Let's get this straight before we even get to the details – this is definitely Microsoft's fault. Not the kid's for spending all the money. Not the dad's for letting her child have access to her bank card. Dispel thoughts of bad parenting.
Close your eyes, breathe deeply and become one with the Mail Online.
Oh, wait! That’s an intro we ran to this story back in 2011. How daft of us! We don’t mean to re-tread old ground.
Unlike The Daily Sodding Mail.
“A 12-year-old boy accidentally ran up a £1,500 bill while playing Xbox Live – leaving his cash-strapped dad with no choice but to pick up the tab,” the paper wrote. “Sam Ghera's son Nik thought he was using up game points every time he 'improved' his characters while playing Call of Duty and FIFA.”
YOU DON’T ‘IMPROVE’ YOUR CHARACTER IN CALL OF DUTY! YOU DON’T ‘IMPROVE’ YOUR FOOTBALLER IN FIFA! You buy map packs in CoD and you buy Ultimate Team card packs in FIFA! IT’S NOT DIFFICULT.
AND that’s the only time the paper writes Xbox instead of XBox or X-Box. All three variations occur. X-BOX? SERIOUSLY?
And breathe.
“Now Sam, from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, wants to warn parents of the hidden costs lurking behind games consoles after he was left with a sky-high credit card bill.”
IT’S NOT HIDDEN! IT SHOWS YOU FROM WHAT CARD THE MONEY WILL BE TAKEN AND HOW MUCH IT WILL COST EVERY TIME YOU DO IT! Either the kid’s thick or he’s fobbing off his dad. OBVIOUSLY.
“The youngster thought he had earned the points for scoring goals and killing villains and he used these to add extra weapons for his soldier in hit game Call of Duty and players in football game FIFA.”
LIES!
“Between December and June this year Nik spent a wallet-busting £1,150.
In one marathon gaming session Nik spent £100 in a single day on weapons and extra features after playing Call of Duty with his online friends.”
INACCURATE!
“With sites like eBay and iTunes it always asks you for a password before you make a purchase. But with Xbox Live you just press a button and then your money’s gone. I contacted Microsoft but six months down the line they’re still saying they’re looking into it.”
YEAH? WELL… WELL… Well, yeah, that in itself is actually true. Astonishingly. But it does tell you which card you’re being charged from and how much it costs. Quite clearly.
So there. Quit hating on Microsoft and get that lad a job – he owes you one and half grand.
NEXT WEEK: PARENTS SLAM LIDL FOR ACCEPTING REAL MONEY OFF TEENAGER. “I THOUGHT IT WAS PLAY MONEY FROM OUR MONOPOLY SET” IDIOT CLAIMS. PARENTS DEMAND REAL MONEY BAN.