Gamertag Change Invalid Charge

GeeGeeNVa · Aug 19, 2019

So, apparently, years ago (when Windows 10 first came out--and perhaps even before that), I created a "Microsoft" account--Perhaps it was when I bought a Zune for my wife (2 months before Microsoft announced their abandonment of that device, of course)....

Right after I created this account, I promptly got "confused" about the whole notion of having a Microsoft password associated with a separate, non-Microsoft account (basically, one account with 2 passwords, even though it was never, ever, explained just
that simply), so vowed never to use the horrid thing again....

So, fast-forward numerous years later, this very week, I received an Xbox One S for my birthday--and then tried to login in for the first time.... After numerous attempts at using my Comcast
account (erroneously with my Comcast pw), it finally dawned on me I had to use a pw registered with Microsoft--which I had to get it changed, etc., since I had no idea what pw I had used.

After I finally got past the whole 'Microsoft password', and finally got successfully logged into my new Xbox console, imagine my surprise to see my wife's Zune "alias" (or whatever it was considered at the time), as (apparently) my "Gamertag"....

Ok. No problem, I had read on the web site (when I was trying to figure out the Microsoft account matter) that I could change the Gamertag, and the first such change was free.

So, I set about changing it. I chose a name (definitely) more fitting for me (rather than that of my wife's Zune's alias)--only to then be hit up for a $9.99 to make the actual change.

Seeing as how paying for it looked like the only way I could change it, I begrudgingly paid the blooming ransom. But, I wasn't at all happy about it; seems like false advertising to me that such was even required.

I'll be the first one to admit I'm not what anyone should consider a gaming expert, so I suspect this will just be the first of many "charges" in my future....

Personally, I don't believe I should have had to pay anything to get my first Gamertag on my brand new (first ever) Xbox console....

Please explain why I am wrong.

:)

ImpaledGremlin

Hi,

I can understand your frustration as you feel the situation falls outside the usual 1 change allowed for auto generated gamertag situation.

I think the only thing you can really do is contact support directly as they may be able to refund you

Support

Otherwise tho welcome to xbox it is a great system and generally no hidden charges to be concerned over.

Suggest looking into gamepass 100+ games for a monthly or annual fee as this can seriously boost your available games and new games added each month

GeeGeeNVa

Cuando es por primera vez es gratuito despues de eso se hace un cobro

Translation:

"When it's for the first time it's free after that you make a charge"

And to that, I say, Exactly.

From my perspective, tonight was my first time.

There should have been no charge. My wife's alias for her Zune is not what I'd consider a Gamertag. I don't know what Zune considered/called her alias way back then, and that account creation was a long, long time ago. In my opinion, her alias pre-dated
any sort of notion of a gamertag. Heck, that long ago, it might have pre-dated the very first Xbox model--I didn't look up when Xbox first came out, but I am pretty certain the choice to create an alias for a Zune account would NOT have been identified as
a 'gamertag'.

Hence, tonight was my 'first time'.

And yet I had to pay. In my opinion,
Microsoft mixed its metaphors. It falsely latched onto something intended for Zune (for one particular purpose) and twisted it to be used in a different way for Xbox (for another purpose). And I had no say in the matter.

I'm not trying to be obtuse, here. It's more of the principle of the matter....

SirKevSyl

Cuando es por primera vez es gratuito despues de eso se hace un cobro

Smwutches

The free change is only available if you were given a randomly generated gamertag when you first created your account and are changing that tag for the first time. If the tag you changed was one that had been chosen when the account was made, then you
would have to pay in order to change it.

GeeGeeNVa

Thanks, ImpaledGremlin.

Appreciate your understanding where I am coming from and for your welcome.

I've pretty much resigned myself to the gamertag matter--I mean, heck, Xbox told me right on-screen there are no refunds for that particular charge--and yet, I believe I, indeed, fell outside of their expected scenario--and if they were to consider this
particular circumstance, perhaps they'd agree, but then I'd have to explain myself all over again--to someone else.

I'm not going to press the issue further. Even I can realize when the "juice just isn't worth the squeeze" (so the saying goes).

Thanks again for your particular post and for the others that chimed in as well.

Best Regards....

Gamertag Change Invalid Charge