New hit game by Xbox Live: Immortal Recurring Charges

When my older son, age 16, asked for my credit card number earlier in the year to pay for a thirty-day Microsoft Xbox Live subscription, I gave it to him. He is a responsible kid who can be expected to understand the fine print.

“How much will be charged to my credit card?”

“$9.99.”

“Okay. $9.99. That’s it?”

“That’s it. I promise.”

“I had better not see add-ons. No games. No extended subscriptions!”

Charges started to show up on my credit card statement at once. There was the expected $9.99. There were also several unexpected charges of $4.99. I grilled both sons about these unexpected charges and both looked genuinely perplexed. I let it go, comfortable in the knowledge that my older son had only purchased a one-month subscription.

The next month’s credit card statement arrived with another charge of $9.99, several of the $4.99 and a brazen charge of $21.99. No longer in the mood to be a good sport, I gathered the troops and demanded to know how these charges were accruing. Again, both sons denied all knowledge.

I called my credit card company to dispute the unauthorized charges. The customer service representative at my credit card company was entirely sympathetic and expressed familiarity with the problem. She would handle my dispute, but advised me to call Microsoft Xbox Live, also, which I did.

When you call Microsoft Xbox Live, they tell you right up front you are going to wait a long, long time. The cheery automated voice advises you to take care of all service issues at the website. But, beware. If you hang up and go to the website, you will be advised there that you must place a phone call.

I spent the better part of an evening getting to a living person. I was close to furious by the time he chirped, “May I help you?”

I was told that policy at Microsoft Xbox Live prevents refunds. I advised him that my policy was to object to credit card theft, especially if the credit card is mine, but he was unmoved. He did swear, however, on all that is holy to mark the account my sons had set up as “no renewal“, thereby stopping all charges similar to those that he claimed my sons had accrued ordering services and playing games.

The chirpy customer service representative lied. Though one month’s statement showed no Microsoft Xbox Live charges, the following month the charges resumed. I put in more time on the phone insisting (with a bit more fervor) that Microsoft Xbox Live remove my credit card information from their files. This time, when I asked what it would take to promise beyond the shadow of a doubt that I would never again see charges, the representative said only deleting the account could do that, which he did.

Now I wait and watch. I also investigate Microsoft Xbox Live. Predictably, dozens of websites offer information about the problems with unauthorized credit card charges by Microsoft Xbox Live and, predictably, pending class action suits. Eventually, refunds might arrive. Meanwhile, I try to imagine how much Microsoft Xbox Live charges without authorization to parents’ credit cards on any give day, but the dollar amount surely boggles the mind.