Eight-Year-Old Girl Blows $1400 on Smurfberries

[archvile93]

"I thought the app preyed on children," Kay said.

And yet she still allowed her child to play the game completely unsupervised without bothering to utilize the system's fail safes. Yeah, she gets no sympathy from me. It's just one more parent teaching kids they shouldn't be held accountable for their actions or inactions through the process known as example.

When you buy a game made for 4 year olds and don't enter your credit card into it, it's pretty safe to assume it won't let your four year old rack up over a thousand dollars in charges.

This isn't like the Xbox lady who ENTERED HER CREDIT CARD and then didn't check her statements for 18 months, this is someone who didn't give the game a credit card, and the game is made for people around the age of Kindergarten.

At some point it's no longer the parents fault, there was NOTHING that would lead her to believe anything like this could have happened, she can't be watching the kid 24/7

True, but would it have really been so hard not to tell her children what her password was? I don't go around telling people what the password to my email or bank account is.

 

[GothmogII]

This is just smurfed up. I agree completely, what the smurf these smurphing parents thinking giving that kind of monetary access to their children?

 

[Baldr]

This is just smurfed up. I agree compleltely, what the smurf these smurphing parents thinking giving that kind of monetary access to their children?

Free App = All downloadable things in the App must be free.

 

[dakorok]

This is the prime example of why I hate most "casual games" today.
A game that is called "Free to play" should be 100% free. Not this bullshit where you can use real money to get an advantage over other players.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Ugh. This must be one of THOSE kinda weeks. Where every new story about electronics has to be the same.

People, just dont let your kids play games. Or get them a real console and sit em down. Or make them go outside.

 

[qeinar]

you know you can limit the amount of cash you can use on your ipad? i would never give my kid an ipad with no spending limit. i would probably not give my kid an ipad in the first place.

 

[John the Gamer]

No wonder that wizard hunts the smurf down all the time; if the friggin' berries cost that much, imagion how much a smurf will get you on the black market. (from what I remember he was trying to turn them into gold to get rich. Why that was only possible on smurfs is a mystery to me)

Spoiler: Maybe he should start making iPad games. That would bring in way more cash, I'd wager.

 

[Joepow]

This is bullshit, I think it should be a law that you should have to enter the last four digits of your credit card for verification into a game before it lets you buy things if that game is marketed to children

Considering the fact that the bill came from email, the mother NEVER gave the game itself her card, and it is made for 5 year olds means this was not the mothers fault but the game's

The fact that it charges $99 FUCKING DOLLARS for "smurfberries" lead me to believe that the game was created solely to make things like this happen, I agree with her when she says it preys on children.

I have to agree here. With such outrageous prices it's obvious that this game does, indeed, pray on children.

 

[dakorok]

you know you can limit the amount of cash you can use on your ipad? i would never give my kid an ipad with no spending limit. i would probably not give my kid an ipad in the first place.

Exactly. It's much too expensive to just give to a small child. A DS, or something like that is acceptable, given the general absence of internet on it, as well as the much smaller price tag.
Honestly, who just gives a child a $500 piece of electronics? It's completely irresponsible.

 

[Kingsnake661]

Dude.. 99 bucks for smurfberries... granted, apprently ALOT of smurfberries... but still..

And what the hell is a 99 dollar real world purches option being included in a game targeting 4 year olds anyways? I mean, WHAT?

...

Spending money on line, IMO, should never be so easy an 8 year old can do it on accdent. Or even on purporse. That is just irrisponsible on the game makers part. My god, even at best buy, with me standing there, they want to see my ID and need the 3 digits on the back of my card...

 

[olfelix]

Using technology as a babysitter/pacifier comes at a price.

Isn't there a whole thing about a society having access to technology they don't fully understand. If you're going to play dumb when it comes to parental controls or just basic supervision, $1400 seems a fair price tag to me.

 

[Wintermoot]

$99 for a wagon of smurfberries

please tell me this is a typo its just impossible for a gmae like this to have items that almost cost 100$!
OT
shouldnt the parents monitor their kids? or shouldnt kids ask PERMISSION to use their parents credit card? this is the second story this month! HOW STUPID ARE AMERICAN PARENTS?!
PS
I dont mean that parents should watch their kids 24/7 just in situations where stuff like this can happen

 

[Danpascooch]

"I thought the app preyed on children," Kay said.

And yet she still allowed her child to play the game completely unsupervised without bothering to utilize the system's fail safes. Yeah, she gets no sympathy from me. It's just one more parent teaching kids they shouldn't be held accountable for their actions or inactions through the process known as example.

