There are a good portion of people out there that hate microtransactions. I am not one of those people. To me, microtransactions are fine as long as they’re optional. Parents, on the other hand, well they’ve got it rough. Let your kids use your credit card these days and who knows what kind of mess you’ll end up in. Take for example the father of a teen in Pembroke, Ontario who happened upon a bill of $8000 thanks to his son’s shopping spree on FIFA microtransactions.
This is a story that we’ve seen before, and you’d think by now most people would know to keep their credit card away from their children thanks to the spread of mobile gaming and free to play. Most people probably associate that kind of experience with mobile, however, and that could be how this dad ended up in such a situation.
Let this be a lesson to parents out there, if you’re not already aware. You probably shouldn’t give your children direct access to your credit card. Oh, and if you do, just know that console games do have microtransactions now. They’ve had them for a while. Still, I do feel bad for the guy. That’s not exactly chump change.
Unfortunately, most gaming companies nowadays are happy to charge you for illicit spending from family members. While the man in question — Lance Perkins — might have heard from Xbox that they would reverse the charge since their son is a minor, that’s pretty unlikely. That’s too bad! But at least now he knows that it’s important to watch out what your kids are spending money on these days.
The worst news? Perkins won’t be allowing any gaming consoles in his house again anytime soon. I just hope he knows that mobile poses a similar, if not worse, risk. Ah well, live and learn, eh?
