11 Year old managed to purchase up to €642,76 of Gems - please advise :(

[InfiniteRaiderIV]

Hi

I've contacted support via the in game app but no reply..

I've contacted Google Play and they've told me to contact the developer direct - tried that so I'm now here in an open forum..

This evening my son complained that he could not telephone any of his friends - we contacted Unitymedia our mobile carrier and they told us that our sons phone had been disconnected due to high amount of telephone usage. This led us to investigate further as to how our son had accumulated such a high telephone bill "Over €640". I managed to search his telephone browsing history and this gave me information leading us to beleive he had been billed by O2.

Further investigation and talking with our son we found out that he had been playing the game "Clash of Clans" without our authority or authorisation he had been purchasing items such as "Sacks of Gems" raging from €4,49 through to €17,99 amounting to a total of €642,76 over a period from 5th April 2014 until today 13th May 2014 using O2 Bill Pay!

My Son is 11 years old - He had no idea that he was purchasing items at cost. My son is not in any position to make such authorizations, we as his guardians are the ones that agree to such terms and in this case we clearly did not!

€642,76 is a lot of money and we would like that this sum be reversed by means of refund!

please advise!

Was his username JORDY? If yes his clan told him to stop.

[MartinJD]

Was his username JORDY? If yes his clan told him to stop.

No - this was not his name..

[VollsRain]

not sure how posting on the forums would help...googling it with specific details might throw up some examples and procedures to be followed...

im no legal expert but the chances of getting your money back seem really remote...i hardly doubt this is the first time something like this has happened

might not even be worth the effort really....learning some lessons and moving on might be more convenient

[acealive]

Good to know - but without Supercell making contact with me then I'm kind of buggered! - Lawyer comes at a cost too. I've contacted Unitymedia since they contacted me first to say his Sim Card had been deactivated due to excess usage...

Unitymedia is the one that effectively charged you the money and sent you the bill ?
Then Unitymedia is the one you have to adress. It's them that effectiveley sold your 11yo the Clash of Clans gems.

Talk to the party that sent you the bill, explain the situation of an 11yo doing business without parental approval (in writing as a letter. Make sure you send it as 'Einschreiben') and also make sure that they understand that if they don't give you back the money, you will hire a lawyer.

[InfiniteRaiderIV]

Hi

I've contacted support via the in game app but no reply..

I've contacted Google Play and they've told me to contact the developer direct - tried that so I'm now here in an open forum..

This evening my son complained that he could not telephone any of his friends - we contacted Unitymedia our mobile carrier and they told us that our sons phone had been disconnected due to high amount of telephone usage. This led us to investigate further as to how our son had accumulated such a high telephone bill "Over €640". I managed to search his telephone browsing history and this gave me information leading us to beleive he had been billed by O2.

Further investigation and talking with our son we found out that he had been playing the game "Clash of Clans" without our authority or authorisation he had been purchasing items such as "Sacks of Gems" raging from €4,49 through to €17,99 amounting to a total of €642,76 over a period from 5th April 2014 until today 13th May 2014 using O2 Bill Pay!

My Son is 11 years old - He had no idea that he was purchasing items at cost. My son is not in any position to make such authorizations, we as his guardians are the ones that agree to such terms and in this case we clearly did not!

€642,76 is a lot of money and we would like that this sum be reversed by means of refund!

please advise!

not sure how posting on the forums would help...googling it with specific details might throw up some examples and procedures to be followed...

im no legal expert but the chances of getting your money back seem really remote...i hardly doubt this is the first time something like this has happened

might not even be worth the effort really....learning some lessons and moving on might be more convenient

It's happened before some guy named JORDY spent over $7k and he's young - he stole his parents credit card and they still havn't found out

[MartinJD]

might not even be worth the effort really....learning some lessons and moving on might be more convenient

I'm beginning to think the same..

[VollsRain]

It's happened before some guy named JORDY spent over $7k and he's young - he stole his parents credit card and they still havn't found out

kids these days
spoiled really.....too much too soon

[MartinJD]

Unitymedia is the one that effectively charged you the money and sent you the bill ?
Then Unitymedia is the one you have to adress. It's them that effectiveley sold your 11yo the Clash of Clans gems.

He had purchased Gems via the ingame app and used 02 Bill Pay as the billing Company which he had attached to his Google Wallet.. How is another story but apparently youtube advises people on how to do it..

How this system all works is new to me since I dont even play these sort of games..

[acealive]

Well, I have no experience with O2 bill pay or Google wallet, so I can't give further advice than what I have said before.
Not exactly sure how the three companies (Unitymedia, o2, Google) work together and who it was that effectively sent you the bill in such a case.
But the company that effectively wants the money from you is the one you will need to address.


In my case, if my 11yo (who does play Clash of Clans) would purchase that amount of Gems with some fishy trick via iTunes, I would get my money back from Apple.
We have no credit card attached to the iTunes Account he uses, of course. He just sometimes gets an iTunes Giftcard to buy whatever App or music he wants.

In your case, it seems to me that you have met all parental precautions (no credit card attached), but your son found a way to trick the system. But the law is on your side, so don't worry.

P.S.:
don't mind the trolls in this thread. It's perfectly normal for an 11yo to have a smartphone. In fact the kinds need to learn how to use these things from an early ago on as they will be using these technologies for their eintire life. Apparently your son knows his way around these devices pretty good (if you are able to look at it from a positive side at this point of the case).

[Jelle]

Hahahahahahahahaha