Facebook Suit: Mother Files Class Action Over Child's Purchase Of Facebook Credits

Uh-oh. Looks like Facebook's in trouble with mom.

The social network is facing a new class-action suit, this one brought by an angry parent.

Last month, Glynnis Bohannon of Phoenix, Arizona, filed a complaint in California's Superior Court against the social network in order to receive a refund for what she says are unauthorized Facebook Credit purchases made by her son.

Users can buy Facebook Credits to purchase virtual goods within Facebook games or apps. According to the site's Payments Terms, those under the age of 18 may only make payments "with the involvement of a parent or guardian."

The class action, brought by Bohannon on behalf of other parents and legal guardians in similar situations, highlighted the fact that Facebook "specifically requires that users agree 'not [to] provide any false personal information'" when purchasing Credits. According to VentureBeat, if any part of a person's information is proven false, which is likely to be the case with those minors who purchased Facebook Credits without parental consent, "the court could rule that the Facebook Credit transactions are void, and are likely subject to a full refund."

A "full refund" to all plaintiffs involved in the case could set Facebook back millions of dollars. PaidContent pointed out a separate filing in which Facebook's manager of payment operations Bill Richardson wrote that “users who are purportedly aged 13-17 purchased well in excess of $5,000,000 in Facebook Credits in calendar year 2011.”

In response to the complaint, Facebook spokesperson Andrew Noyes told PaidContent: "We believe this complaint is without merit and we will fight it vigorously."

Facebook isn't the only tech giant facing parental punishment. Apple is also being sued by parents for similar reasons. According to the BBC, moms and dads led by attorney Garen Meguerian filed suit against the company last year, arguing that Apple "induced" their children to make unauthorized in-app purchases in games.

"These games are highly additive, 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," reads the filing, as provided by the BBC.

Although Apple called for the case to be dismissed, explaining that in-app purchases were included in the Terms and Conditions the parents had signed before purchasing the game apps, Judge Edward Davila has ruled against the company's request, reports ABC News.

What do you think of Bohannon's case? Do you think Facebook should pay? Let us know in the comments!

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Comments

[DanaM1]

11:41 PM on 07/07/2012

People are missing the point here. Facebook saves your Paypal and/or credit card information... WITHOUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION. Unless you manually delete this information after EVERY time you enter it to make a purchase, ANYONE who's account you have made previous purchases for can use that same information without any kind of authorization. This SHOULD NOT be allowed to happen on the account of a child who is under the age of 18... or anyone for that matter. What if the account gets hacked? The hacker has access to make as many charges as they want on YOUR account because Facebook saved your private financial information WITHOUT ASKING YOU! Get the point yet?

[Nicole Cole]

12:01 PM on 06/20/2012

DaveM48 your telephone number is NOT unlisted anyway,despite the fact that you posted it yourself, you are really a live one,after posting nasty things about a disabled person on line you have the nerve to post this...? No one sent you a death threat, but you sure could use a little street justice define that as you will,if you dont come into our group where we are with your bs then you wont get cussed out... this is a cease and desist order, please do not contact , harass, create fabrications online about Pamela Collins Nicole Purdy or Bryan StJohn again

[DavidM48]

04:48 PM on 06/18/2012

I would like to see a class action lawsuit against Facebook over its refusal to enforce its own Terms Of Service. I and others of my acquaintance have been harassed by a small group of people whose activities include death threats, false accusations of felonies, and in my case, the publication of my personal contact information including phone number on a public Facebook page. Literally hundreds of complaints to Facebook over the past two months have brought neither response nor action.

There must be many others like me. If you believe you are one, and want to take action, please contact me. There is a strength in numbers and if Facebook wishes to aid and abet what in my case constitutes a Federal crime, they should receive the appropriate consequences. If you know of anyone who may be facing similar problems and who is determined to act, I would like to hear from them as well.

