpetually. Which means if someone steals my xbox, they can also use my debit card to buy a great deal of random crap until I hit the microsoft website to remove my details...

 

[Slycne]

She's not punishing the kid? Seriously? Yeah, of course he feels bad about blowing through a ton of money whether he somehow didn't realize it or simply got caught. Sometimes, though, the fact that "he's never going to do it again" isn't enough. Sometimes you have to learn that there are consequences to your actions so you know to be extra careful next time. At least make him do something to help pay off the bill. If you keep letting him off the hook for screwing up, he's going to grow up into someone who's never going to take any responsibility for anything!

Oh, wait. Just like the mom. Funny how that works.

I had very similar thoughts when I read.

"I haven't punished him because he feels bad enough and I know he won't do it again,"

Right I'm sure he's "real" sorry and wants to unplug his Xbox forever. I don't want to make too many baseless judgement against this person, parenting and family, but I can completely see a child in that situation stealing from his parents when he knows consequences are never enforced.

When I was only a few years older than this kid, I accidentally backed our family car into the mailbox and did over a thousand dollars in damages, somehow. For a few months pretty much all my part time job money went to my parents. They ended up calling it even after a few hundred as it would have taken me forever to pay that off, but I learned my lesson none the less.

 

[Nargleblarg]

"It is ridiculous to allow someone of his age to make payments without any checks being done."

Exactly, I mean what kind of mother would give her kid her credit card number and- oh wait, she's referring to Microsoft?

I'm sorry but I have to say that I just had to slam my head on my keyboard and begin to cry when I read your comment.

What sort of cry? Rage, laughter, sadness?

Laughter

 

[JordanXlord]

While id hate to be sexist, many women are bad with money, and this sort of reinforces that notion.

You really thought that was a good idea to write, man?

Vansau...im Afraid Something Horrible is going to happen soon


And Dont be Sexist on the Forums keep your opinion to yourself

 

[Woodsey]

It's in the T&C bro. Like most subscription services (See WoW)

In WoW when I buy a 2 month card, it gives me 2 months. No more, no less, and it doesn't continue charging after the 2 months.

Also, in WoW its pretty painless to cancel your subscription. Its an absolute pain in the ass to cancel your xbox live subscription. If feels like its specifically designed to piss you off just enough so you'll just leave it and deal.

This is not a good thing. I don't care if they say its what they can do, its fucking bullshit, and the fact that people just lie down and take it is terrifying.

If you pay online you know with a credit card its a recurring subscription. Obviously thats not the case when your only buying a 2 month prepaid game card.

Thats what a one month recurring subscription means. Just like that mother your not allowed to blame your own ignorance on microsoft. Sure it sucks that you have to call them to cancel the subscription but thats what you get for not paying attention or reading it properly.

It's 23 lines down in 28 lines of terms and conditions, and it's simply called a 1-month membership, not a 1-month recurring subscription.[/quote]

Good so your admitting it was there and just didnt feel like reading it at the time. 28 lines would only take a minute to read and they do suggest that you read it.[/quote]

Right, I assume you always read the fucking small print.

I would say it's consumer fucking rights to not be told about this stuff up front, and they've even removed the option to change the recurring payments on their website to make it even more difficult for you.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Damn you Microsoft, when will you learn to look after other people's children. How many bills do people have to rack up before you realise this?

 

[Adam Galli]

When are parents gonna start paying attention to what their kids are doing? I love how its always microsofts fault when a kid spends too much money on XBL and gta's fault when some one goes a little batty and brings an assault rifle into school. Parents need to look at what their kids are doing and the ratings on games. Just cause little Timmy or Janie are mature little kids (even though they're only 12) doesn't mean mommy and daddy need to buy them Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto.

 

[LCP]

The only one to blame in this story is parental stupidity

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

Why is it that nobody considers themselves a bigger expert on parenting than childless teens/20-somethings who've probably never been responsible for anything more than a pet hamster?

