Microsoft stole $20 from me

Long story short. On June 21 I pre-ordered Red Dead Redemption 2 from Microsoft. Being excited for the game, of course, I didn't just purchase the game, but I purchased the, "special edition" even though it doesn't really come with anything making it worth
an additional $20.00. Nothing left to do except for wait for the game to be released, right?

Now, the way I purchase games is by buying Microsoft gift cards for the majority of the purchase, and sometimes I let a little bit hit credit (sneaky, right? Anything to not let my wife know how much I actually spent on a game, lol).

In October there was a $61 charge on my credit card from Microsoft. I contacted them because I could not figure out what the charge was for. I used a virtual agent, and chatted with a very nice person who also could not place the charge to anything in my
account history. She gave me a reference number and told me to contact my credit card company to have the charge disputed.

So, obviously, being worried that my credit card was hacked, I disputed the charge and went through the whole, "getting a new credit card number" thing. I changed all of my online profiles to the new card, etc. etc. Everything was fine and dandy - whoever
stole my credit card probably got away with a free game or something, but whatever, at least I wasn't going to pay for it.

Fast forward to December 19. I boot up my xbox to play, of course, Red Dead Redemption 2. I get a message, "you must purchase this game to play it." This, of course, confused me. What do I do? Contact a virtual agent, of course!

I contacted the virtual agent who said my $61 charge was matched up to Red Dead Redemption 2 (which surprised me since they were months apart, but I digress), so I no longer have the game. I pointed out that the game cost more than $61 and he said I was
reimbursed and, "had already spent the money that was reimbursed." So, I looked up my account history - saw nothing that showed any type of reimbursement - and contacted yet another virtual agent.

This time, I was prepared. I had sifted through my entire account history (since October of 2011) and had created an excel spreadsheet of my purchases. I was ready - I told the virtual agent that not only could I not find the reimbursement, but if you match
up all of my purchases since October, I do not have the right amount on my Microsoft account right now. I pointed out that since October this year (the last time I would have had a zero balance), I had purchased $215 of Microsoft gift cards (please don't tell
my wife) and purchased $192.74 worth of games. I demanded the $22.26 that was rightfully mine and stated that I also needed reimbursed for the $20 worth of Microsoft money that was taken from me when they took away RDR2.

All I got in response was, "what do you want me to do about that."

Thanks, Microsoft. Very caring about your customers.

So, today, I called them. No more virtual agents. This time, I was going to speak to a person and they would be able to understand that I was a reasonable person and I was almost certainly being screwed by the company they worked for.

I called Microsoft, excel spreadsheet pulled up and ready to go. I spoke with an agent and gave them the entire story, yet again. I gave them the reference number where I had initially called and spoke to an agent who could not match up the charge, and I
finally got somebody to understand.

I calmly spoke to them and got them to understand that I am out not only RDR2, but I'm at least out the money that was used from my Microsoft account to purchase it!

"There is nothing we can do." Is what the agent told me.

What? How is this possible? I had somebody on the phone with me, from the company that has (at this point) stolen from me, and there is nothing that can be done?!

Point by point, I went over with them, and they agreed:

- I called Microsoft, in October, who agreed a $61 charge to my credit card account was fraudulent (and have the reference number to prove it)

- I called my bank, had the fraudulent charges reversed, which cost me the time of re-doing all of my online profiles with a new credit card number, etc.

- Microsoft magically found something to link the charge to when the charges were reversed, and took away my game which was shown being billed in June.

- Microsoft will not reimburse me for the gift card money used to charge the remainder of the purchase, and will not / cannot give me the game back.

I pleaded with them, but to no avail. Even though the Microsoft agent I spoke to AGREED with me, they have no remedy. I even asked, "So, there is nobody in all of Microsoft that can help me." And the answer was, "no."

So, I'm out $20 and a game from Microsoft. But they are out a customer who has been buying games, services, and systems since 2011 (and before, even). I cannot believe that Microsoft needs my $20 more than I do.

Merry Christmas, Microsoft, that's the last $20 you will get from me.

:)