Micro transactions, the sort that make mobile games free-to-play nightmares, are a great way for companies to extract huge wads of cash from people who barely realise how much they’re actually spending. Digital money is an ethereal, intangible thing, and it’s easy to spend a lot of it if you’re not rather careful. That’s a hard lesson that an 11 year old boy just learned, after clearing out his mum’s bank account on in-app purchases.
11 year old Nick Wrinch has sent his dear old mum in to debt after blowing £3,000 on in-game purchases through Google Play. Mother Penny, who foolishly handed over her debit card details to the lad because he’s “highly trustworthy and technically savvy,” is now quite severely out-of-pocket.
Apparently Nick had been trying to purchase credits for football management sim Top Eleven 2015 and the frightfully popular Clash of Clans. His purchases didn’t actually reflect in-game though, so he kept trying, over and over again for months. Apparently. Each time he tried – and seemingly failed – to buy credits, the money would be deducted from the bank account.
You’d imagine that Google would happily rectify the situation if, indeed, the charges were in error. Instead, Google invited the family to “think happy thoughts”.
“The whole thing has been a nightmare. Payments bounced, including my credit card bill, and I have incurred bank charges as a result. Nick knows that these credits are bought, and are not free, but we suspect that when nothing happened he kept clicking ‘buy’, completely unaware that the money was leaving my account. I can’t believe that Google don’t have processes in place to stop this happening,” Penny says.
The whole story would have ended up with nobody looking good; Google seems like an uncaring sort, Penny seems like an idiot (who gives an 11 year old unrestricted access to one’s bank account) and Nick seems like the opposite of somebody who’s technically savvy. Google, however, has said that after looking at the case further, they’ve decided to refund the money for faux purchases – but won’t be giving the Wrinch’s money back for their incurred bank charges.
It’s a situation that could have easily been avoided by using pre-paid Google Play cards, because who the hell gives an 11 year old unrestricted access to a bank account?
Last Updated: May 25, 2015
Admiral Chief's Adventure
May 25, 2015 at 13:03
Janee, lekker stupid
Blood Emperor Trevor
May 25, 2015 at 13:03
“the opposite of somebody who’s technically savvy” – sounds about right for Nick. trollol
Admiral Chief's Adventure
May 25, 2015 at 13:13
HAHA, wearing his dress amirite?
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:15
Nah. Just a console controller
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:16
PS: Not referring to Nick from article….
RinceTheElfRoot
May 25, 2015 at 13:18
Who’s Nick? 0_O
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:19
Huehuehuehue
nalsan mangala
May 25, 2015 at 15:14
?????????????Take advice with lazygamer < I didn't believe …that…my brother woz like truly making money part time at their computer. . there aunt had bean doing this 4 only seventeen months and resantly paid the dept on there apartment and bourt themselves a Lotus Elise .
see this her ????? ===—->-> SEE MORE DETAIL
Lord Chaos
May 25, 2015 at 13:11
Brits…
Mark Treloar
May 25, 2015 at 13:40
Americans too. There is still that parent who works at the World Bank who is suing Microsoft for the same thing.
Lord Chaos
May 25, 2015 at 13:42
Like I said… Brits (with funny spelling and accents). 😛
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:12
“Penny Wrinch” Is that what Google did to her bank account? Wrench every penny?
http://cdn.alltheragefaces.com/img/faces/png/troll-ba-dum-tss.png
Admiral Chief's Adventure
May 25, 2015 at 13:13
Oh you
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:17
That was so bad even I cringed… And I make the worst jokes here….
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:18
Your jokes aren’t that bad…..maybe the seventh worst around here.
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:19
#Glares
Admiral Chief's Adventure
May 25, 2015 at 13:24
xD
RinceTheElfRoot
May 25, 2015 at 13:25
lol
Admiral Chief's Adventure
May 25, 2015 at 13:25
Your jokes are so bad…not even Hammer can get himself to upvote
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:26
Rofl!
RinceTheElfRoot
May 25, 2015 at 13:27
hahahaha
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:32
Sad… But true
RinceTheElfRoot
May 25, 2015 at 13:13
http://i.imgur.com/hK03G.gif
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:14
http://cdn.gifbay.com/2013/06/no_nose_edge-59192.gif
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:15
W
T
F
Mark Treloar
May 25, 2015 at 13:44
Donald Duck is real?
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 14:09
LOL
Andy Thomas
May 26, 2015 at 12:40
????? Moreable person wants to Earn money At home .. Its best opprutunity for you,,, i just got paid 160 usd per day …Make A huge profit just doing Simple Tasks……. Last saturday I got a great Alfa Romeo after I been earning $9498 this past four weeks and a little over 10k lass month . with-out a doubt this is the nicest-work Ive ever had . I actually started 4 months ago anjk
much immediately began to make more than $89.. per-hour . find out here now ->
Going Here ,.,..
you Can Find.,,, ->
???http://WWW•SuccessY0urDream•C0m/H0me……
??????????????????????????
