Microsoft Refunds Father After 17 Year Old Son Spends $8K on FIFA - News
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 25 January 2016 / 4,976 Views
A couple of weeks ago a father from Pembroke Ontario - Lance Perkins - took his story to the press after his 17 year old son racked up an $8,000 credit card bill by purchasing in-game card packs for FIFA.
"It floored me. Literally floored me, when I'd seen what I was being charged," Perkins told CBC News at the time. "There will never be another Xbox system — or any gaming system — in my home."
The credit card company offered to charge his son with fraud, but otherwise refused to reverse the charges and it initially appeared as if Microsoft's policy would largely be the same as the credit card company's. However, Perkins has confirmed that Microsoft has now reversed all of the charges.
"Let's thank them for making that choice," he said. "I hope we have warned enough people. This is not just a game when it can upset a whole family and endanger our children with making mistakes. I hope there are more safeguards put in place for credit card holders."
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Dude! He's 17! That's his fault, not his fathers!
I would expect that kind of behavior from an 8 year old, not a 17 year old. Hopefully he doesn't go broke once he has to live on his own, with his own money.
17!? Hes a grownass man.
Nah, he just has a man ass grown.
Very good of Microsoft.
Though I have to wonder how much of this refund was also EA's doing seeing as how I believe FIFA is EA's game franchise.
BOOOOO, FUCKING BOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! That dumb ass wanker kid deserves to be punished for his stupidity -__-
Yeah, pretty dumb all round but has anyone had the thought that a game like FIFA can actually leech 8k is kind of, well, just wrong? And since the game is designed to potentially leech 8k , surely there should be some internal flag built in that at least verifies/confirms/warns the purchaser? I'd say people who honestly spend 8k on any game would be a rare thing and doubly so on a game like FIFA. The fact FIFA is designed this way with no apparent safe guards is dubious.
Refund, hell no. Throw the little shit in jail.
The safeguard is not to let your damned kid put your credit card details into his/her gamer profile to spend at will. Buy the bloody gift cards and make them purchase content that way. I disagree with MS refunding the money for what amounts to irresponsible parenting. I'm a parent and I do not let my kid's have access to my credit card for online purchasing. Very little sympathy from me. The kid should be force to work off the $8000. Oh and the Dad needs to change his credit card and not give his son the new credit card details.
So what you're saying is parents should never trust their children? Ever? Even if they've shown responsiblilties? My parents allow me access to their card, but only for emergencies. I've never abused that trust either. If the kid demonstrated responsiblilty before, and then they did that, yet he abused it, that's not his parents fault.
He's not an irresponsible parent, nor responsible because we don't know the full story. I'm just showing you a potential other side of it. Don't be so quick to judge.
Judge now and judge later.
At Paatar. No what he is saying is that parents are responsible to protect their kids from something stupid like that. If the kid cannot be trusted... Then yes, do not put your credit card on your kids account (or block it with a PIN). Everything is in place already for that.
In any case, the bottom line is that Microsoft or Sony or any other companies out are not responsible for parents "wanting to trust their kids" by letting them open access to the credit card lol.
17 years old. The father needs to spank the son and not try to play victim.
$8,000 spent on FIFA alone? You know, I would use that kind of extra money to buy some old consoles and games like an NES or Sega Genesis, but on FIFA?! Talk about a waste of money, I'm grateful Microsoft reversed these charges.
17 is just ridiculous, you can enlist in the army at that age with parental permission.
Out if curiosity, is it possible to prevent transactions on consoles? Never had kids so never had to think about it.
Ok, awesome for that father and son....
By the way, I spent $5000 on FIFA in that same period....Where's my refund ???
Wish my dad had $8K laying around for me to spend on microtransactions :(
Don't give your irresponsible kid a credit card. Problem solved.
Honestly, while it was cool of Microsoft to do that for that family I think it sends the wrong message.
I think it sends the message of "Oh, don't worry if you're a parent and your kid racks up all these bills, purchases and l, money on your credit card, that you should've been more responsible with, well bail you out and rake care of it. No worries." Then how is that kid going to learn the value and importance of money and the consequences of what he did?
To me, I think was not just the kid's fault, since he is 17 and he should be knowledgeable and understanding of the value of money and what you can and can't spend at that age. But also the father looks like a damn fool for lending his credit card info to his son, completely oblivious to the amount he is spending. This is the case where it's the consumer's fault.
Why should Microsoft or an company for that matter have to take the fall for bad parenting?
...or take the fall for the kid just being an idiot?
Very kind of Microsoft, but I have to ask, what was that 17 year old doing with his dad's credit card? If he was allowed to use it, maybe he shouldn't have been given the story.
Maybe if he were 12, sure, easy mistake. But 17?
Very good on Microsoft however that father should have taught his son these things from the beginning now he is a spoiled brat. That kid is two years older than me and did that wtf?! Anyways good on MS.
Microsoft refunded the money and people here say MS are bad people, LOL.
No. people here say the people didn't deserve the refund, so MS was a scared bunny not standing its ground. Not bad, just afraid of negative PR for something that is not their responsibility.
^^^Lol you just said MS didn't need to refund the money then you say it will get MS negative PR if they dont when everyone else including you just said it wasn't MS fault. Your inconsistent.
"I hope there are more safeguards put in place for credit card holders." There are plenty of them but the most important one is not to give an $8000+ card to someone who obviously cannot handle it. That's an AWESOME safeguard. I'm glad they're off the hook for that amount but, at the same time, this guy is STILL blaming others for the mistakes of himself and his son. They should have to play at least a small percentage of the total.
They shouldn't have done it, though I guess they didn't want to bother.
