UPDATE- Microsoft refund $8k of fees racked up from FIFA

[CGurrell]

A couple of weeks ago on WAN show, Linus and Luke covered a story where a kid had managed to rack up almost $8k worth of charges in FIFA 16, as seen here: https://youtu.be/k_tFt_X57Ik?t=6m30s

 

Microsoft have now confirmed that they have refunded the $7,625.88 charged by the son, however, they also state that any charges that are made by a minor, to a parents credit or debit card, are considered valid under their service agreement. Microsoft also stated they encourage parents to use all of the features provided on the xbox one console to prevent this from happening again.

 

As Linus was confused on the show, I thought I would explain how/why anybody would pay microtransactions on FIFA. As an ex-player of the Ultimate Team mode, I fell into EAs trap hundreds of times (using my own, earned money though, not my parents).

 

In FIFA, there is a game mode called ultimate team, based on trading cards. The idea is you start with some low end (bronze) cards, and purchase packs using either in game currency (coins), or microtransactions (FIFA Points). Coins can be earned by playing games,either single games, cups or league seasons, with rewards given at the end of the Cups and Seasons depending on how well you performed. The problem for most people is that these leagues are 10 games long, and net you maybe 20,000 coins in a season - About 2-3 good packs, the equivalent of which costs about £5 (~$7) if bought for with FIFA Points. FIFA Points can cost anywhere from $.99 for 100, to $99.99 for 12,000 (10,000+2,000 free). These packs give you a chance to pull better players which you can then either sell on the auction house, or place into your team. There are also lots of promos, including Team Of The Week, where top performers in real life get higher rated cards in game. These cards are Limited Edition (7 days in packs only) so can be worth a small fortune. I won't go into team chemistry fully, but multiple players from the same league, team or nation, work better together in game.

 

Many YouTubers encourage the purchase of packs, and pull lots of packs themselves. An example of this is a YouTuber/Twitch Streamer called Nick28T who spent nearly $10,000 on these packs in one week, during the recent Team Of The Year promo, where 11 players of super high value (millions of coins) were released into packs.

 

Now I can honestly say, after playing this game for years (since the inception of Ultimate Team in 2009). Pulling these packs is addictive, and $8k of charges racked up in a month is, although slightly surprising, not something I believed could never happen. 

 

Would love to hear the thoughts of people in the comments. Should Microsoft have refunded this? Have you ever racked up more than you thought when playing a game with microtransactions? Have you (as a parent) ever used the features found on consoles for blocking the use or adding of a credit card?

 

Link: eTeknix for the story http://www.eteknix.com/microsoft-refunds-dad-8k-worth-credit-card-charges/

 

[Kirky2k15]

But Fifa is poo

[Notional]

I think you nailed it on the head, that it's addicting. As such, these packs and part of this game, should be regulated under the laws of gambling, in every shape and form.

 

This type of game is like a cancer giving hitler teabag to the face, and should be obliverated from gaming completely. It's addiction based on money spent, and is no different than being an alcoholic, cocaine user or gambler (same principle at stake in the brain).

 

EA and FIFA should be ashamed of this BS.

[PooPipeBoy]

But Fifa is poo

 

I am shocked that my prestigious name is co-existing in the same sentence as a bad computer game.

[Guest Kloaked]

Who the hell has such a high spending limit on their credit card anyway..

A lot of people do.

[CGurrell]

I think you nailed it on the head, that it's addicting. As such, these packs and part of this game, should be regulated under the laws of gambling, in every shape and form.

EA have this in every EA SPORTS title I can think of, and although it's much easier in Madden to spend less and still have a great team (The way it should be), in FIFA it's almost impossible.

[suicidalfranco]

so basically as become a p2p game that also incorporates the f2p business model, what's next? cosmetics only available with real money a la moba?

[RagnarokDel]

Who the hell has such a high spending limit on their credit card anyway..

without going into the specifics, I have a limit of over 25 000.

[Yoinkerman]

without going into the specifics, I have a limit of over 25 000.

The story was that it was an emergency card for his kid.

Also, yes it should be treated like gambling. And minors can't gamble.

[Real_PhillBert]

Who the hell has such a high spending limit on their credit card anyway..

 

[duncanbullet]

Its the same thing with Clash of Clans for mobile devices, 

If a kid is using his/her parents itunes/google play account, then all they would need would be a password and they could buy coins, gems, etc. Its easy to do, because you don't feel the pain until the bill comes. And its also addicting because after buying this stuff you get a large advantage over non paying users. Almost like going on power trip. 

