Small relative accidentally spent over £1700 in apple store purchases using my Grandma's card!

MobileSaver

Ergates said:

born_again said:
Fraught with very deep repercussions for all parties.

There comes a point where arguments of "personal responsibility" break down.   These stories keep happening again and again and again - so frequently that there is no way this is an accident any more. 

I completely disagree; FIFA Mobile has well over 100,000,000 players, the number of stories like this are absolutely minuscule in the grand scheme of things.

If these payments were actioned by the grandson then it absolutely is personal responsibility failings by the child, parents and grandparents. I feel sorry for the next generation that are being brought up to believe "it's always someone else's fault" as that belief will not end well...

DCFC79

OP Im guessing the Ipad was the childs ?

If so when said item was purchased or opened (if bought by some else) were the parental settings not setup to prevent this.

The Grandma could've asked the parents if it was ok, could they read the T&Cs.

MattMattMattUK

Ergates said:

born_again said:
Fraught with very deep repercussions for all parties.

It's almost like the companies deliberately make it very very easy for a child (or adult) to spend stupidly large amounts of money without fully realising what they're doing.

How is it even possible to spent £1700 in the FIFA mobile game without that setting off all kinds of alarms.  I don't think even the president of EA would pretend there was £1700 worth of content in the FIFA mobile game.  That is *clearly* not sensible/healthy behaviour - either some kind of obsession/addiction or a child who doesn't fully understand they're spending real money (and/or doesn't understand the value of real money).

Lots of people undertake behaviour that is not sensible or healthy, we don't ban the majority of them.

Ergates said:

There comes a point where arguments of "personal responsibility" break down.   These stories keep happening again and again and again - so frequently that there is no way this is an accident any more.  The companies who make these games like this are doing it on purpose.  The wailing and gnashing of teeth at every little bit of legislation* that limits their profits is evidence of this.

This is where the arguments for personal responsibility stand up, you are right these are not an accident, they are deliberate, but the person purchasing the electronic magic beans. The companies design these games to make money, the same as every other business that operates (otherwise it would be a charity). If someone could make the purchase by accident then there would be reasonable grounds to say it was unfair, but it requires a very deliberate, multi-step process to make each transaction, it cannot be done by making one (or even several) accidental touches of the screen.

pulliptears

born_again said:

No offence intended, But if parents are on breadline. How does a 9 YO have a I-Phone/I-Pad? Or were they using Grandma's?

Because people can find themselves on the breadline suddenly.  Because these might be items owned before the family fell on tough times. Because iPads have been around since 2010 and iPhones 2007.  Because iPad or iPhone doesn't immediately mean latest model and a quick google reveals a deal for an iPad 2 on Wowcher at £45.

Personally I find it best not to judge.

born_again

pulliptears said:

born_again said:

No offence intended, But if parents are on breadline. How does a 9 YO have a I-Phone/I-Pad? Or were they using Grandma's?

Because people can find themselves on the breadline suddenly.  Because these might be items owned before the family fell on tough times. Because iPads have been around since 2010 and iPhones 2007.  Because iPad or iPhone doesn't immediately mean latest model and a quick google reveals a deal for an iPad 2 on Wowcher at £45.

Personally I find it best not to judge.

Not judging anyone at all. But have plenty of experience of dealing with problems like the OP's. And the pleading of can't afford it. Only to see contracts for mobiles, sky etc & oversea's holidays. 

pulliptears

born_again said:

pulliptears said:

born_again said:

No offence intended, But if parents are on breadline. How does a 9 YO have a I-Phone/I-Pad? Or were they using Grandma's?

Because people can find themselves on the breadline suddenly.  Because these might be items owned before the family fell on tough times. Because iPads have been around since 2010 and iPhones 2007.  Because iPad or iPhone doesn't immediately mean latest model and a quick google reveals a deal for an iPad 2 on Wowcher at £45.

Personally I find it best not to judge.

Not judging anyone at all. But have plenty of experience of dealing with problems like the OP's. And the pleading of can't afford it. Only to see contracts for mobiles, sky etc & oversea's holidays. 

Clearly you are judging them as you know absolutely nothing about the OP and their family and yet are questioning how they can afford their devices.
Surely if you have plenty of experience you then realise that every situation is completely different?