How to Cancel Xbox Live Auto Renew Without Support Help

Lots of people seem to be in the same bag here as they do not want to bother calling Xbox Live Support to cancel their auto-renewal for the Xbox Live service.

[prongs123]

Microsoft's website, there's an option for that.

[TheBeast]

How do you think you can do it without calling support >.> and its a trick, not a standard option.

[rob6021]

1. Why can't you do it on the console itself?
Reason: to make it a huge inconvenience so you avoid doing it. More profit.

2. Why can't you do it on xbox.com like it even seems to indicate you can.
Reason: to make it a huge inconvenience so you avoid doing it. More profit.

3 Option 3, change your CC details so MS can't bill you next pay period.
Answer: YOU CANT that would be an easy way out. More profit.

4. Option 4 you call MS tech support and wait on the line for who knows how long to finally get autorenewal ticked off.
Reason: to make it a huge inconvenience so you avoid doing it. More profit.

5 Option 5: Have someone figure out a loophole where you pretend you moved to Illinois where they actually have a law preventing MS from practicing this crap on their customers. Dig up a fake zip code and city and lie.
Reason: MS can't legally can't avoid this, so they have to comply.

[TBM]

I had to call customer support to cancel subscription since I couldn't do it on the system or online. When I finally got through they tried to bribe me with a 1000 free ms pts.

I told them I don't play online that much and they can keep the pts.

I found that they are like the mob refusing to let you go when you want nothing to do with them lol. I'll gladly stay a silver member for as long as my elite lasts.

[Hitman0769]

I've heard horror stories about cancelling this. Good to know there's an easier way.

[Denethor_II]

Yes it's very tricky. Especially talking to an American or Indian operator as I find them hard to understand.

[SixZeroFour]

i think its easier to go with LIVE subscription cards and most of the time you can find cheap deals and not pay full price...so its win win

[THWIP71]

...you can just report to your bank or CC company that MS has hijacked your card, and demand a new one. They send you another card, with the balance already transferred, and cancel the old one. Even with the same billing address, MS cannot submit charges against an account with a different #. This is true with any company who previously had access to your CC or bank account info.

Of course the EASIEST way to avoid this, is to never purchase Live through MS in the first place...Amazon is ALWAYS way below retail on Live subs, usually by $15-$20.

EDIT: Awwww...I got disagrees already, from some kiddies who haven't learned how to deal with real-world issues yet. Go grow some pubic hair, get a job, pay your own bills, etc...then come back here in a few years and join in on adult conversations. :o

[TheBeast]

Oh yes "Microsoft" hijacking your credit card. That goes so well, its like peanut butter and jelly >.> Who in the right mind would do that?!

[THWIP71]

People get scammed buying off TV, like the paid infomercials, QVC, etc. , and magazine subscription "services" all the time. It's very risky to give out your CC info by phone, or to a company you can't check out first. They can have "fine print" policies in place that give them the right to continue sending you merchandise...without you requesting it...and forcing to you deal with either paying for it, or go through a headache getting the merchandise returned...at your expense.

[Legion]

First off... you can't just do anything to your card if you still want your gamertag and everything attached to it. If your current credit card associated to the account reaches it's experation date or is not able to be accessed when renewal comes up then your account will be locked for online. It will not revert to silver status.

So yes... you could attempt to do what you said but you will loose all online marketplace options for that gamertag.

[THWIP71]

People change bank accounts and credit cards ALL THE TIME dude. Job change, moving, or just switching banks for better rates/services...it's just business. MS knows this, and CANNOT interrupt services you've already paid for, just because you changed bank accounts. Sure, they want to keep you locked in for the renewal...but legally, they can't do so by hijacking your bank account. That's fraudulent.

[Legion]

Talk to MS about it. My daughters account was locked until I fixed her credit card information. Per the Live agreement it states something about billing information needing to be correct or something like that. So unless you call MS up directly and get things removed then yes they can suspend your srvice if billing information is incorrect. And that is a nightmare dealing with them on removing a credit card from your account. Best to ONLY use the prepaid cards from the beginning.

[Bigpappy]

That will happen only if the gold account expires.

[radphil]

"THWIP71 + 2h ago
That's not true at all...."

Actually it is. We've had a representative actually tell us about that. It's because the billing info HAS to be correct, otherwise it's considered suspicious activity.

That and I had 2 co-workers have that happen. This was at the time the account "expired" with the Gold subscriptions.

Just because the person can do it does NOT mean there won't be any repercussions.

It's just still to this day no one really questioned to the company why cards are locked onto the account during a subscription. You've already paid for it.

[rob6021]

Last time I was a gold member, they tried locking my account down on me too - since my cc on the account was expired, but I just ignored it about a week later and 3-5 emails they finally gave in and downgraded me back to silver.