I did the same thing with Runescape back in 2012 when you could buy GP for next to nothing, (I would buy coins [in the millions], rare items, and even pre-created high level players, all at once. Spending over $200 at a time) 
Of course i had my own money. 

But it gave me a sense of power and advantage over others and It made me want more, because instead of spending HOURS even DAYS gold mining (doing tasks to get gold) 

[michaelocarroll007]

I guess you use it as a daily driver

I only use my debit card so I have a low spending limit

You can have a high credit limit and almost never use it they just base the limit on your credit score/ history and it doesnt even need to be that good for some companies to give out a lot. and yeah your debt card is just whatever cash you have in your account so it could be more or less since you cant really spend money you dont have exceptions are overdraft loans and such. Though where i live you cant buy lottery tickets scratch offs ect with a credit card it has to be debit/cash only and honestly that might be a good thing to implement for this stuff and even the FTP phone games like clash of clans. South Park actually did a really good episode on Freemium Games and how they pick on thoses few people that get addicted like gambling and spend hundreds of dollars on them  

[SuperShires]

Thankfully I'm not very good at Fifa so I just play career mode with a League 2 team (Bristol Rovers ) When I was about 16-17 I played a game called Soldier Front and A.V.A (same company, A.V.A basically being the successor to SF) and that had a similar business model (buy points, use points to get better weapons or risk it gambling for a super rare gun (Gold AK-47 (which I owned)) I think between them games I spent about £500 and then one day my account got banned because my mate hacked on my account (I owned pretty much all the guns so I let him use my account)

 

So since then I havent spent that much and I've learned from my mistakes though I also used to spend a lot on LoL.

[RagnarokDel]

I guess you use it as a daily driver

I only use my debit card so I have a low spending limit

not really they just keep sending me offers to increase my limit. I stopped now but if I hadnt, I think I'd have a ridiculous amount. I never paid a bill late in my life, might have something to do with it but I dont know.

[NickTheMajin]

I have 650 hours in FIFA 15 and over 100 hours in FIFA 16 according to Origin and I've never once spent a dime past the initial $60 price tag, People need to learn how to play the career modes and get off that stupid card game. 

[Neemil]

Ea should really name next year's game gambling 2017 because that's what it is. But jokes aside I play the game myself but I never would even consider paying any amount of money for the packs therefore I mostly just play the game when friends come over on my Ps4 ignore ultimate team all together and mainly because my bank account has negative figures in it, I'm living a thug life it can be expensive at times.

[marldorthegreat]

Who the hell has such a high spending limit on their credit card anyway..

People who spend a lot of money.

[Bensemus]

I'm kinda torn on whether MS should of refunded the money. The kid isn't ten. He knows the value of money and should understand what a credit card is. On the other hand I get the feeling the 8K is a LOT of money for his parents and would put them under a lot of financial pressure if they had to pay it back themselves...

 

it seems like these companies really need to push and explain how parental control works. When I was younger and my parents were much more responsible for the time I spent on electronics they had no idea parental controls existed. I did but no way in hell was I telling them. Unless they went online and looked around they would never find out about these tools. And that was almost 10 years ago. I thought by now parents would of learned of these tools existence and used them.

[Bensemus]

People who spend a lot of money.

They don't need to necessarily spend a lot to get a high limit. I personally already have a 2.5K limit and am currently going to school yet the credit card company had no problem upping my limit. I don't think I've ever had a balance over $700 CAD on the card. My parents both have over 10K each on their cards but use debit for everything. Credit cards companies love to give you more spending money to get you to spend more. 

[Fetzie]

The story was that it was an emergency card for his kid.

Also, yes it should be treated like gambling. And minors can't gamble.

 

Why would a kid ever need more than a 500 dollar limit? You can fly from NYC to LA for less than that.

[Yoinkerman]

Why would a kid ever need more than a 500 dollar limit? You can fly from NYC to LA for less than that.

He's probably an authorized user on his parents card.

[spartaman64]

Who the hell has such a high spending limit on their credit card anyway..

the emergency credit card my parents gave to me has no preset spending limit so its probably somewhere around 250k 

[NickTheMajin]

Who the hell has such a high spending limit on their credit card anyway..

 

People who are responsible. ie not teenagers who steal their parent's credit card. 

[KuJoe]

And no lessons were learned today... 

[Nexxus]

im honestly disappointed they did this