Unbelievable, Xbox Live Ripped Me Off!!

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kingkiller33

CAGiversary!
Still can't believe this happened. Friday night, I tried to log into Xbox live, and it told me that my account was suspended because it could not charge my credit card. I was pissed off cuz I just recently added a one month Xbox live membership card and it was still good. Why on earth did they think I owed them money???

I got on the horn with the tech support. They claimed that my account was set to autorenew. My CC on file had expired and Live gave me me free service while trying to charge me for the past month. After so many failed tries, it suspended my account.

The whole thing is just fishy. I find it hard to believe that M$ would give you free service without receiving a valid payment first. Their claim that I owed them for a 3 month renew totally overwrites the fact that I renewed with my one month card.

I had a 12 month card that I just purchased and tried to redeem the code. It still would not activate my account! The tech support said my ONLY option was to pay them $22 bucks for Live service that ends in July. Then I can add my 12 month.

At the very least, I will NEVER pay for Live service through the console. I blame Xbox completely for the hassle.
 
i'd keep calling, asking to speak to different people, tell them all your situation. agree to pay for 1 month (if they did in fact give you a free month)
 
Sounds like a series of bad events that led to you owing MS money and them holding your feet to the fire.

Sorry to hear it.
 
At the very least, you should write a well detailed consumerist rant so you gain more sympathy toward your cause.

If anything this sounds like brute-enforcer loan sharking, where a loan shark sends goons to break your thumbs for non-payment (can't charge your card so they give you more Live free) so in the end you'll end up having to pay more in the long run ($22 BS reactivation fee, on top of using an actual Live sub card)

This is the exact reason I only use cards for points or Live service, the less Microsoft knows of my financial records the better.
 
[quote name='m0rningbreakfast']At the very least, you should write a well detailed consumerist rant so you gain more sympathy toward your cause.

If anything this sounds like brute-enforcer loan sharking, where a loan shark sends goons to break your thumbs for non-payment (can't charge your card so they give you more Live free) so in the end you'll end up having to pay more in the long run ($22 BS reactivation fee, on top of using an actual Live sub card)

This is the exact reason I only use cards for points or Live service, the less Microsoft knows of my financial records the better.[/QUOTE]


I'm thinking about writing a formal complaint. I was furious telling the tech support, you mean I just paid $50 for a 12 month live card, and I still can't get on Xbox live without paying additional $22 bucks? Assuming I got free months, they could have deducted it out of out of 12 month renewal. I would recommend to never renew your membership through the console.
 
The problem is that you "owe" them money for services. As far as LIVE goes the card doesn't pay them. It's asinine, but if you look at it from their end it makes some sense. Why they let you stay Gold when your card was rejected was their fault, but try and play dumb. Just call support and escalate the problem. Overall be nice, but firm. When you get a "No" ask to talk to a supervisor. Try to offer to pay $8 for the month you "owe" in return for them accepting your 1 yr card.
 
Ive never had this kind of problem with LIVE. Ever since it was first released, Ive been on the auto-renew plan with no hassle. Honestly, you are asking for trouble if you don't remove your credit card info before entering a prepaid LIVE card.
 
I only renew my account via free promotions these days. I think it's beyond ridiculous that we have to pay to play with friends online.
 
Can I ask what seems like a simple question?

When your card was getting close to expiring, say 30 days out, didn't you go through all places that the existing card was entered and figure out what you'd be updating and what you wouldn't be updating?

Though, if you plan to remove the card from XBL, you might have some issues with that. Changing it to a new card/new expiration date is one thing, though if you want to remove the card, you may run into some ugly issues with removing it.
 
This is why I do not pay for Live with a CC, only reason there's a CC on my Live account at all is back in late 06-summer 2007 there were no point cards in stores and the rumor was MS was going to discontinue them but that ended up not being the case (also see they're the top selling accessory now.) I only use the pre-paid cards for my Live account and 95% of the time use pre-paid cards for points, just because of situations like yours I always hear about.
 
Good for you, Live sucks. M$ is the only company stupid enough and with the nerve to charge people even more just to play online. No other console has done that nor do they provide a service better than the others.
 
I can't wait for when my card is expired so they can't keep it on file. As for subscribing I've got a bunch of $30-$35 12mo. cards ready to go.
 
OP, good luck with the situation. Simply keep calling until you talk to a CSR that can probably help
 
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They don't really act like a normal company that offers a subscription service, who would turn off your access to the service when they notice your card isn't able to pay the recurring charge. They just continue offering the service by renewing you anyway and then hold your account hostage until you pay your debt, rather than demoting you to Silver like anybody would reasonably expect to be the result.
 
If I'm not mistaken, most places will charge the card even if the date has expired because I believe most CC companies just issue a new card with the same number with just a new date. This creates a buffer window that the CC companies allow charges with the old card date. At least that's in my experience with a few different cards from a few different companies over the years.
 
