Xbox Balance Expiry - more like theft.

I received an email today - shared below - from Microsoft where they inform me that they'll just keep my money if I don't spend it within the next 4 weeks.

Don't take the absolute ***. If I top up my Xbox account with my money I do so so I can buy a game as and when I please from your digital Xbox Store. This is clearly theft, and I am truly baffled if you've been getting away with this with other customers.
If I wanted to donate money I'd do it through a charity.

I am aware that the Microsoft Points balance expires 12mths after redemption, I remember reading about that, and I used my balance up over the launch period buying several launch titles. The money left on my account is from Xbox Gift Cards in real currency,
which I'm sure, unlike MSP, are not suppose to expire.

Microsoft email:

"We just wanted to let you know that some of the promotional balance in your Microsoft account will be expiring soon.

Expiring Account Balance:

£50.64 GBP

Expiration Date:

05 July 2014

You can use your promotional balance before it expires to buy apps, games, music, and more at any of the following stores:

Windows Store

Windows Phone Store

Xbox Games

Xbox Music

Xbox Video

For information about the balance in your Microsoft account, please visit
https://commerce.microsoft.com.

So start shopping and enjoy the fun today!

Microsoft"

:)

 

question turning off auto-renewall

Yes if you take care of the outstanding balance before the expiry date

 

money dissapeared

Depending on where you got the cash for your Microsoft account, some portions of your overall balance may have an expiry date.

For more clarification about your account balance to find out where exactly that $15 went, contact Xbox Support (phone or chat).

Phone (US/CAN): 1-800-4MY-XBOX

Chat: Contact Us | Xbox Support

 

Waynimus

Have you called XBox Support ot chatted online to them? They have always heped me get things settled within 10 minutes

 

Is this the promotional balance that was converted from MS Points?

We were told that would expire.

 

The key words are "promotional balance" Any currency get through promo's does expire.

 

On the flip side, why not treat yourself to a bunch of games?

 

I would say its good customer service, I suspect the terms and conditions to the balance allow them to do it, you haven't red the terms and conditions, but they have politely given you notice, and plenty of it, most companies these days would simple not
tell you and hope you don't notice.

 

I'm aware it's marked as a Promotional Balance, what I'm saying however is that that should not be the case. My Microsoft Points I did have should have been used up first when I purchased XB1 launch titles. The other credit I added to my account was by way
of real currency Xbox Gift Cards which should not be expiring.

Furthermore, the amount expiring is an odd figure, £50.64. My guess is the 64p must be from my credits as an Xbox Live Rewards member, and somehow it's tied up my actual real currency credit in with that.

Errors such as this just simply should not be happening. I will have to make contact and try and resolve the issue - I'll wait until after E3 as there may be a big game announcement that then immediately launches - if not I will contact CS, but really shouldn't
be in the situation to begin with.

I disagree that I should be forced into spending my money early when the games I want to buy are months away from release.

 

Contact Live support, they are normally very good, at least you will get some clarity, I would do it now and not wait till E3, the sooner you act the better it looks and the more time everyone has to find a solution.

Nobody knows if its an error or not until you contact someone about it.