I have a 360. I haven't touched it in about three months. All of my gaming lately has been on PC, mostly Steam games. So when I started receiving daily e-mails from Microsoft complaining about how my XBL subscription was running out and they couldn't bill me to auto-renew (since my CC info had changed,) I just shrugged and said "so cancel my gold membership. Whatever." *click* *delete*
Today I was in the mood to play an XBL Arcade game I had downloaded onto my HD from way back. I couldn't play it, only the trial version. I figure it must be some crap about not being able to sign into XBL. So I tried to change my account info on the Xbox. Wouldn't let me. So I tried to change my account info on the PC. Wouldn't let me. The FAQ on the support site told me what I needed to do and the options simply weren't there. All I knew was that formally my account had lapsed on 12/27.
So I get Customer Support on the phone. Fellow gets my situation and says "well, the problem is that you've got a $60 charge on your account and we need to settle that first." I'm perplexed by this. Yes, auto-renew was turned on and should have been deactivated...I certainly hadn't remembered until it was too late, considering that it's been turned on for at least four years now. Regardless, no services have been rendered for my annual subscription that I haven't paid, so why is Microsoft sitting there with their hand out? So the guy talks to me for about 5 minutes explaining how well yes, but you were billed for that, and therefore that's what you owe us, and I can't just take that away. And I'm arguing back that that would be fine if I had actually been getting anything for that payment that I owed you, and that I'm not paying for an annual membership if it becomes effective 6 weeks ago -- I wasn't interested in paying in the first place.
So he puts me on hold.
After a while he comes back and says "well, here's what I can do. I'll put you on the 1-month plan instead of the 12-month plan. That only costs $9.99." After several minutes of discussing with him and confirming that yes this will take care of the back charges and I'll be cleared after that, and also that apparently my account had technically been unsuspended for a month after payments were due, I agree.
He puts me on hold.
He comes back later to get my credit card information, and for some reason it won't process. He has no idea why.
And he puts me on hold again.
Finally he comes back and says "I'm sorry about all this. I totally understand your situation, and I promised I would do something I couldn't come through on, so tell you what, man. The charges are lifted and your account is no longer suspended."
I had thought the guy was putting me on hold because he had other calls to deal with concurrently, but the way things proceeded, I imagine he must have been getting his higher-ups approval to do stuff, and it all worked out in the end. So I'm pleased with the results. Took a little while, but better than paying $60 for nothing.
Oh, and my games I couldn't play? Simply because my account was suspended. I do still think it's ridiculous that I have to have online permission to play a game I've purchased, though.