I too remember thinking it very odd that once a credit card number is applied to an account, all you need to do is press a few buttons and you've suddenly bought ?30 DLC. Especially because it means they're storing your credit card number somewhere, which seems irresponsible in itself.

 

[archvile93]

This really has me torn. On the one hand, kids should have a right to privacy. I really don't like it when parents think that privacy laws don't apply to them so they secretly plant a virus on your computer that tracks what you've been up to and sends them a report about it. On the other she should be paying attention when her money is involved. After some thought, I choose the latter, seeing as her money is involved, and I don't think she'd find anything he could reasonably not want her to see anyway.

 

[Jaebird]

Sadly, nobody has figured out yet how to make parents automatically default to "pay attention to what your kids are doing."

That pretty much says it all.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Wait. She wants her story to serve as a warning to other parents? Get in line lady. I'm pretty sure this has happened several times now. Sadly, parents like you simply don't see the warning until you've driven off the cliff and are slowly burning to death in the ravine below. A pity really. You fall under the "Fool me twice" part of the saying.
And how, if money is as tight as she says, do you NOT notice that much money slipping away over a six month period? If money gets tight, you track EVERY CENT (or pound, I guess). The moment something shows up that you don't recall paying for, you track it down. You don't sit around and go, "Huh. I wonder what that is."

 

[Hyper-space]

"I haven't punished him...."

Well, there's your problem.

If your kid is 11 and he still has no concept of money, fuck, take a parenting course or something. Everyone and their cats have at least the slightest understanding of money at age 11.

 

[Anti-Robot Man]

Firstly I understood the concept of money by at the latest age 6. Secondly every item has a price attached to it and brings up a confirm screen - there is no way the kid could believe he was getting everything he bought free. Thirdly, this took place over 6 months? Why had the mother not checked her balance at all in that time, you should be checking your card transactions at least once a month.

People want everyone else to take responsibility, the mother should take more responsibility for her own actions and teach her child some. Also if she is so hard up for money why is she paying a yearly subscription fee for her child to be playing online?

 

[SanguineSymphony]

I don't think I could find more than $500 worth of content I would buy on XBL. Almost sounds like he was trying to screw with his mom.

 

[kouriichi]

While id hate to be sexist, many women are bad with money, and this sort of reinforces that notion.

If you didn't want to be sexist, you shouldn't have been. While I certainly don't argue that this woman is a blithering idiot, let's take her stupidity on an individual basis, shall we, and not as an indication of the gender as a whole.

Eh, its one of those things that data seems to support.
From both personal and statiscal experiences.
Like did you know the average woman spends $25,000 on shoes in theyer lifetime?
And an additional $6117 on handbags a year? ((from the money translation of £4000))

I dont want to be sexist, really D: And im sorry if its offencive to females.
But its what the numbers show. And im a man of science.

Well, go right ahead and cite your sources. Then, while you're at it, rustle up some data on how much men spend on any of their interests, and we can do a compare/contrast. Oh, and make sure you're assessing things like percentage of income, marital status, and the like.

Happly
Average woman's spending on shoes: ((also includes average spending on makeup.))
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/smart-spending/budgeting/how-much-do-women-really-spend-shoes
Average woman's spending on handbags:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1257208/The-high-price-fashion-Sales-luxury-It-bags-soar-60.html

And while yes, i will hand it to you, men do spend quite a bit on out intrests. ((men spend an average of $701 on "audio visual equiptment" per year, compaired to a woman's average of $536))
There is also an intresting satistic on womens clothing spending.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1092100/Women-spend-1-000-year-wardrobe-wear-30-clothes.html

There are no real numbers on how men spend theyer money on things. ((beyond the outset of alcohaul, sports, cars and dating services))
While id hate to say it though, the combination of things that men dont purchase, or purchase very little of ((such as make up. I know a few guys that wear it sadly)) outweights the things that both men and women do spend money on.

 

[Littlee300]

Sell all of this kids stuff. Bed --> cot ........ TV --> Those things you crank ...... computer --> a box powered by a hamster.