HUGE SMS bill from mara pets game

Taraquin

Thanks for replying MsAnonymous.

Without wishing to be rude in any way none of your reply seems to have taken in the fact that Marapets is a business and businesses make money. I respect that you've posted the text from the upgrades page that says "Account Upgrades keep marapets running. We are a free site that relies on the donations of our players and paid advertising. Our running costs are high and as we grow, so does the cost improvements and maintenance. Account Upgrades help us to improve."

Does it also say somewhere that does include the owners income for running a business? If it does I must have overlooked that part. AU and advertising is how his business makes money, you ask why people should pay for his lifestyle? I'd ask why you feel he should run a non profit making business? it's not a charity. Why should the owner run a business that doesn't make him a healthy profit? Is there some reason why he should do it for love?

I do respect your feelings on things not being completed, things not working etc. I just can't see why you'd come on this thread to post your displeasure and even less can I see how that equates to the owner not making money.

I think more to the point is if you find Marapets " a very pathetic website" as you say why are you playing it?

NightShadows wrote: »

Yeah, I see people here who are supposedly adult players on Marapets slamming the site. Hmmm. Anyway, I played that site for a LONG time without "donating" money for the credits and got along just fine, one doesn't need to donate to play. Neopets is a rip-off though, as one can see their gift cards EVERYWHERE here in the US. I am constantly hearing "I want a Neopets Gift Card! Get me a Neopets Gift Card so I can play Neopets!" At least on Marapets, one doesn't NEED to donate to get all the cool extras, they just have to earn the Marapoints (the currency) to buy them from other players.

I don't see 'people' claiming to be adult players slamming Marapets. I see only one MsAnonymous, out of the several who have posted. There is inevitably one person that will play a site and yet slam it's owner for running a profit making business. If I had a pound for every player I've read on pet sites slamming the owner for making money I'd have to open a special reserve account to bank at. I'd also have a lot more money for AU.

As for Neopets exactly as I said in my earlier post, the biggest commercial rip off pet site on the net. Sending an 11 year old child who spent £600 on upgrades from a site like Marapets to Neopets would be akin to trading in her pet kitten for a lion.

Finally to 'the mum' I'll apologise if my earlier rant upset you but as a mum myself I am mortified that parents still don't monitor their children online when kids are being lured, stalked, attacked and far far worse.

All sites where there are children can and do attract the kind of people we would do anything to keep away from our children. Not monitoring what they're doing on sites with email, forums, chat rooms etc. leaves them vulnerable to being lured into meeting the worst of human life. While Marapets is very well staffed and the staff take action on anything that gets reported they are not and cannot be babysitters.

I would respectfully ask that you read up on how adult men have posed on kids sites as 13 year old boys and even girls and set up meetings with young children... Read some of the horror news stories of what's happened and be thankful that the lesson cost £600 and not your child.

OneADay

Taraquin, are you a member of this Marapets site or owner of the site?

I have only skimmed through trying to catch up on whats being said on this thread - somewhere along the line things are coming to condeming the mother in question.

Your comment

Read some of the horror news stories of what's happened and be thankful that the lesson cost £600 and not your child.

is rather cruel.

Marapets might cost lots to run but £600 from one person - NO I DONT THINK SO. I have never used this marapets nor have any desire to credit my account with funny money which in this case is actually real.

And this is the type of story / site that Ofcom and other regulators around the world should be looking at (such as imposing a rule that such sites should seek approval to join their services from bill payer through the post formally at start). It simply is not right to think parents can monitor everything a child does on the internet - its impossible.