The article discusses 10 cases of children who spent large amounts of money on in-game purchases without their parents' knowledge or consent. The amounts spent range from $1,100 to $46,000. In most cases, the parents were not aware of the purchases and were left with significant debts. Some companies, such as Apple, refused to return the money, citing that the parents were responsible for their child's actions. However, in a few cases, the companies did return the money, and some parents were able to recover their losses. The article highlights the importance of parental responsibility and awareness when it comes to children's online gaming activities.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Fart Night is a free game with in-game purchases that has over 10 million players.
2. Players can buy in-game currency called "bucks" with real money, ranging from $10 to $100.
3. A 10-year-old boy spent over £1,100 on Fart Night using his mother's debit card without her knowledge.
4. The mother, Cleo Da Kid, was left with a debt of £245 after the boy's spending spree.
5. Microsoft, Epic Games, and the bank refused to return the money spent by the boy.
6. Clash of Clans is a free game with over 100 million daily players and generates $10 million in revenue per month.
7. A mother's twin sons spent $3,000 on Clash of Clans without her knowledge.
8. Apple refused to return the money spent by the boys, citing parental responsibility.
9. A 13-year-old boy spent £3,700 on games such as Plants vs. Zombies and Hungry Shark using his father's credit card.
10. The boy's father, a policeman, reported his son to the police for fraud but did not want him to be arrested.
11. Apple refused to return the money spent by the boy, citing parental responsibility.
12. A mother, Llum, had her twin sons spend $3,000 on Clash of Clans without her knowledge.
13. A 11-year-old boy spent £3,911 on iTunes playing a mobile game about Jurassic Park.
14. Apple refused to return the money spent by the boy, citing parental responsibility.
15. A father, Roy Dobson, had his 11-year-old son spend £6,000 on in-app purchases in just two weekends.
16. Apple returned the money spent by the boy after his father complained.
17. A 17-year-old son spent almost $8,000 on an Xbox and the latest version of FIFA using his father's credit card.
18. The son claimed it was a one-time fee for the game, but his father disputed this.
19. Neither the bank nor Microsoft returned the money spent by the son.
20. A teenager, King Gold, spent over $10,000 on games such as Smite and Counter-Strike in three years.
21. King Gold switched from mobile games to computer games and spent most of his earnings from his part-time job on these games.
22. King Gold eventually sought help from a psychologist to overcome his addiction.
23. A mother, Catherine, had her 9-year-old son spend $12,000 on the mobile application City of Dragons.
24. Apple returned the money spent by the boy after his mother complained.
25. A Chinese resident had her 11-year-old son spend $14,900 on the Q-Q gaming platform in one month.
26. The mother claimed that a hacker took over her son's account and forced him to spend money.
27. A 15-year-old boy from Belgium accumulated a debt of $46,000 in three months while making purchases in the game of war application.
28. The boy used his grandfather's card and bought virtual currency without knowing the real cost.