My 13 Year old child received a debt letter

Aeshna

If you do a google search on Intrum Justita, an interesting eBay forum thread comes up, seems they have a habit of chasing folk they shouldn't be.

Aeshna

jscalow

Your son is too young to have a credit file so by not paying nothing will happen except for a few letters. If the debt was ever sold on I can't see any company pursuing a 13 year old. Just tell paypal he's 13.

coolcait

98jdougl wrote: »

i'm constantly going around saying "i did, i have done" lol, my primary school teacher drilled it into me (am also a scot so dont think we are all that bad hehe)

I know this is totally off topic , but I agree with you - and with the other posters who have fought for the rights of the poor defenceless past participle on this thread .

As a Scot, in Scotland, I notice it every day. And my tongue is constantly bleeding because I bite it so hard not to say:

"I did, I have done"
"I saw, I have seen"
"I wrote, I have written" (pet hate - 'I have wrote'!!!)
"I went, I have gone"

But, it's not just a Scottish thing (otherwise I might allow myself to be persuaded that it's dialect :rolleyes: ).

Cheryl Cole thanked all of the people who "had went out" to buy Girls Aloud's single. No!!! They "went out" or they "had gone out". She's not alone in making that mistake.

And please don't start me on the widespread linguistic atrocity that is "the boy done good". No he didn't!! He "did well".

And breathe... and retire (Did you happen to notice that you struck a raw nerve there? :eek: )

Lokolo

Resonbly back to topic. I signed up for Paypal when I was a youngun, as soon as I turned 18 I changed my datebofbirth. I am like one of their premium members too. :T

However, make him pay the debt!!!! MAKE HIM A MSE!!

bandraoi

Do we know he actually created a debt?
Debt collectors are not renowned for their accuracy in identifying the guilty party.

Either way I would still protest it with paypal. He is a minor, can't enter into legal contracts and their systems should be better than to allow this sort of thing to happen.

If he did incur the debt, I'd make him pay it back though, probably as a donation to charity.

SamanthaA

Apart form the grammer disscussion, I think this ones dead.
i suspect the poster wanted us to go "oh thats terrible! heres how to deal with it" Not the response they got, which was make junior deal with it!

Cinny91

CmdrX3 wrote: »

I believe Paypal have been negligent in allowing their service to be used in this way.

Paypal have not been negligent. You can open a paypal account as easy as opening a myspace account. Paypal trust that you're old enough, after all he must of agreed to the T&C

Did you son receive any products paid with paypal? What your son has done is wrong and irresponsible, he must of known full well what he was doing and you shouldn't let him off lightly with it.

I know I must sound harsh but I don't see why he should be let off 'just because' he's 13.

bandraoi

You can open a paypal account as easy as opening a myspace account. Paypal trust that you're old enough, after all he must of agreed to the T&C

That is negligence.

He shouldn't be let off just because he's 13, but neither should Paypal be let away with identity checks and procedures that are so easy to use in a fradulent manner.

CmdrX3

I called Intrum Justitia, their response was they would not be pursuing it and would refer it back to paypal. My concern is not that paypal allow a minor to create an account, it's the fact that they can allow someone including a minor to make financial transactions through it without some form of identity or backup payment source. I couldn't even apply for a prepay credit card without providing identification.

He didn't receive any goods, apparently he was trading virtual furniture from the website habbo hotel with other kids online. My guess is someone has paid him for something through paypal, he has then spent the money buying furniture from someone else, then someone has put in a claim which paypal have deducted from his account.

When I was discussing the matter with my son, he did not seem to fully grasp the fact that there was real money involved. He seemed to be under the impression it was all just virtual money, until I showed him the debt letter, when he nearly wet himself. Anyway, one thing is certain, he WILL learn the error of his ways.

To the person who was worried about the attitude of the parent, my attitude is exactly the same as it is for the banks involved in the current financial crisis. They traded irresponsibly, and should accept the consequences of such, why should I bail them out. They are fully aware that there are millions of children using the internet, so should secure their system to prevent against the misuse of it by children. A simple tickbox that says I'm over 18 is not sufficient or the slightest bit secure. I will deal with my child and punish him accordingly for his part in the matter, but I'm not going to be financially responsible for a company that is not financially responsible.

Cerisa

8, 10.... anyone else think this is ridiculous? 10 year olds don't know what they're doing! If an eight year old breaks a window or gets into a fight, surely that's evidence of poor parenting, not a lack of moral fibre?????