Mum blasts EA Sports after son blew £4,000 on her credit card playing FIFA 14

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  • MeanMintMeanMint Posts: 454
    Forum Member
    But then wouldn't it be better if the default position was that users were assumed to be under 18 and additional screens were required to change that?

    I just find it strange that people are very happy to accept that under 18s have access to games that have the potential for players to run up charges in excess of £4000.....

    You can bypass any age system implemented, simply change your date of birth. The microsoft system (I am unsure how Sony do it.) requires the adult in possession of the card to have their own details linked to the account.

    Basically if you put your details on their for you kids it's your responsibility. Terms and conditions clearly state it, and it's plastered everywhere on the MS site. If adults don't take a blind bit of notice, there is only so much these companies can do. You can have endless screens of text and confirmations. The adult in the end will just agree to it to appease the child.

    Parental responsibility is where we should be focusing this debate on. Not EA, not MS, not the Government, no-one else other than the Parents and their kids that expect all the sweets in the sweetshop all at once until they are sick.
  • Glawster2002Glawster2002 Posts: 15,189
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    MeanMint wrote: »
    You can bypass any age system implemented, simply change your date of birth. The microsoft system (I am unsure how Sony do it.) requires the adult in possession of the card to have their own details linked to the account.

    Basically if you put your details on their for you kids it's your responsibility. Terms and conditions clearly state it, and it's plastered everywhere on the MS site. If adults don't take a blind bit of notice, there is only so much these companies can do. You can have endless screens of text and confirmations. The adult in the end will just agree to it to appease the child.

    Parental responsibility is where we should be focusing this debate on. Not EA, not MS, not the Government, no-one else other than the Parents and their kids that expect all the sweets in the sweetshop all at once until they are sick.

    Where we should be focussing this debate are on games targeted at children that can run up these sort of charges in the first place.
  • JasonJason Posts: 76,557
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    Where we should be focussing this debate are on games targeted at children that can run up these sort of charges in the first place.

    No, the debate should be the rise of freemium games in general as well as the failure of many parents to properly advise and teach their children that money doesn't grow on trees.
  • SaddlerSteveSaddlerSteve Posts: 4,325
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    Where we should be focussing this debate are on games targeted at children that can run up these sort of charges in the first place.

    The games aren't "targeted" at children.
    People of all ages play video games.

    The kid in this case knew exactly what he was doing. The mother is only kicking off in an attempt to get her money back, but in reality she probably knows that it's her sons fault.
  • DinkyDoobieDinkyDoobie Posts: 17,786
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    I still play the odd game and perhaps i can see how this situation comes about as steam, which is where i buy most of them saves your credit card details and if you dont delete it everytime you log in you can just click on a game and buy it...

    Did this kid steal his parents card details or were they remembered by the software and all he had to do is start buying stuff?
  • stoatiestoatie Posts: 78,106
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    No, the debate should be the rise of freemium games in general as well as the failure of many parents to properly advise and teach their children that money doesn't grow on trees.

    FIFA ain't freemium, it's a triple-A full-price title.
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