Child account issues - playing online and adding friends

[AndreaPadjucki]

Do you already have an xbox gamertag linked to your account? It was not there for me either and I was told since we already had one linked, they couldn't link a second one. A separate account had to be created. If you are wanting him to be able to play with friends online he needs an "adult (13 and older)" account. If you set it up as a minor and a new EA account he still will not be able to access the online features. 

[cskene67]

I have submitted the following text to Origin.  This has been talked about for at least 4 years but yep, still an issue:

The child/underage account relationship to the parent that sets up this account is absolutely brutal. Lots of others over the years have complained about this but the fact that EA determines, even when a customer/parent sets up this whole thing and ultimately pays Origin money, when any account changes can be made is asinine at the least.
My daughter is now 11 and I can't do anything with her * Origin account to enable me, her dad, to buy online copies (you do know that most game purchases are bought online, yes?) of add-ons or new games (no worries, with this experience I won't be looking for Origin titles anytime again soon) for her. I have to hope like hell that Amazon or a local retailer will somehow have a physical copy of the add-ons she wants FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS!!! ARE YOU REALLY SERIOUS???
You would have been better off using Steam or another game portal service and saving yourselves the embarrassment of such an absolute failure of UX.
After going through 2 years of blog posts on your HQ site, I realized that Origin must be tone deaf or in deep denial that you royally screwed the pooch.
My problem, if you couldn't decipher from above, is that I am not in control of my child's account, you are. I am unable to gift her games nor is her account able to purchase online games, even with a parental security key.

This also begs the question of why you ask for a parental email at all, considering it does nothing more than collect another email for, presumably, Origin to add to its "Account Growth" model. I can't even add my own daughter to my Friends list in order to play along with her.
If there is a fix, which I certainly have found no remedy for, please let me know and I will gladly recant my included statements.
If there is no fix, then plainly state I should have simply lied about my daughters age and set it up, including all her friends myself, rendering your phony policy acceptance clearly useless.
Seeing the previous posts, do yourselves a favor and fire the idiots who came up with this setup because it has not only frustrated myself and other users of other far better, or at least far better thought out, game portals, but has soured me on even considering, lot less purchasing, titles with Origin attached to them.

By the way, its pretty cute that you include no phone number for Origin support nor email address when creating a case. If you are using some third world country for phone support and they are unable to communicate in English, please save the time, tell me by email that you are just cash-grabbing until Origin is purchased by, or farms out support to, another company, and lets call this a day.

[gigemaggs99]

I have the same problem on NHL 19 trying to play online with my sons, keeps telling me their account in not eligible for an Origin account. Being the parent I took control and added a new family member to "manage family" and created a new PSN for my son that shows he's 18+. I would have liked to use the original PSN that we created for him but this is just silly that we as adults cannot control what our kids play and don't play. I completely agree they should not be playing 17+ video games but we're talking about FIFA, and NHL, not GTA or BF.

[gigemaggs99]

The wild thing is it's something with Origin and PS4. The error with NHL 19 only comes up on PS4 when they sign in with their child account.

On Xbox One I gave them permission to play NHL 19 in the account management and they CAN play online. Strange how I did the same on PS4 but it still wouldn't allow them online. Seems like a lot of hoops to jump through just to play a game online.

[yoyoitsdano]

This has happen to us too. Gi en we can play pvz on xboxone but not battlefront  or battlefield v. And we cant log in to his account or change it from mine account. 

[machtyn]

As I understand it the following is true.
1) A child account can only be created by using the EA Origin game launcher (which indicates the desire to purchase games digitally, not in physical form)
2) A child account cannot add digital games
3) A child account cannot be added as a friend to *anyone*, including their parents.
4) A child account is anyone who doesn't lie about their birthdate and states they are at least 16 years old or older

5) This situation is at least 4 years old.

This is all highly unfortunate, since I really liked the name I created for my child.

I'd say all this surprises me, but EA really detests its customers. It makes no sense.

Also, it may not be them, but it could be they are trying not to run afoul of government laws. But ... umm, we're the parents? All it does is encourage lying.

[zachattack2541]

* you that's stupid

[TxRED55]

This is just crazy that this issue is still an ongoing ordeal.  Just let the parents control the child account like all others do (Microsoft included).  Or at a bare minimum, let me add my own child's account as a friend to the parent's account so we can play together. 

[DrGonzoJunkie]

Seriously no idea why I can't add my son's account to play w/ him. I can't even search him. He can find me, but can't add me. I can find his PS gamertag, but can't add it (gives me an error). Just trying to play some APEX w/ the kid...