[Pamela Lakes Collins]

09:21 AM on 06/20/2012

This coming from one of the nastiest, no holds barred posters on Facebook or anywhere that concerns convicted child killer, Darlie Routier.

[DavidM48]

11:18 AM on 06/20/2012

That post was from one of my harassers, a person who has participated in the activities described above. And who now is apparently adding stalking to her list of activities.

[Pamela Lakes Collins]

11:22 AM on 06/20/2012

YOU posted your number on FB Dave, you told everyone on that page that you were going to sue us and left that number saying it was your attorney's number. You think we're not going to call?

Folks, Dave is a big Facebook bully who does every single thing he's accusing others of doing here if you dare speak against Darlie Routier. Go to any Darlie Routier page on FB and you'll see exactly what I mean.

[DavidM48]

11:35 AM on 06/20/2012

I did not post my phone number on Facebook. A person using the name "Melissa Justice" posted a phone number, stating that it was mine. Nor did I or any other claim the number in question was that of my attorney. Those who wish to visit the page mentioned can see for themselves if the posts in question have not "disappeared" by now. However, I have screen captures.

This person and her cohorts have also accused me of being a convicted sex offender, citing some person in California who has a vaguely similar name. That is a false accusation of a felony, which carries a presumption of damage.

Their actions have nothing to do with a difference of opinion. They are pure and simple childish bullying. Am I going to take whatever action is available to me under the law? Of course.

[Lacking]

01:40 PM on 04/26/2012

pity this mom.... her self cannot handle her son, the wants to blame other because of her owns weaknesses...

[TisKishnsing]

12:05 PM on 04/26/2012

hmm.... somehow, i think its a parenting skills problem....

[JaclynDolan]

11:19 AM on 04/26/2012

Here's my question, how did the kid get the credit card information? Maybe Mom and Dad should be worry about their own parenting skills.

[DanaM1]

11:30 PM on 07/07/2012

You seriously think that a child cannot go in their mother's purse or father's wallet and write down a credit card number? You blame a person's parenting skills because of something like this? FYI, if you EVER make a purchase for your child, or yourself for that matter, on Facebook, Facebook AUTOMATICALLY saves that information unless you delete it, "For future purchases". This has happened to me with my child. It has NO reflection on my parenting skills, as you put it. God forbid, this ever happen to you and someone questions YOUR parenting skills.

There should be a checkbox or something asking if you want it saved. Seems to me like Facebook WANTS things like this to happen.

[Hallywood]

05:15 AM on 04/26/2012

NO, THEY TOOK THERE PARENTS CREDIT CARDS AND USED IF YOU CANNOT TRUST A FAMILY MEMBER, HIDE YOU BELONGINGS....

[MostlyDaily]

01:23 AM on 04/26/2012

Password protect, anyone? I get the problem, but a password seems like an easy solution and FB should make it mandatory. It's too easy for children to accidentally spend money online. And often the money is for nothing! "Virtual goods" can suck it.

[MarkMyers1958]

11:55 PM on 04/25/2012

Along with Facebook, companies that have free games on Facebook, then make the games so difficult to win at the quests without spending real world money should be looked into. This is what Apple is being taken to task for. (Smurfberrys!). Facebook set the age rule for purchases. They should enforce them, and suffer the consequences if they break them

[TranceAnd]

01:48 AM on 04/26/2012

how can you hold FB responsible for a child taking their dad's credit card and keying in the numbers and therefore buying credits of FB?

[wickedxxangel]

10:45 AM on 06/20/2012

your not understanding the situation, its not a case of stealing a parents card, in my case, i bought a small amount of credit once for my child under his account awhile back ago, unbeknownst to me facebook stores that credit account info for future in app purchases to make it easy to buy game stuff.....my child had a pop lid from sunkist that said he would recieve free credits if he entered the code, he had no idea the paypal info was stored and he was using real money!! if the child doesn't know they are spending real money, and the parent didn't know the info was stored it has the potential to be disasterous.