Andy Thomas
May 26, 2015 at 12:40
????? Moreable person wants to Earn money At home .. Its best opprutunity for you,,, i just got paid 160 usd per day …Make A huge profit just doing Simple Tasks……. Last saturday I got a great Alfa Romeo after I been earning $9498 this past four weeks and a little over 10k lass month . with-out a doubt this is the nicest-work Ive ever had . I actually started 4 months ago and pretty much immediately began to make more than $89.. per-hour . find out here now ->
Going Here ,.,..
you Can Find.,,, ->
???http://WWW•SuccessY0urDream•C0m/H0me……
???????????????????kjhhp
Tiaan Pat
May 25, 2015 at 14:58
RoflZor
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:14
The facepalm is strong here
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:16
I like how she blames Google and not herself or her son…
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:19
They are allowed to blame Google for the purchases that didn’t work. But yes, agree 100% here that it wasn’t all too smart to give an 11-year-old access to your bank account.
I wonder if the bank will lay fraud charges now? Law states you need to keep your info secret and are not allowed to share it with someone who isn’t a signee on the account. And she gave access to a minor. Some serious legal implications here
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:20
Yeah, I bet Google could counter sue if not for the fact that she had no cash left.
Ranting Raptor
May 25, 2015 at 13:22
It is a bit sad 🙁
Krabby Paddy
May 25, 2015 at 13:15
So many Mothers think their 11 year-old is so tech savvy and clever. They also fool themselves into thinking they are responsible. Stupidity like this doesn’t deserve sympathy. If you have an 11 year old, even if they behave better and seem smarter than most adults (which to be honest doesn’t take much), don’t assume they are so smart and responsible.
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:18
A fool and his money are soon parted. The proverb is proven true o/
RinceTheElfRoot
May 25, 2015 at 13:16
HAHAHA! What a bunch of morons.
Nezuccho
May 25, 2015 at 13:17
This is why mobile marketplace is filled with garbage rather than real games. Why bother making something good when you can earn easy cash on stupid people?
Franscois Botha
May 25, 2015 at 13:22
Even with your credit card details on the google play store, mine is set to require a specific password in order to purchase anything, so my son has access to the tablet and often asks us if we can buy him a specific game on it but he cant do it on his own.
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:23
Yeah, I think she’s lying and she dragged Nick into the same lie.
Mossel
May 25, 2015 at 13:24
Yup, she needed to upgrade her Clash of Clans townhall to level 10 and decided to blame her son!
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:25
Bwahahaha!
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
May 25, 2015 at 13:24
I can’t believe you are stupid enough to let this happen… How is this the responsibility of the company?
Stop blaming other people for how stupid you are and go pay for your stupidity.
Mossel
May 25, 2015 at 13:28
Like my dad used to say: “As jy dom is gaan jy kak!”
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
May 25, 2015 at 13:29
lol! Well I always say “As jy dom is MOET jy kak!”
Hoe anders gaan jy leer? xD
Mossel
May 25, 2015 at 13:29
hahaha!
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 13:30
Like my dad used to say: “Gaan haal die belt!” Instant cure for stupidity.
Mossel
May 25, 2015 at 13:31
Haha! Right in the feels.
Sgt. M
May 25, 2015 at 13:57
I don’t think it was the feels that hurt after that sentence
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 14:09
yeah, I miss the geezer.
*He’d probably beat me for saying that.
Aries
May 25, 2015 at 13:43
Or “Ek klap jou dat die muur jou n noge een gee”
Hammersteyn
May 25, 2015 at 14:09
hahaha
Chule Gcanga
May 25, 2015 at 13:45
Ahh makes Sense now, No wonder Konami is going all mobile. To trick little kids into spending their parents & their money on useless schemes like this. tricking adults is to much of a challenge hey Konami…
Trevor Matrix
May 25, 2015 at 13:55
I am surprised these parents even knew how to make a child. Or did they have a book? With pictures? In Crayon?
HairyEwok
May 25, 2015 at 13:57
Must have been grandma and grandpa that gave access to the little bugger to their life savings account. Now grandma and grandpa needs to eat dog/cat food because you wanted to farm/candycrush/hoard things faster and easier.
Nick de Bruyne
May 25, 2015 at 15:56
I actually dont think the hate being flung their way is justified, they seemed well aware of what they were doing, that issue where they money was coming off despite the transactions not working can happen to anyone and its really an issue on their side. It does surprise me that they didn’t see the money coming off though, Im not sure how that was missed. Its not like the kid did something really thick though, or decided to just blow the money. Glad they at least got the big amount back, that could cripple an entire generation of a family.
Tbone187
May 26, 2015 at 11:39
Do you think it’s Fox One?
Andy Thomas
May 26, 2015 at 12:39
????? Moreable person wants to Earn money At home .. Its best opprutunity for you,,, i just got paid 160 usd per day …Make A huge profit just doing Simple Tasks……. Last saturday I got a great Alfa Romeo after I been earning $9498 this past four weeks and a little over 10k lass month . with-out a doubt this is the nicest-work Ive ever had . I actually started 4 months ago and pretty much immediately began to make more than $89.. per-hour . find out here now ->
Going Here ,.,..
you Can Find.,,, ->
???http://WWW•SuccessY0urDream•C0m/H0me……
???????????????????jghh