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No matter how much money you’ve shame-spent on in-game microtransactions, at least you can feel frugal next to the son of Lance Perkins. Perkins, a convenience store owner from Pembroke, Ontario, discovered just before Christmas that his 17-year-old child – who has still not been disowned as of press time – spent nearly $8,000 ($5,624 USD / £3,863 GBP) on FIFA, CBC (opens in new tab) reports.
Perkins’ son (who wasn’t named in the story) was only supposed to use the credit card for emergencies, or to make purchases for the family’s store. But when Perkins got the bill on December 23, both he and his son were “‘literally floored.” Improper use aside, the son said he had no idea he’d spent nearly so much money … which is exactly the kind of thing I’d say if my dad came to me with a several-thousand-dollar bill for virtual soccer players.
Microsoft is reportedly looking into the charges, though Perkins hasn’t heard a verdict yet. The company said in a statement to CBC that purchases made by a child using their parent’s payment account are considered legitimate under the Microsoft Services Agreement. It then helpfully pointed out that Xbox systems and accounts have a number of parental control features to keep this sort of thing from happening.
Refund or no, Perkins said he’ll never have “another Xbox system – or any gaming system – in my home.” Cue a $10,000 iTunes bill from the FIFA 16 Ultimate Team iOS app a few months from now…
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