[quote name='FriskyTanuki']They don't really act like a normal company that offers a subscription service, who would turn off your access to the service when they notice your card isn't able to pay the recurring charge. They just continue offering the service by renewing you anyway and then hold your account hostage until you pay your debt, rather than demoting you to Silver like anybody would reasonably expect to be the result.[/QUOTE]


Exactly. I was shocked that I could not even sign onto Silver which should be free. They totally lock your account, and the only way I was let back on was to give the guy my CC number over the phone. Total crap!
 
Yeah it sucks, my advice to the OP and anyone else would be never, ever, under any circumstances associate a CC with your Live account. It seems to bring nothing but heartache.
 
[quote name='kingkiller33']Still can't believe this happened. Friday night, I tried to log into Xbox live, and it told me that my account was suspended because it could not charge my credit card. I was pissed off cuz I just recently added a one month Xbox live membership card and it was still good. Why on earth did they think I owed them money???

I got on the horn with the tech support. They claimed that my account was set to autorenew. My CC on file had expired and Live gave me me free service while trying to charge me for the past month. After so many failed tries, it suspended my account.

The whole thing is just fishy. I find it hard to believe that M$ would give you free service without receiving a valid payment first. Their claim that I owed them for a 3 month renew totally overwrites the fact that I renewed with my one month card.

I had a 12 month card that I just purchased and tried to redeem the code. It still would not activate my account! The tech support said my ONLY option was to pay them $22 bucks for Live service that ends in July. Then I can add my 12 month.

At the very least, I will NEVER pay for Live service through the console. I blame Xbox completely for the hassle.[/QUOTE]


No offense but you had a CC that expired and then you didn't know when your live expired? Sounds likes you are part to blame too. It's shitty that M$ is making you pay first and not letting you use the 12 mo. card but it sounds like they might not budge unless pushed a lil'. Definitely try to call them and get a supervisor on the line. Don't be rude about it, just explain the situation and I'm sure it will all work itself out. :cool:
 
Until seeing this thread, I had no idea that, rather than just downgrade the account to Silver, MS actually continues to "charge" you for Gold if there is a problem with your account. Add another notch to their asshole belt.
 
I imagine this happens to a lot of younger people. You just have to be mindful when dealing with subscription services and utilities. They probably should demote people to silver, but at least they don't send your bill to collections.
 
If you ever add a Live card to your account you should probably look and see if it re-set your account back to auto renewal...
 
I dont see what the problem is. The card didnt work at first so instead of downgrading him to silver (hell, he could have been playing online at that very moment) they figured they would try again at a later time since he IS set to auto-renew on a gold account (maybe the card currently has an issue which will be resolved shortly). The OP then decided to put in a code after his subscription was up meaning he owed them money before that occurred. Now after a set number of tries he gets his account suspended for not paying a recurring charge which he agreed to. Pay what you rightfully owe and stop bitching. I fail to see what the problem is.

1. OP forgets to update expired CC for subscription charges he agreed to
2. MS gives the guy a few chances to fix the CC problem after it doesnt work the first time
3. OP thinks adding a Live code after the fact should clear him of money already due
4. MS finally suspends account until they are paid what they are owed

why does everyone quickly shit on MS when it is obviously the OP's fault AND MS gave him a bit of wiggle room? If your cc with netflix was expired and they didnt get paid on time would you bitch that you didnt get a dvd in the mail even though you applied a one month code a day after the susbscription expired?

Grow the fuck up.
 
DONT use your CC set to auto renew. Doesnt matter if it works out for you or what, it will always lead to problems. Plus you can always find cheap month cards.

I've had this happen to me a couple of times, and trust me it's your fault not theirs. It just happens. What I did both times was call Xbox support and ask to speak with a manager (usually an American) and then they'll help you out if you are cool/calm. They reverted me back to silver and dropped the charges.

And then thanks to broken ass netflix, I dont have to do crap until 2012. WOOO

[quote name='Malik112099']
why does everyone quickly shit on MS when it is obviously the OP's fault AND MS gave him a bit of wiggle room? If your cc with netflix was expired and they didnt get paid on time would you bitch that you didnt get a dvd in the mail even though you applied a one month code a day after the susbscription expired?

Grow the fuck up.[/QUOTE]
Yea, it's definitely his fault. It happens! Microsoft is not trying to scam you, they have Map Packs for that.
 
[quote name='Malik112099']I dont see what the problem is. The card didnt work at first so instead of downgrading him to silver (hell, he could have been playing online at that very moment) they figured they would try again at a later time since he IS set to auto-renew on a gold account (maybe the card currently has an issue which will be resolved shortly). The OP then decided to put in a code after his subscription was up meaning he owed them money before that occurred. Now after a set number of tries he gets his account suspended for not paying a recurring charge which he agreed to. Pay what you rightfully owe and stop bitching. I fail to see what the problem is.

1. OP forgets to update expired CC for subscription charges he agreed to
2. MS gives the guy a few chances to fix the CC problem after it doesnt work the first time
3. OP thinks adding a Live code after the fact should clear him of money already due
4. MS finally suspends account until they are paid what they are owed

why does everyone quickly shit on MS when it is obviously the OP's fault AND MS gave him a bit of wiggle room? If your cc with netflix was expired and they didnt get paid on time would you bitch that you didnt get a dvd in the mail even though you applied a one month code a day after the susbscription expired?

Grow the fuck up.[/QUOTE]


Wow, you are really kissing M$ ass. The fact remains that I used a one month card, and they are not crediting me any time for that usage. How is that right? It is their fault for not downgrading me to Silver until I could pay. How is it right that I am denied SILVER service which is a free service? That's false advertising.
 
have you tried calling back? you have to be persistent, and agree to pay for any months they did give you. I am sure that if you agree to that, they will eliminate any extra fees they applied, if not ask to speak to another person. If not, you're screwed. It's not their fault :/
 
I'm glad I didn't renew my XBL subscription with a credit card.
I do have points tied to my CC though

If you wipe out your HDD and sell it, is your CC info still on the HDD?
 
[quote name='kingkiller33']Wow, you are really kissing M$ ass. The fact remains that I used a one month card, and they are not crediting me any time for that usage. How is that right? It is their fault for not downgrading me to Silver until I could pay. How is it right that I am denied SILVER service which is a free service? That's false advertising.[/QUOTE]
This is all in the Live TOS. You granted them the ability to auto renew your account. You payment was denied, you still owe them money. You didn't pay and they shut off your access. Pay them what you owe based on the TOS agreement and than you can use your card.

If you belonged to a internet club or website that auto-renewed you would be liable for the charges if the renewal date passed regardless if you used the account or not. I f you belong to a gym that auto renews each month you are liable for charges until you cancel and so on.

Take some responsibility for your auctions, call MSFT and either pay the money you owe or work out a deal where they waive the fee as a customer service courtesy.
 
Does Microsoft take any steps to inform you that your subscription is running out and/or that the card that you have on file is out-of-date? I don't use many subscription services, but one that I have used in the past is XM Radio, and everytime my sub was about to run out, they would send me a letter. And once, my card was out-of-date, and they informed me as such. Not saying that MS is not within their rights to carry out the terms listed in their TOS, but they should at least e-mail you a warning, especially if they are going to keep a running tab on you.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Does Microsoft take any steps to inform you that your subscription is running out and/or that the card that you have on file is out-of-date? I don't use many subscription services, but one that I have used in the past is XM Radio, and everytime my sub was about to run out, they would send me a letter. And once, my card was out-of-date, and they informed me as such. Not saying that MS is not within their rights to carry out the terms listed in their TOS, but they should at least e-mail you a warning, especially if they are going to keep a running tab on you.[/QUOTE]
While I don't have a credit card linked to pay for Xbox Live, I do use the prepaid cards and they send an email to the address my gamertag is tied to when a subscription is activated, 2 weeks before it is about to expire, and the day after it expires. So there is notice given by MS.
 
All the more reason NOT to give them your CC. Strictly use prepay card and you'll be happy ever after.
 
[quote name='kingkiller33']Wow, you are really kissing M$ ass. The fact remains that I used a one month card, and they are not crediting me any time for that usage. How is that right? It is their fault for not downgrading me to Silver until I could pay. How is it right that I am denied SILVER service which is a free service? That's false advertising.[/QUOTE]

I hate to break it to you, but when you're as irresponsible with credit cards as you are, worse things will happen.
 
[quote name='kingkiller33']Wow, you are really kissing M$ ass. [/QUOTE]

Wow. After numerous people point out that you are in the wrong, not Microsoft this is your answer?

Responsibility in action folks. :lol:
 
[quote name='m0rningbreakfast']This is the exact reason I only use cards for points or Live service, the less Microsoft knows of my financial records the better.[/QUOTE]

Same. not to mention the better deals you can find on cards. i have about 3 yrs worth of cards & have not once paid more then 30-35 for a full years service.
 
[quote name='kklems']This is all in the Live TOS. You granted them the ability to auto renew your account. You payment was denied, you still owe them money. You didn't pay and they shut off your access. Pay them what you owe based on the TOS agreement and than you can use your card.

If you belonged to a internet club or website that auto-renewed you would be liable for the charges if the renewal date passed regardless if you used the account or not. I f you belong to a gym that auto renews each month you are liable for charges until you cancel and so on.

Take some responsibility for your auctions, call MSFT and either pay the money you owe or work out a deal where they waive the fee as a customer service courtesy.[/QUOTE]


I already paid the money. It was the only way I could get back on Live, and access Silver which is SUPPOSED to be a free service. Still doesn't mean I have to like it, and I do feel cheated because my one month card was completely ignored.
 
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