Court Rejects Family's Bid for Refund of Over $900,000 in Online Donations

Beijing Internet Court has rejected a family's lawsuit demanding the refund of over 6.5 million yuan (approximately $900,000 USD) spent on online platform donations. The case represents the largest sum involving a minor's online consumption handled by the court since its inception.

The lawsuit was filed by a 17-year-old girl, accompanied by her mother, against several livestreaming platforms. They claimed the teenager used her mother's phone numbers to create three accounts and made millions in donations to streamers without parental consent, thus arguing the transactions were legally invalid and refundable.

However, during the trial, the court uncovered evidence suggesting the family's narrative was incomplete. The platforms countered, stating that the three accounts in question had incurred 5.6 million yuan in charges, not the 3.1 million yuan initially claimed. Furthermore, a fourth account, registered to the girl's father, had accumulated over 900,000 yuan in similar donations, bringing the total to over 6.5 million yuan.

Evidence presented by the platforms indicated deep involvement from both the teenager and her parents. Over 20 face recognition verifications, required for large transactions, were performed on the accounts, with the parents themselves conducting these, thereby consenting to the spending. Audio recordings and chat comments from the streams contained adult vernacular and lifestyle references inconsistent with a high school student's routine. One comment even explicitly mentioned "applying for a refund as a minor using fake information."

The court concluded that the parents were aware of and actively participated in the substantial spending, including bypassing spending limits via face recognition. Their actions constituted consent to the transactions. Consequently, the court dismissed the family's claim for a full refund. The judgment has become legally effective.