An angry mother whose son racked up a £4,000 bill on FIFA 14 claims games companies are making money out of the “misfortune of others”.
The 13 year-old boy’s mother, called Sue, spoke out on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Breakfast show about the staggering amount blown by her son.
In one game-fuelled spending spree he spent £1,000 in 24 hours on “Player Packs” to get an “Ultimate Team” on the hit EA Sports game.
Speaking to the BBC, Sue said: “They must be making an awful lot of money out of the misfortune of other people.
“I think they make it too easy.”
The audibly upset mother was challenged on the fact of her son’s age, with the presenter implying he should have acted responsibly.
But Sue dismissed the suggestion and added: “To them they are just caught up in the excitement.
“It’s ‘I want more points’, press a button and ‘I’ve got more points’.
“They can’t see the consequences of what they are doing.
“He was and still is totally devastated because he can now see what has happened.
“He knew that he had been spending the money when he shouldn’t have, but he had no idea of the consequences or the amount involved.”
Sue feels that EA Sports and other companies, like Apple, should have tighter restrictions to prevent parents being slapped with a huge bill.
“I understand that they are supplying something that many consumers do need and enjoy,” she said.
“But I don’t think there are enough safeguards and they must realise that a lot of the games are aimed at children and youngsters.
“There should be more controls in place to ensure that the cardholder knows what’s happening.”
EA Sports, the makers of FIFA 14, declined to comment, the BBC said.
