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X's and Oh No's!
There are hundreds of stories about teenagers getting caught using their parents credit cards to make purchases online or register for some 'not so savoury’ entertainment sites. Each time the parent speaks of their disbelief and asks the same question as every other person in their situation 'how?' A recent story has highlighted just how easy it is for youngsters to rack up pretty hefty bills at their parents expense. However, this time it is not a teenager sneakily trying to access over 18 sites. It is the cautionary tale of an eleven year old boy who managed to spend over £1,000 just by playing on his Xbox.
The mother of the child has come out to express her disgust at the fact that her son was 'allowed' to spend money on her debit card. Through purchasing extra games and accessories her son unconsciously added to the growing list of charges that were being placed on the account, but is his mother entirely blameless? After buying the Xbox as a Christmas present, the mother registered her details on Xbox Live under the premise that she was enabling her son to play games online with his friends. The console offers a parental access function that would have allowed her to restrict just what her son was able to do whilst playing, however this was not enabled. After receiving her bank statement the mother was understandably shocked as is currently battling both her bank and Microsoft to try and recoup the expenses which she claims should not have been taken in the first place.
Whatever you stand point on this story, the fact is that with just a bit more knowledge the mother could have avoided adding extra zero's to her statement. Obviously it is hard to keep track of all of the new presents and games that a child gets for Christmas, but when a 'gift' requires entering your bank details it is wise to take the time to find out just what they are used for!
Head to http://support.xbox.com/en-gb/pages/xbox-live/how-to/parental-control.aspx