[Happythedog]

Rofl at the edit, bubble for ownage.

[PS360PCROCKS]

really now? Cancel your CC and it cancels everything huh? That's funny i tried that once and my bank STILL paid for shit and renewed stuff. It's still attached to your account whether you cancel the card or not. It's not that easy, but this being a renewal I don't know if that's allowed.

[THWIP71]

Then you're doing it wrong. :o

[PS360PCROCKS]

doing it wrong? your kidding me right?

[cliffbo]

just cancel it from your bank then ms cannot take your money

[rob6021]

then pay to issue a new one? might as well get another month of xbox live instead of canceling.

[T3MPL3TON]

What kinda poop bank do you have?

I had to cancel my card because of the Sony BS and never paid a dime. You might wanna get a new bank, man.

[Bigpappy]

You guys are amusing. You can change your credit card info from the account manager on your Xbox. This is not something that needs an article and 200 comments to resolve. I have had M$ email me many times to update my card info. Because the card had expired or I did not remove the old card from active. It is very symple to change your card number or just update it with the wrong number. They can not update without the correct info.

[rob6021]

Wow, you're absolutely wrong.

Go try it, you can't even change your details on the credit card without MS verifying its a real card. What you said doesn't work if you have an active Gold membership.

Account manager on the XBOX, refers you to www.xbox.com/accounts. When you go to Xbox.com (and remember you windows live password for extra inconvenience) you try to remove/change your card with an active gold subscription you're greeted with a message that says: This payment option cannot be removed at this time. Go to the Payment method information page to view services associated with this payment option.

MS Billing gives you this message if you click the help thing about auto renewal:
A scheduled renewal occurs when a subscription is set for automatic renewal on a future date. Your service will be renewed when the scheduled renewal date arrives.
Notes
You can't cancel a scheduled renewal in Billing and Accounts Management. For more information, see Contact Customer Support

@T3mpl3ton, I had to cancel my card from the Sony thing, since it was a debit card they charged me $5 for a new one ><.

[Legion]

I just tried this and it works. Now to do it with my daughters account. Of course it has to be done again each time that you use any type of gold update cards.

[CrimsonEngage]

Who actually uses a credit card. I use one of those pre-paid cards you can buy at walmart so that when the money on the card runs out they can't charge you. OH SNAP!

[THWIP71]

...except that it costs you $5, every time you put $$ on those cards. Oh snap. ;)

[CrimsonEngage]

Here the minimum you can put on a card is $20 and they don't charge you. Oh snap. :3

[Legion]

I just changed my daughters account now too. And yes I did verify... after changing the status to off for auto renewal it gave me a little blurb at the end saying that it will not take effect until the end of the current experation. And it also stated that if I used a point card to update my gold status that it would switch back to auto renewal.

ADDED NOTE: •You cannot remove a credit card that is associated with an active Xbox LIVE Gold Membership.

This is stated directly on the xbox support page.

And support depending on what your luck is with which country support you get, will tell you that they can't remove it... here is a blurb from the online support that I got...
"You will not be able remove the credit card on file until the current subscription expires.

If you need to reply to this e-mail, please reply 'with history' (include any previous e-mail) or reference to Service Request Number {DELETED} so we can expedite our service to you.

Thank you for visiting Xbox.com. If you should have future questions on Xbox products or services, please be sure to revisit our Web site, www.support.xbox.com."

[Treyb3yond]

Hahah ms are soooo sneaky!

[rob6021]

Yea I recently got in on a 2 months for $2 deal on the xbox dashboard, and I knew there was some kind of catch. Just how tough it is to cancel your renewal is the catch. Also they WILL NOT let me change my CC details I used to pay for it, I want them off there, for my protection, as well as I don't want MS to find a Loophole to bill me again in two months. I can imagine how bad MS would get sued if they had their CC info stolen or this reason alone - there's no reason for them to hold your cc info hostage.

[mopground]

well i used a credit card and it put me on for auto renewal couple months ago. then i got kinda scared about psn bein hacked so i wanted me cc number of xbox as well just to be safe.
well well well, first off (other than this solution) you just cant cancel auto renewal without calling in. so i says ok ill just phone customer support and wait for 15 mins.

so then lady picks up and informs me that if i cancel my auto renewal it will cancel my xbl right now.... even tho i paid $60 and still had 7-8 months left. abosoluly redicururs

[Mikeyy]

I just had to cancel my sisters Live subscription about a month ago.

I don't know about today, but then you have NO CHOICE but to call support. There is no option on the Console to cancel, and the Website page was 404rd.

That being said, they bribed me with 30 days for $1, I said no, they removed the card no problem.

at the end of the day, MS would save everybody loads of time if they just allowed you to manage your subscriptions via the website.

I don't own an Xbox anyway though..