Past Due Subscription Removal

So, having explored the baffling apalling series of options that microsoft give in terms of support, eg. ;

• Spend ages exploring a number of useless help tips
• Discover microsoft virtual agent who then gives equally useless help tips in a repeated and more frantic/insane manner like a drunk on a park bench shouting at pigeons;
  
• Virtual assistant gives me an option to speak to someone, YES!
• NO! Apparently I need to be on the Xbox site to speak to someone about the xbox, so I need to go there instead. Clicky linky.
  
• Much like the matrix, the same virtual agent crops up though I hope for better results at the end of it! Is it the same one or a different one who looks the same?
  
• Again offers me some frantic and random help articles
• Finally offered the chance to speak to someone again! Now I'm on the xbox site this should all be gravy!
• NOOOOO! My optimism is dashed when the agent tells me I must be on the xbox site for xbox support. But you just sent me to the xbox site.
  
• The insanity of the Virtual Assistant's circular and nonsensical existence is confirmed.
• Feel bemused/annoyed that microsoft struggle to co-ordinate a coherent user experience given the fact that they should have it nailed

Anyhow, point being is that my XBOX subscription is past due, but I don't want to upgrade it for 12 months. I have 2 kids under 3 and often find that I don't get to pick up a controller for weeks/months on end at this point. So I'd be much happier paying
as and when, despite the higher costs rather than an annual subscription that I don't use for half of the year.

Because my subscription was not renewed (the payment method had expired) microsoft are now trying to force me into paying for another 12 months (because out of there sheer generosity they allowed me like an extra week or something without payment, how benevolent).

So how can I clear the past due payment or talk to an actual human living being who might want to do me a favour and help?

Failing that then my XBox one can just become a glorified Blu Ray player and offline console - in a few years the boys will be old enough to play and Nintendo games are a better fit for the wee ones anyway (burn!).

However, I would like to continue paying for games, content and Gold Live, but I just don't want to do so 12 months at a time and I'm not having XBox force me into a corner because I went a week over my subscription, given that I've paid for one for the
past decade without issue.

Please help microsoft. Tell me that somewhere within your robot heart there is a living breathing human.

Thanks,

James

:)