My parents only got smartphones in the last few years, long after I had graduated from childhood into the world of adulthood. Seeing how difficult they find it to navigate anything on these devices, I find it hard to imagine what it would be like to have parents who know more about technology than you, as is the case for plenty of kids growing up now.
There's no way I could have gotten a hold of my parent's finances when I was a child, at least not in the way that 9-year-old Susan did in October. Susan's father realised his daughter had not only guessed the password to his PayPal account while he was asleep, but booked herself a trip for one all the way from England to Paris.
Ian Wilson, 53, lives in Immingham, Lincolnshire. A welding inspector by trade, he lives with his partner Tracey, as well as his three children. He was asleep when his youngest child Susan snuck off with his phone one evening, an event he didn't come to realise until three days later on October 27. Rather than take their usual family holiday to Skegness, she booked a trip to Disneyland Paris.
Ian eventually discovered that £1,005.92 had disappeared from his account and contacted PayPal to find out what was going on, but they told him the payments were made from his phone and they did not consider it fraud.
"That's when I went through my phone history and found all these websites in my internet history," Ian said, "I asked Susan and she said it was her."
It turns out the nine-year-old had spent £400 on flights and a hotel gift card, £214.08 on a VIP trip up the Eiffel Tower and £381.84 on theme park tickets and the Disneyland Express train due to leave the following day.
"She was absolutely brokenhearted and very remorseful. She had no idea what she was doing, I could not even punish her for it," Ian said. Susan has claimed that she has no idea how she managed to book the trip and simply likes playing on her father's phone. According to her, she does not even know what the Eiffel Tower is.
Mr Wilson tried to get his money refunded, but was initially rejected as technically no fraud had been committed. But in the end, he lucked out. PayPal eventually refunded the money to an "elated" Ian, who was told they called incidents like this "friendly fraud", which happens more than you might think.
Now Mr Wilson is urging other parents to ensure their children do not have access to their internet devices, suggesting to "have a pin on your phone. I didn't because I've never needed one but I do now".
Now, the real question here is how much Susan knew about what she was doing. She either stumbled across something by accident or she is a master manipulator in the making.
3 min(s) read
Published 12:59 03 Oct 2024 GMT
Mom says she's allowed to snoop through her kids' phones because she pays for them
A mom has stated that she's allowed to snoop through her kids' phones... because she is the one that pays for them. And the issue is causing quite a stir on social media.Laura Muse admitted to confiscating her son and daughter's phones before they go to bed so that they can get a good night's sleep instead of being hooked online.But while most people would expect her to put them away until morning, this North Carolina mom spends some time going through them in order to make sure her two teens are behaving.Speaking to The New York Post, the 43-year-old emphasized that because she pays for their phones, she's allowed to do it."I own their phones, I pay for the phones. I can go through them whenever I want," she said. "People might think [it] is a sign of disrespect or an invasion of their privacy, but this is how I manage my ship."What started off as random weekly checks when her children were around 11 years old carried on well into their teen years - with the mom-of-two occasionally still asking them for their hand-held devices to look through.Muse also told the outlet that while she trusts her kids, she is doing her checks in order to prevent them from engaging in inappropriate exploits while simultaneously protecting them from online predators and scammers.However, that doesn't mean the 43-year-old - who is a mental health clinician - hasn't also caught them out. In the past, it was reported that she caught her son, Cohen, posting shirtless pictures of himself online. Of course, the hawk-eyed mama got him to delete the content."If I do find something that’s an issue, we talk about it and turn it into a teachable moment," she added. "I’m not perfect, I don’t expect my children to be perfect, but it’s important to keep an eye on things."After sharing her phone snooping habit in a TikTok video, social media users had plenty to say.One person commented: "Checking your kids phone is a invasion of privacy and shows you don’t trust them they will never open up to you ever again."Another added: "Paying for the phone doesn't mean anything. Don't give them the phone then if your gonna use that as leverage to go through their personal things."And Muse isn't the only mom who's using this controversial method to keep an eye on their kids.Other parents have also reverted to snooping through their children's phones to make sure that there's nothing compromising on there.One outraged mother discovered that her 15-year-old son was sharing explicit pictures of himself with his girlfriend while she looked through his phone at six in the morning. Using a TikTok sound that stated: "I'm going to lose my s*** today". The clip showed her in action scrolling through her teen's phone while rubbing her forehead, clearly frustrated.While some people supported the move, stating that they're also doing the same, others criticized her lack of trust."One thing I will do that my parents did with us was never search my kids phones. They instilled the whole we deserve some amount of privacy," one user wrote to which the mom replied back saying: "Everyone has their own parenting style. I am lenient to an extent. Child p*** is not okay in my book. Down [sic] not matter that they are both minors."Another commenter said: "Privacy is good, But the internet is DANGEROUS" and again, the unfazed mom replied back saying: "No privacy when I pay his bills." Credit: TikTokWhat do you think about the issue? Let us know in the comments!Featured Image Sarah Morgan / Getty
One family made a big mistake after they spent the equivalent of $10,000 on what they believed to be Disneyland gift cards.
