"Don't try to spin me, sir! This is the no-spin zone."

03:44 pm - Internet Sales

This one needed it's own entry, because I need to explain how credit law works...

JT once again attacked Hal Harpin, this time over internet sales:

What are you doing about Internet sales of mature games to minors, Hal, hmmmm? You happen to know that there is NO ID-ing of kids in those sales.

Most states (Montana example provided) forbid credit issuers to hand out credit cards to minors, without parental consent, mainly due to the fact that minors cannot incure debt or sign contracts for non-essential items. So while credit card companies advertise cards to minors frequently (plenty of disposable income), the company normally has a policy that minors cannot get a card without an adult co-signer, usually parent or guardian.

Otherwise if the kid bought a Ferrari and smashed it, the credit agency would not be able to do anything about it, other than reclaim the wreckage.

For this reason, credit card purchases are deemed by even the US Supreme Court to be reasonable ID checks for age, as handing over government ID online is discouraged. Especially since the advent of things like Verified by Visa, which require a password, so little Timmy can't steal mommie's credit card.

Any purchases by minors with credit cards are also deemed to be done with parental consent/supervision (it's in the application contract), as the parents co-signed the credit card application.