SMOOTH move, Xbox.

Pembroke, Ontario parent Lance Perkins got the shock of a lifetime on December 23 when he discovered his 17-year-old son had racked up more than $AU11,000 on in-app purchases through his Xbox video gaming system.

Perkins told CBC News that the credit card his son used was designated for emergencies and to make purchases for the family’s convenience store. According to Perkins, his son thought the bill, which totalled $AU10,911, would be a one-time charge for a purchase he made for a FIFA series soccer game.

Perkins said, “He’s just as sick as I am, (because) he never believed he was being charged for every transaction, or every time he went onto the game.”

When he reached out to his credit card company, Perkins was told that nothing could be done unless he wanted to charge his son with fraud. Xbox agreed to look into the matter after learning Perkins’ son was a minor, but he hasn’t heard back since.

While the FTC has measures in place that protect consumers in the US from exorbitant billing, the rules in Canada are a bit more lax.