Going to Disneyland is a huge occasion, because let's be honest, going to the Happiest place on Earth isn't exactly cheap these days.
But once you hear those little animatronics singing 'It's a Small World' at you, the pain of your empty bank account soon wears off.
Well, one family who thought they were going to have the trip of a lifetime soon made a startling realization during their vacation planning.
Disneyland is often dubbed the "happiest place on Earth". Credit: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/Getty
Taking to TikTok, Andie Coston revealed that she and her family were due to go to Disney in 2020, but the pandemic put a stop to their plans.
The family, which included 16 people set to travel, rearranged their plans for Christmas 2023 - which sounds like it would be a lovely experience.
Andie noted that to save money, her parents purchased $10,000 worth of what they believed to be vouchers for tickets and meals at the park... but sadly, they were mistaken.
After attempting to load the vouchers onto their account, Andie came to the realization that the stack of Disney vouchers in front of them were actually for Disney+ - the company's streaming service.
That's a lot of Disney+ vouchers... Credit: NurPhoto/Getty
Each voucher, appearing to have $100 on it, meant that Andie and her family could enjoy 70 years of Disney+, but sadly, no entry to the park.
As you can imagine, the family went into panic mode and were starting to think that their dream Christmas Disney trip wasn't going to happen.
Comments flooded in, including a personal favorite which read:
"Kids: mom can we go to Disney
"You forever: we have Disney at home"
At least the family could watch Disney+ for the rest of their lives... Credit: SOPA Images/Getty
Another comment read: "This is why my parents aren’t allowed to make these types of decisions without a child present."
A third person offered genuine advice, saying: "Call the number on the back of the gift card and they will transfer it. This happened to someone else in a Disney planning group I’m in and everything worked out just fine!"
Well, it would seem that this is exactly what Andie did as she posted a follow up video revealing that Disney had kindly offered to turn the $10,000 worth of Disney+ vouchers into vouchers for the park.
So the family made it to Disney for Christmas after all, and nobody was forced to watch Disney+ for 70 years. Success!
A British TikToker has sparked a debate after claiming that he was "screwed" during $700 Disneyland trip.
Alex Dodman, a father-of-three and social media influencer with 256K followers on TikTok, is known for his “real reviews” of family days out and holidays.
In a video shared in August, Dodman pulled back the curtain on Disney World Orlando, questioning whether it’s truly the magical experience it's marketed to be.
A man has sparked a debate after he reviewed Walt Disney World in Orlando. Credit: Gary Hershorn / Getty
A Pricey Day at the Park
The TikToker began his review by stating: "I don't know what it is about this place, but it's almost like we’ve been programmed to think that this is the most magical place on earth," before boldly labeling it “probably the most overpriced tourist p*** takes in history.”
Many parents can relate to the sticker shock of a Disney World vacation.
