Xbox Live pre-paid subscription cards (unable to redeem until account expires is ridiculous)

I recently purchased a new one year card earlier than needed due to a sale. I have done this practice in the past and never had an issue. However when I tried to enter the 25 digit code I was greeted with an error code. After a few attempts I went to the
errorhelp site and entered the error message to be told I cannot add on a new card until my current subscription expires because I have auto renew turned off and I do not have a credit card attached to my account.. I looked thru the help pages on the payment
and billing page and found a message stating that it would be due to a problem with my account not being current. I know my account is in good standing. I know there is a credit card attached to my account so I followed up with support thru online chat. That
was an aggravating waste of time. While I am going to assume the person I contacted intended to be helpful all he told me made it sound like I was being penalized for not allowing my account to auto renew. Fine. So let me turn that back on and then add the
card. Then I was told I could not do that because the card I currently have on the account is not the same one I opened my Live account with. He was correct. It is not the same card. That is due to my bank changing cards, not my fault. I have been a member
of Live for over five years. Cards get changed. Cards expire so not allowing renewal due to that is ridiculous. I ended up asking for a phone number to call since the chat person was not really trying to be helpful. (I checked to make sure I contacted Microsoft
and not Sony!!) I called the 1-800 number and did get a person who did sound sincere in trying to help and was told that adding a pre-paid card early is no longer allowed. WHY? What possible rational reason could there be for this decision? I am not asking
to stack several years worth of service on before needed. I simply found a sale and wanted to go ahead and make sure I was covered for another year instead of the 5 months left on my current subscription. Your chat person made it sound like I was trying to
commit a crime. Isn't having loyal customers a goal? Yes, I was told over and over that I could just wait til the very last day and then add on my new card. No big deal, right? Yet it is in my eyes. I paid for extending my service and now I am being told well
just hang onto it for a little over 5 months and on the very last day when we don't allow you online, then you can add on that card. Obviously I have nothing better to do than make sure I am at home that day and know exactly where to find that card 5 months
from now. The ridiculous part to me is that after working a 9 hour day and coming home to do what should have been a 1 minute process to renew has now cost me a couple of hours of unneeded aggravation. While you may have your reasons for this decision, they
seem more like a wasted nuisance to your good customers. Frankly I am going to consider if I even want another year of Live after May. I can survive just fine without it and could easily return the card to the store I purchased it at and tell them Microsoft
refused to honor it. This truly does sound more like Sony than Microsoft.

:)

 

Microsoft Points for RB DLC

How to enter pre-paid codes for content, subscriptions, or Microsoft Points

 

Removed Credit card details

Hi there.



You need to call the xbox support line for your region regarding this issue. Be aware that when you purchase an xbox LIVE subscription with a credit / debit card the automatic renewal feature is activated and the card details need to
be kept on file until that subscription expires.



If you do not wish to keep your card details linked to your account it may be a better idea for you do use the pre-paid xbox LIVE Gold cards.

 

There seems to be some misinformation. You can indeed stack multiple subscriptions, for a maximum of 36 months worth of Gold at any one time. However, what could cause issues is if these aren't the same type of code: for instance, one of these is a 12-month
and another one is one of those promotional '12+1' month subscriptions, in which case they will not stack onto one another. So if that is the case here, then that would be the cause of the error.

Also, if adding 12 months would push you beyond 36 months, that would also cause this problem, though that does not appear to be the case here.

(Source for 36-month maximum:
support.xbox.com/.../error-code-8016a0fa)