Mobile game platforms refund consumption made by minors

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About 50,000 yuan (7,813 US dollars) was squandered within 10 days by two juveniles on mobile games, without being noticed by the parents.

Mrs. Gao from Guangzhou City in southern China's Guangdong Province last Friday made complaints to three major Chinese mobile game platforms, requiring a total refund of 55,289 yuan, which was spent by her two sons, a 10-year-old and a nine-year-old, on purchasing equipment, such as outfits and weapons for characters in mobile games.

More than 200 transactions were made from February 15 to February 24 through the boys’ smartphones, which linked to Mrs. Gao’s bank account. The highest consumption was 1,296 yuan.

Transaction records made by the two boys on mobile games /Photo via Nanfang Metropolis Daily

The three platforms are Tencent, NetEase, and 4399.com. After confirming that the money was spent by the two brothers and verifying their account information, NetEase promised a full refund. While Tencent committed to returning about 80 percent of the consumption because the purchased equipment had already been used, according to Nanfang Metropolis Daily.

Tencent launched the "Tencent game grow Guardian platform" last February. By providing children’s phone numbers, account names and passcodes, and ID information, parents can monitor their accounts and get information including their login and log out times, and track their consumption records.

Mrs. Gao claimed to Nanfang Metropolis Daily that she was not aware of Tencent’s guardian platform.

Tencent also launched a real-name registration system for its hit game “Honor of Kings” last May as a way of identifying minor users.

(Cover photo via Reuters)