Dear Microsoft,
Have you ever heard the word “no” before? When somebody says that word, it usually means they don’t want something or would like an ongoing activity to stop. So for instance, when you notify me via Xbox Live that my subscription is about expire, then ask me if I want to auto-renew, my saying “no” to that means Idon’t want to auto-renew.
What itdoesn’tmean is that I would like an email the very next day telling me that youaregoing to auto-renew. What itdoesmean is that I would not like a repeat of last year, where you tried to charge a dead credit card because you won’t let me add a new one since you’ve not allowed me to change region (and thus add a new card) after I moved to the United States.
Do you even remember whathappenedlast year? When I had a UK Xbox Live Gold code to renew my subscription but you claimed I owed you money and wouldn’t accept it because you tried to charge money to a card that expired years ago? A card I amstillunable to remove —even after talking to customer support— because you’ve so deeply ingrained that shit into your system?
You might think it’s a good business practice to force yourself onto your customers like a drunken fratboy with an ill-gotten boner, but ordinary human beings don’t appreciate it. It’s galling enough that you charge money for a service others provide for free, but to then try and ensure that nobody canstoppaying when they’ve had enough takes us beyond grotesque and into the realm of unfathomably sleazy.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to pull some strings and try to get myself a new UK Points Card while attempting to stop you from charging a years-dead credit card. A-fucking-gain.
