Mum blames Microsoft for kids £1,000 Xbox spending spree

[MadMullah]

cvg said:

Single mum Dawn Matthews has hit out at Microsoft after learning that her 11-year-old son spent over £1,000 downloading content from Xbox Live using her debit card.

According to the Daily Mail, Brendan Jordan racked up a £1,082.52 debt on his mother's account over a six month period after she had used her card to purchase a Gold Xbox Live membership for him.

Mother Dawn said: "The bank and Microsoft are blaming each other and no one is helping me. It has taken me ages to permanently get rid of my card details from the website. It was only when I made a complaint that they took all my details off.

"Brendan is 11 and knows his times tables but it was only when I explained to him that he realised how much money he had spent. When I showed him he burst into tears. He unplugged the Xbox and said he didn't want it anymore.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/287750/news/mum-blames-microsoft-for-kids-pound1000-xbox-live-spending-spree/

[tim2100]

Her own fault, for allowing her card details to be kept by MS.

[KrazyIvan]

I dont understand why she thinks is MS or the Banks fault. She knowingly added her details to the account and would have had to accept the T&C's.

[Marf]

Stupid bint.

[Vipers]

Marf said:

Stupid bint.

She isn't the only one caught out either.

[Marf]

How much do you owe MS Vipers?

[anonymous-user]

To be fair once you enter your card details on live you cannot get rid of them. Well not easily anyhow.

[RemainAllHoof]

Why would you admit to the nation that you're a st parent???

[Morningside]

Matthews.. Not related in any way to the 'missing' child Matthews?

Seems they are on the same intelligence level.

Article said:

"These companiesI should take some responsibility," she added. They take advantage of vulnerablestupid people."

EFA.

Edited by Morningside on Tuesday 8th February 16:43

[Marf]

RemainAllHoof said:

Why would you admit to the nation that you're a st parent???

Coz its not 'er fault, innit.

[Parrot of Doom]

Microsoft make it practically impossible to remove credit card details from accounts, without resorting to the phone.

[poo at Paul's]

He started to cry and said he did not want his x box anymore.....Good, sell it at cashconverters and it will give you £30 toward the grand bill!

[hyperblue]

I haven't used X-Box live, but it seems a bit unusual that you don't have to enter at least the 3 digits on the back of the card each time?

[XG332]

Sheeda Pistol said:

To be fair once you enter your card details on live you cannot get rid of them. Well not easily anyhow.

When i couldnt be arsed to play it anylonger, i rang MS explained i would like my subscription closed and payment details removed. Done.

[MadMullah]

XG332 said:

Sheeda Pistol said:

To be fair once you enter your card details on live you cannot get rid of them. Well not easily anyhow.

When i couldnt be arsed to play it anylonger, i rang MS explained i would like my subscription closed and payment details removed. Done.

agreed

took me a few mins to let em know i got a scratch card instead of DD they asked for the number and gave me 1300 free points for sticking with xbox.

[paddyhasneeds]

If (and I don't know how valid it is) you can't easily get a credit card removed from your account, and if it's like the iTunes store it would be a major PITA adding/removing your card every time you want to make a purchase, then fair enough I think she may have a point, but....

""These companies should take some responsibility," she added. They take advantage of vulnerable people."" was the bit that pissed me off.

How exactly is she "vulnerable"?

fk me the hair!! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354490/Bo...

[davepoth]

Yes, it's a pain to take your credit details off.

No, it's not Microsoft's fault that this kid ran up a £1000 credit card bill. He would still have to add points to the account, which would tell him exactly how much he was spending. Any kid over the age of 10 with average intelligence would I think be able to understand what they were doing. I bet he did it once, his mum didn't notice, and then he did it a lot more and she did.

[XG332]

As long as you have a phone and the ability to speak then it can be removed very simply.

[paddyhasneeds]

XG332 said:

As long as you have a phone and the ability to speak then it can be removed very simply.

Yes but can it if you wish to make a £1 purchase on Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, without letting anyone using the account make purchases at their leisure without you being expected to call Microsoft every single day to have the details removed?

[SplatSpeed]

this is why i never bought a games machine from the evil empire!