GregoryRasputin 5,597 Posted January 30 A mother in the good old US of A is suing Sony Interactive Entertainment because her son took her credit card and made transaction on the PlayStation Network without her permission or knowledge. This parent basically blames Sony for encouraging her son to go into her purse, steal her credit card and use it illegally on the PlayStation Network, after all her son is basically committing theft and this mother thinks Sony are to blame because they don't do enough to stop these type of practices. Here are a couple of quotes from the court document: OVERVIEW OF THE ACTION Quote 1. In addition to its distinction as a market leader in the manufacture, marketing and sale of gaming consoles, Defendant Sony Interactive Entertainment America, LLC (“SIE” or “Defendant”) is also the leading seller of “Apps,” i.e., software applications that users download on their mobile computing devices, such as SIE’s PlayStation devices. Among the many thousands of Apps that SIE offers for sale are gaming Apps targeted at children. Although numerous gaming Apps are offered for free and may be downloaded at no cost, many such games are designed to induce purchases of what SIE refers to as “In-App Purchases” or “In- App Content,” i.e., virtual supplies, ammunition, fruits and vegetables, cash and other fake “currency” within the game in order to play the game as it was designed to be played (“Game Currency”). These games are highly addictive, designed deliberately so, and tend to compel children playing them to purchase large quantities of Game Currency, amounting to as much as $100 per purchase or more. As such, the sale of Game Currency to children is highly lucrative. Quote 2. Plaintiff CHRISTINA LOPEZ brings this class action on behalf of herself and other parents and guardians who (a) downloaded or permitted their minor children to download a supposed free App from SIE, and (b) then incurred charges for game-related voidable purchases that the minor children were induced by SIE to make, without the parents’ and guardians’ knowledge or permission. Quote 3. Minors also have the ability to create accounts on the SIE network, claiming that they are their parents, using their parents’ credit cards, without their parents’ permission or authorization. SIE does not effectively prohibit such practices despite their obvious knowledge that minors may engage in such activities due to their lack of maturity. Quote 4. Plaintiffs bring this action for declaratory, equitable and monetary relief under the Declaratory Judgment Act, California’s contract laws, Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Business and Professions Code Sections 17200 et seq., and/or for Unjust Enrichment. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS Quote 31. Users of the PSN can buy or download for free certain games through the PlayStation Store and play the games using the PlayStation 4 platform. Quote 33. Epic Games, Inc. (“Epic”) is a developer and publisher of computer games and gaming software. Quote 43. Epic markets the Fortnite video game as free to play without warning adult consumers and parents of the in-game purchase features, directly inducing minors to make in-game purchases without authorization from their parents or legal guardians. Quote 50. D.W. used his mother’s credit and debit cards without her permission and spent more than a thousand dollars ($1,000) purchasing Fortnite V-bucks, using his PlayStation 4 through his PlayStation Network account. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 So let me get this straight, it is Sony's fault that you did not teach your child that stealing from your purse is wrong? It is Sony's fault that you do not monitor or educate yourself on what your child does on the games console YOU bought him? It is Sony's fault that you do not educate yourself on the ins and outs of the PlayStation and the PlayStation Network? 1 1 OldBrain and zapptheman reacted to this Quote Tip Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OldBrain 185 Posted January 31 When I was a teenager I was convinced that our generations had something special but thanks to facts like this, and to the many similar stories that my partner tells me, "she is a teacher of primary school", I understood that instead our generation is very buggy. 1 GregoryRasputin reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr_lou 75 Posted February 2 More kids should sue their parents for sucking at parenting. 1 GregoryRasputin reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites