XBOX LIVE CANCELS FAMILY PLAN @ 99.00 Wants us to now pay 240.00 a year Customer service Manager says he is official "Manager of Everything" redmond Washington

June 01, 2013

To whom it may concern at Microsoft and Xbox Live,

My name is William Taylor. I called into customer service for the XBOX LIVE today to renew my FAMILY PLAN according to an email I received. Here is the info I was given.

I called into the main support number (billing) and was informed that the “Family Plan” is no longer available because I didn’t call BEFORE June 01^st 2013. The letter specifically stated that it was “BY” the date June 1st. 2013. Today is not over so I wanted to renew.  I was told the system would not accept renewal anymore and I would have to pay 240.00 to renew next year. The associate offered me a 59.99 single renewal.  He said he would give me three other free 12-month passes for the other three users.  However, at the end of those 12 months I would have to pay 240.00 for a service that was offered at 99.99 the prior year.  So I asked to speak to a supervisor because that was unacceptable since I met the deadline given to me in the email.

After a long hold time I was connected to a man by the name of “Daniel” who claimed to be a manager.

I explained the issue and was told that I was not grandfathered and I had missed the date because I didn’t have a renewal form of payment online. I explained for security reasons I did not keep a card on file but would be happy to pay now for the renewal since I had a letter stating by this date, which the date is not over yet and that’s why I was calling.  I was informed it doesn’t work that way and that it was an executive decision to cancel this plan for lack of use. I asked him why we the customer was not told of the Family Plan going away without notice. He said Microsoft can do what they want when they want and they do not have to inform us the customers if they remove a plan of service due to inactivity or use. I explained to him it was not inactive I was using it. He said it wasn’t a profitable plan and therefore removed.  I asked ok, well then who can I talk to next to discuss my dilemma. He said there was no one else to talk to. I asked what his department was, he did not tell me, I asked what his official title is, he said “Manager of Everything” … I said what, can I quote you on that. He said yes.

At that point he got real snooty with me and I asked for his, Department, ID, and Last name , a call tracking number anything so that I could let management know who I discussed this with. He said he doesn’t have any of those things and could not provide them to me. I asked how do I let anyone know who I talked to… he has no answer.

 I worked in Call Centers all of my life on a managerial platform. This is not a discussion ever to be had with a paying customer on ANY level.  Everyone is accountable to someone. After explaining to him he had MANY flaws in his ability to discuss issues with paying customers I informed him I would be speaking to Microsoft Executives about him and his ability to push this issue off on Executive decision, declare himself the Manager of Everything and basically tell me there’s nothing he would do for me and my family. All I wanted to do was pay for an existing service of my Family plan like always without leaving my card info on file WITHIN the given time according to the letter I received. That is all I want as a paying customer of your service.  I only have one other alternative.

Now because of this employee, I will make it my Mission to use the Internet to its fullest capability to spread the word about what this REPRESENTATIVE of your company has said to me. I even asked him if this was fair to the consumer. He didn’t care at all. All he cared about was moving on to another customer.  This is not how I think you want Microsoft to be seen as a company that cancelled an ECONOMIC FAMILY plan in a recession based off the idea that “GREEDY CORPORATE EXECUTIVES” chose to cut family entertainment values and raise a service FOUR times the amount because of one word, BEFORE vs. BY, I made the deadline, and was never told in writing that FAMILY PLAN Would be gone at all.  99.00 bill up to 240.00 because the MANAGER OF EVERYTHING stated it was an EXECUTIVE DECISION to tell a FAMILY they have to pay an INSANE price increase even though they made the deadline that was given to them in writing.

Consumers still have rights, and this is a ludicrous negligent way to do business and to treat customers who have never done anything wrong except to pay for the service provided.