Microsoft to Refund and Cancel Inactive Xbox Game Pass Accounts

As we all know Microsoft recently acquired Activision to boost its gaming department which includes Xbox and PC divisions. However, the UK’s Competition and Market’s Authority (CMA) started investigations regarding Xbox game pass accounts as it involves subscriptions and money of the people. Consequently, subsequent to the probe by the UK’s CMA, the silicon valley giant Microsoft has said it will make changes to its Game Pass program that will make it much more convenient for subscribers to cancel the service and the company will stop taking payments for subscriptions that go dormant.

Microsoft to Refund and Cancel Inactive Xbox Game Pass Accounts

The CMA’s initial investigations entail that it first “identified concerns about certain features of Microsoft’s auto-renewing subscriptions” as part of a wider probe into the online gaming world. Those identified issues include clarity about automatic subscription renewal, the convenience of disabling automatic renewals, and whether customers may be unknowingly paying for dormant subscriptions that they no longer use.

Consequently, Microsoft is now dedicated to making changes to its Game Pass and Xbox Live services. These changes are as follows:

Better upfront information:

The company will now render more transparent, upfront information to assist customers to understand their Xbox membership. For instance, the company now tells you that the subscription will auto-renew until the customer turns off auto-renewal manually. Furthermore, they also provide you information regarding when the subscription will auto-renew, its cost, and how the customer can acquire a refund after an accidental renewal.

Refunds:

The company will contact existing customers on repeating 12-month contracts and provide them with the option to terminate their contract and claim a refund.

Inactive memberships:

Microsoft will also reach existing customers who haven’t used their subscription for a long time but are still paying. These users will be reminded how to stop payments for the subscriptions, and if they continue not to use their memberships, the company will stop taking any further payments.

Better information about price increases:

Microsoft will also provide clear notifications of any future price hikes and will ensure people know how to turn off auto-renewal if they don’t want to pay the higher cost.

In response, CMA executive director of enforcement, Micheal Grenfell said,

Gamers need to be given clear and timely information to make informed choices when signing up for auto-renewing memberships and subscriptions. We are therefore pleased that Microsoft has given the CMA these formal undertakings to improve the fairness of their practices and protect consumers, and will be offering refunds to certain customers.

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