AdamLazaruso posted...DustiiWolf posted...
Ice_Commander posted...
Now does this all make sense? Its just trying to comply with child protection laws, as well as verify that the person helping the child is 100% a legal adult and has 100% given their consent.
No, it's exploiting child protection laws. There are plenty of ways to comply with child protection laws without charging a non-refundable fee. Such as charging a refundable fee, like many websites do (and if Yahoo don't then boo them as well).
Nintendo on the other hand are just giving themselves an extra stream of revenue by exploiting kids and their parents who don't know any better under the pretense of "It's to protect the kids!". That is wrong, whether they're charging 50 cents or a BILLION cents.
Imagine if WalMart charged people 50 cents when they enter the store with kids and say that it's in order to ensure the kids can't buy any alcohol. Do you think that would be right?
Not all card companies and cards support refunds. Such as gift card VISAs. Its not exploitation. Remember: this is for Nintendo Network. Think XBOX Live. Microsoft states in their TOS that Live isnt even intended for use by children under 13 unless under adult supervision. Nintendo Network is bound to have people with nasty comments and foul languages. They cant moderate everyone at once. Plus, why would a ten year old need to buy something off the eShop or post screenshots for game tips and make VIDEO CALLS? Answer: they wouldnt. That stuff is both geared to adults and teens. The parents are probably the ones making the purchases and stuff anyways. If you think of what Nintendo Network is for, then think of your average below-thirteen Nintendo gamer, they probably wont be using the service anyways. they'll probably just be making Miis and playing Nintendo Land. A child can lie about their age, name, and numerous other info, but they cant magically forge a valid credit card number that can be charged.
So its understandable.
"Nintendo Network Account for Children Aged 12 and Under
In accordance with the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a parent or guardian must provide consent to set up a Nintendo Network Account for children under age 13. To verify that a parent or guardian has granted consent, they will need to provide a valid credit card number when setting up a Nintendo Network Account for the child.
A one-time fee of $0.50 is charged to verify that a parent or guardian has provided consent.
Credit card information is not stored on the Wii U, and cannot be used to make additional purchases through the system.
A fee is not needed to set up subsequent child accounts on the system. Once the first child account has been set up, your Parental Control PIN is all that is required to set up additional child accounts." - Nintendo Support Page on WiiU accounts
As you see, its only a one time charge too. No big deal. It also, like i had stated, says the charge is to verify you are a legal adult (and the parent, hopefully) and give your consent. REMEMBER: Children can easily falsify age information. They cant easily falsify a valid credit card (unless they are a child hacker prodigyor something).
I really dont see everyone's fuss. Microsoft charges users a monthly fee for some features (messaging, video chat) that Nintendo gives users for free. So if they ask for 50 cents it shouldnt be a problem.
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