[Lindy Terry]

11:55 PM on 04/25/2012

It is obvious that many of you do not understand the actual problem here. I have an iTunes account that is set up through my bank account. When I want to purchase a song or an app, I have no choice but to sign into my account and authorize the purchase. It isn't until I sign in and select verify that I want to buy the song, do I get charged. My daughter,m who is 4, likes to play games on my iPod touch. Just 5 minutes ago she was playing in Bike Race and up came a pop up screen. She wanted to get back to her game so she pushed a button not knowing what it said. $23 later, she was back to her game and I didn't even know she had bought a thing. It wasn't until my 10 year old came barreling up the stairs yelling that my daughter had bought something, that I knew she had even racked up a bill. I logged into my iTunes account and there it was.... pending purchase. The problem is NOT the parents but rather the apps that allow purchases without authorizing the actual purchase. I don't expect any of you that are claiming it is just bad parenting to understand until your child does it....that is if you are even parents in the first place!

[sadwitness]

12:43 AM on 04/26/2012

Thank you for bringing that clarification, I will admit to not understanding how this happens, though I would not chalk it up to poor parenting. Having reared a child, as a single mom, before all of these challenges even existed, I know how hard it is to be all things and every where, I have no idea how parents manage today. Kudos to you for surviving parenting in the digital age.

[Joey Bones]

01:15 AM on 04/26/2012

If you go into your iTunes account you have the option to have a password when things are purchased. If your daughter has purchased something, it is because you have given her access. Every time anyone in my house wants to download an item or even do updates, a password is required.

[JohnSmithBoya]

04:19 PM on 04/26/2012

Did you know that in the earlier version of iOS, it will remember your password for up to 15 mins and that is turned on by default!. So if you downloaded a game for your little one, you will have to enter the password in order to install it. Now your kid have a 15 minswindow to buy in app items with ouy entering a password.
Apple had password caching and in app purchase by default. You will have to know this to disable it! May new apple users did not know this! Apple since fixed this issue.

[Ramon Moreno]

10:21 PM on 04/25/2012

Family Fail.

[Nick Amber Townsie]

08:52 PM on 04/25/2012

Probably shouldn't blame addictive games or websites for the consequences of inadequately raising your children. It's as lame as suing McDonalds for not having "Caution: Hot" on its coffee cups.

[Here Kitti Kitti]

07:59 PM on 04/25/2012

i think fb should have to give refunds and then set up a system that verifies only people over 18 can buy credits. its stupid they didn't have that in place from the beginning, an expensive lesson for fb. but 5 million is nothing to them.

in other news, what' s happened here at HP with the comment system? i can't find the notification button or my preferences. break a computer and all heck breaks loose, i tell ya.

[TranceAnd]

01:49 AM on 04/26/2012

I don't see notifications either. HUFFO FAIL!

[tcpcat]

06:03 PM on 04/25/2012

huh?

[silkphoenix]

05:03 PM on 04/25/2012

It's sad that so many parents nowadays do not take responsibility for what their children do, instead of blaming somebody else. Everyone knows that you need a credit card to purchase anything on line, and if you let your children use your credit card, then it's your own fault, not anyone else.

[DomerDem]

05:36 PM on 04/25/2012

I understand your argument in some cases but the parents are not to be held entirely responsible for the actions of the child. It is clear that Facebook is making it too easy for non-card owners to use the cards for purchases. With game that specifically designed for those under 18, parents should have complete knowledge and approval of the way their money is spent. If your child went into a store to but something on your card and you card is not signed on the back and the store accepted it then the purchase can be voided. That is the law and it applies to all companies big or small, online or not.

[yourmomsays]

07:20 PM on 04/25/2012

Its clear that you are oblivious to what it means to have children. They are in fact, yours, and their actions are your problem, not facebook's. If you saw someone's brat kid knock a jar of jelly on the floor at the grocery store and it breaks, is that the store's fault, or do you think the parents/kid should be responsible? Really people, let's wake up here.