A trip for a family of four from the UK, including flights, can cost anywhere from over $8000 to $19,000 or more, depending on the package.
For Dodman, the financial reality hit him hard as his experience for a day included a ticket for two adults, two kids, and a baby for $709, followed by an additional $136 for Lightning Lane tickets for three rides.
"How is this even allowed?" he questioned.
The 'Magical' Experience Falls Short
While Dodman admitted that some people may find happiness at Disney, he was less than impressed.
He sarcastically referenced the crowds on Main Street, where visitors are offered a prime view of the Disney Castle.
“People pretending to cry when they first saw the castle,” he remarked before heading to the rides, where the Lightning Lane tickets did provide some relief from long waits.
Yet, even as Dodman conceded that Disney World might be "some people's happy place," he highlighted the difficulty of enjoying the trip while constantly calculating how much money was being spent.
"There's no way you can enjoy this without having in the back of your mind how utterly screwed you're being done by Disney," he added.
A Better Time at the Beach
While his children enjoyed the theme park, Dodman noted that they had a better time at Clearwater Beach, where they spent a weekend jumping in the sea - for free.
"Did the kids enjoy it? Yeah. But we also went to Clearwater Beach for the weekend, and they said they had a better time jumping in the sea there, which was free," he said, emphasizing that, no matter how you look at it, Disney World was simply "way too expensive".
Dodman said his kids had a better time at Clearwater Beach. Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty
Mixed Reactions to the Review
The video quickly sparked a wide range of reactions in the comments. Some viewers agreed wholeheartedly with Dodman's assessment.
One person commented: “That price for one day!! It’s the one reason we’ve not been, can’t justify it!!!” while another said, “Fully agree. It was the worst thing we did on our Orlando trip.”
However, Disney enthusiasts were quick to defend the park, arguing that his experience might have been different if he had done more research.
“Disney is not for the weak or the unprepared. You need to plan ahead and know what you’re going to do,” one user advised.
Others pointed out that Alex had only visited one park and didn’t take advantage of park hopper tickets, which make the experience more affordable.
One Disney fan commented: "If it’s not for you, it ain’t for you, badges get given to you by employees for occasions and you’ve sampled one park out of 4 to make one opinion - it may be an expensive holiday but it’s a phenomenal place…IF you allow yourself and everyone else to embrace what it is."
But not all viewers were sold on the idea of a Disney trip, as one parent admitted feeling relieved after watching the video: “And I thought I was a bad parent for not taking my kid here, thank you for validating my opinion.”
The TikToker said there's "no way" you can Disney "without having in the back of your mind how utterly screwed you are". Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty
While Disney World is still a popular destination for many, Dodman's review shows the harsh reality of its steep costs.
For some, it’s worth every penny for the magic and memories; for others, the price tag may outweigh the experience.
The happiest place on earth left one father angry over the outrageous cost of taking his family to the theme park.
TikToker Mario Zelaya is a Canadian dad-of-two who recently took a trip to Paris with his wife and two boys. However, the father ended up having a terrible time due to spending an eye-watering $1,200 at Disneyland.
In the viral video, Zelaya said he made a "huge mistake" by going to the family-friendly location and denounced it as a "money-grabbing machine".
"Just the tickets alone, that’s 1,100 euros, for Americans, that’s 1,200 bucks, for Canadians, that’s 1,600 dollars," he said while showing the bill in the background. "Why the hell would I do that?"
Watch Zelaya's TikTok below:
The father first purchased the standard $120 per-person ticket but decided to upgrade the family to premier passes, which was an extra $173 per person. This allows guests to join the fast lane for each ride.
"It’s crazy how overflowing Disney is. It doesn’t matter if it’s in Paris, Orlando, or California, it’s like this all the time," he said as he revealed a video of the queues for a "crappy ride" with a wait time of an hour and 15 minutes without the premier pass.
He stated that if he didn’t buy the premier passes, he and his family would have been waiting "over 25 hours" to get on the rides. "The crowds are just endless, my advice: don’t go to Disney," he concluded.
