An 11-year-old boy in Guiyang, China, spent more than RMB6,500 (approximately RM3,930) on in-game purchases without his parents’ knowledge, leaving his father struggling to obtain a refund after repeated applications were rejected.
According to the boy’s father, identified as Mr Wang, his son secretly made multiple purchases in the mobile game Eggy Party between late May and early June.
The child completed more than 20 transactions, with individual payments ranging from RMB10s to several hundred yuan, bringing the total amount spent to RMB6,511 (about RM3,930).
Mr Wang said the purchases were made because the game allowed payments without requiring a password, making it easy for his son to spend money with a single tap.
The boy admitted he used the money to buy character skins in the game because he thought they looked attractive. He also acknowledged spending more than RMB6,000 (around RM3,620).
After discovering the transactions, Mr Wang immediately submitted a refund application to the gaming platform under its policy for minors. He provided supporting documents, including the family’s household registration book, his son’s birth certificate and the complete payment records.
However, the platform rejected the application several times, saying there was insufficient evidence to prove the purchases were made by a minor.
Mr Wang said the platform requested surveillance camera footage showing his son making the purchases. As the family does not have CCTV installed at home, he was unable to provide the requested evidence.
He said the RMB6,511 (about RM3,930) spent represented nearly one to two months’ worth of living expenses for his family, placing significant financial pressure on their household.
A reporter later reviewed the platform’s refund guidelines and found that CCTV footage was not the only acceptable form of evidence. Screenshots of in-game chat records and other supporting documents could also be submitted to help verify that the purchases were made by a minor.
With the reporter’s assistance, Mr Wang supplemented his application with additional evidence and resubmitted it. The platform has since accepted the application and said it will complete its review and provide a decision within 15 working days.
Mr Wang has also lodged a complaint through Beijing’s 12345 government service hotline, with authorities saying they will verify the matter and follow up on the case.
