The family was on their way to the summer house and the eight-year-old was playing Roblox in the back seat.
The next day, the credit card company sounded the alarm.
– It was breathtaking. When we looked at the excerpt and saw how much money it was actually about, it was curtains, says father Rickard Nihlén Fahlquist.
He didn’t get angry at his son, but at himself and at the gaming company.
– That they can allow an eight-year-old to buy air for SEK 36,000 without flagging or putting a stop to it, is completely incomprehensible to me.
Can be turned off
Sweden’s Consumers has directed harsh criticism at, among other things, Roblox in a report.
– The marketing in these games is very aggressive and intense, and encourages children to buy in a way that we don’t think is okay, says Sinan Akdag at Sveriges Konsumenter.
Apple, which handles the payments, recommends that families who share an account should turn off the payment options for the children. But according to Sweden’s Consumers, it is difficult to find.
In addition, not everyone is aware that the function exists.
– We have three children so we have seven million other things to think about. Turning on a switch far down in a menu on an Apple phone is not at the top of the to-do list, says Richard Nihlén Fahlquist.
Wanted to pay with the monthly allowance
The family has received just over SEK 10,000 back after the incident. To get the rest out, they have turned to the General Claims Board, ARN, which they are not alone in doing. In the past ten years, ARN has settled similar disputes for SEK 400,000.
– And we also believe that there is a huge number of people in the dark, because not all parents have the opportunity, time or ability to report this type of wrong purchase, says Sinan Akdag at Sweden’s Consumers.
The son gave away most of the money to his friends. When he realized what he had done, he was saddened and wanted to make things right.
– He wanted to pay it back with his monthly allowance, says Richard Nihlén Fahlquist.