Zelaya’s video, which was captioned - "Here are the Disney rules: Expect crazy long wait times. If you don’t want to wait in line, expect a huge bill to upgrade to a Premier Pass. If you decide to wait in line instead because the Premier pass doesn’t cover all the rides, expect a huge bill regardless" - amassed over 362K views on the social media platform.
Many users were also frustrated with the prices as one person wrote: "My family went once and that was enough for us....it cost us about 5000 for a family of 5 & it wasn't worth it."
Another said: "So true, waiting an entire two hours for a lame 5-minute ride," while a third commented: "Yeah, I never understood the hype!"
A fourth said: "That was also our biggest mistake, we spent over 2500 just on tickets, and also the only way to get into Disney we had to purchase the other theme park."
Credit: TikTok
Credit: TikTok
Disneyland and Disney World in the US have experienced a slowdown in demand amid high prices. Due to this, Disney CEO Bob Iger rolled back some of the price hikes established by his predecessor Bob Chapek earlier this year.
However, even with those adjustments in place, Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and Disney World in Orlando, Florida have seen a drop in attendance as costs remain high.
A bride-to-be refused to talk to her father because he wouldn't fork out hundreds of thousands for her extravagant wedding.
Taking to Reddit's infamous 'Am I The A**hole' thread, the anonymous father asked for advice regarding the sticky situation he was currently facing with his daughter.
"My daughter is getting married, and she wishes to have a destination wedding, and [I] told her no," he wrote.
Apparently, his daughter - who is from New York like the rest of the family - wanted to exchange vows in New Zealand, but while this may be a fun idea, the price tag was extortionate.
Credit: Roberto Westbrook/Getty
"My wife feels I should do it because we can afford it, but I find it to be a pointless showing [of] wealth," he continued. "Now my daughter is not talking to me, nor is my wife. Which got me thinking should I bite the bullet and essentially burn money, and alienate family members to make my daughter's dream wedding a reality?"
In an edit, the concerned father also added: "Forgot to mention she is currently asking for around 200k. This is not counting what guests would have to pay to come."
It's been about a month since the post went live and since then, hundreds of Reddit users have taken to the comments to leave their opinions on the matter.
"NTA," wrote one user. "If she can’t pay for a destination wedding on her own, then she shouldn’t be having a destination wedding. It seems cruel but it’s true. Not to mention there’s so much more money involved with the flights and the hotels and stuff. Is she going to be paying for her own ticket or are you expected to fork out for them too? And her fiancées ticket."
They continued: "Not to mention the fact that she’s thrown a strop and isn’t talking to you tells me she doesn’t deserve it. I’m a believer of we are not entitled to our parents money. I don’t expect any inheritance off of my dad if he ever passes, even though he has a big life insurance. I would rather have my dad than the money."
"NTA - don't reward their silent treatment," another added.
Others had a few more questions before they could give their answers.
"Did you agree to give her money towards the wedding? It's her wedding and I think they should make the decisions they want to, but you aren't obligated to pay for it. You could always just gift her a set dollar amount and let them decide how to spend it," asked this Reddit user.
The dad replied saying: "I agreed to pay for her wedding, I was not expecting her to want to get married in NZ."
Credit: Klubovy/Getty
In a different comment response, he also elaborated on it.
"It is 100% a destination wedding she wants to get married in NZ. They are invited but the price excludes them, many of our family cannot afford to fly, let alone stay in NZ. Some of our family members don't even have passports or have [ever] left the country," the dad stated.
In a follow-up edit, the dad opened up about getting some updated wedding quotes.
"Tomorrow I am going to start making phone calls to price what a wedding in NY would cost at different head counts from 100 to 200 people. I do not know the exact size I just know he also has a large close family," he wrote. "After I get that information I will use that to make an informed choice, but it will be an either or situation. Because they are playing this game I will tell both of them my wife and daughter that it is a wedding or house.
"If my wife makes a fuss over it that is a battle I will have to face at another time," he added.
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