When you buy a game made for 4 year olds and don't enter your credit card into it, it's pretty safe to assume it won't let your four year old rack up over a thousand dollars in charges.

This isn't like the Xbox lady who ENTERED HER CREDIT CARD and then didn't check her statements for 18 months, this is someone who didn't give the game a credit card, and the game is made for people around the age of Kindergarten.

At some point it's no longer the parents fault, there was NOTHING that would lead her to believe anything like this could have happened, she can't be watching the kid 24/7

True, but would it have really been so hard not to tell her children what her password was? I don't go around telling people what the password to my email or bank account is.

Aren't Iphones and Ipads bound to an account? Meaning they are basically always logged in?

I don't think she needed a password at time of purchase.

 

[squid5580]

"I thought the app preyed on children," Kay said.

And yet she still allowed her child to play the game completely unsupervised without bothering to utilize the system's fail safes. Yeah, she gets no sympathy from me. It's just one more parent teaching kids they shouldn't be held accountable for their actions or inactions through the process known as example.

When you buy a game made for 4 year olds and don't enter your credit card into it, it's pretty safe to assume it won't let your four year old rack up over a thousand dollars in charges.

This isn't like the Xbox lady who ENTERED HER CREDIT CARD and then didn't check her statements for 18 months, this is someone who didn't give the game a credit card, and the game is made for people around the age of Kindergarten.

At some point it's no longer the parents fault, there was NOTHING that would lead her to believe anything like this could have happened, she can't be watching the kid 24/7

I agree. If there was no CC needed then this should not have happened. You shouldn't need to supervise you kid playing the Smurfs. Not to mention $99 bucks for smurfberries? $99 for any dlc in a game should require a valid CC no question. That is outrageous.

 

[Anarchemitis]

No matter what the cost, our pasttimes surpass all priorities regarding finances.[/sarcasm]

Thankfully within a few years business models will develop to be far less dangerous to underage internet access.

 

[Stoic raptor]

I was going to be like "this is the parents fault" but this is ridiculous. 19$ is already too much, but 99$? For children? This time I blame the company.

 

[Danpascooch]

"I thought the app preyed on children," Kay said.

And yet she still allowed her child to play the game completely unsupervised without bothering to utilize the system's fail safes. Yeah, she gets no sympathy from me. It's just one more parent teaching kids they shouldn't be held accountable for their actions or inactions through the process known as example.

When you buy a game made for 4 year olds and don't enter your credit card into it, it's pretty safe to assume it won't let your four year old rack up over a thousand dollars in charges.

This isn't like the Xbox lady who ENTERED HER CREDIT CARD and then didn't check her statements for 18 months, this is someone who didn't give the game a credit card, and the game is made for people around the age of Kindergarten.

At some point it's no longer the parents fault, there was NOTHING that would lead her to believe anything like this could have happened, she can't be watching the kid 24/7

I agree. If there was no CC needed then this should not have happened. You shouldn't need to supervise you kid playing the Smurfs. Not to mention $99 bucks for smurfberries? $99 for any dlc in a game should require a valid CC no question. That is outrageous.

Exactly, when the problem is a combination of

1.) Using a credit card
2.) Not checking bank statements

then it's her fault, but not only did she not give the game her card, but all of the charges were incurred between statements.

Capcom is on my shit list now, between this and totally ripping of 'Splosion Man, that company is rapidly approach Zynga levels of bullshit.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Can we just get an app that teaches you how to be a half-decent parent?

 

[Canid117]

I have to admit this app did seem highly deceptive. Shouldn't those pop up have already been there?

Can we just get an app that teaches you how to be a half-decent parent?

Theres an app for that

On second thought maybe you shouldn't buy that eBook...

 

[Kingsnake661]

$99 for a wagon of smurfberries

please tell me this is a typo its just impossible for a gmae like this to have items that almost cost 100$!
OT
shouldnt the parents monitor their kids? or shouldnt kids ask PERMISSION to use their parents credit card? this is the second story this month! HOW STUPID ARE AMERICAN PARENTS?!

Look, all you, "monitor your kids" people, parents aren't superhuman. And they can't "monitor" them 24/7. It's impossible. Your parents didn't, mine didn't, can't be done. (By anyone, you "monitor your kids" people won't do it either.)

Even responsiable parents can't account for every possible situation there kids may or may not encounter. And frankly, I'm still having a hard time wraping MY head around a smurf game that'll charge you 100 bucks for smurfberries.

Cut the parents some slack, they aren't always to blame. (often times they are, i know, it's why we'er so quick to judge, but not always.)