Question about renewing XBox Live

[SoulBlazer]

So, back when I first got my XBox 360, I paid for XBox Live using a debit card that I had at the time. Then I started signing up for it with prepaid Xbox Live cards, but left the debit card on there as I'd use that to buy points, etc. The card was replaced a couple years ago and is no longer valid.

 

MS has never tried to charge the card cause I've always punched in the new code for the year of XBox Live service before the old one expired. I was unable to remove the debit card, though, as it says that you have to wait for your current plan to expire first.

 

In the past I never cared, since it's a invalid card, they can't charge it. And I have the account set up not to auto renew.

 

Two recent things I saw made me wonder about that though:

 

1) Complaints from people (not sure if they are real) saying that MS still succesfully somehow charged a invalid card.

2) An automated e-mail I got from MS saying that when my Live Subscrption expired on July 1st I'd be at the monthly automatic renewal, even though I turned it off!

 

So, I need to call MS to remove the card from the system, but the million dollar question is: when?

 

Can I do it now on the phone even though it's still 'technicaly' tied to the account and my current prepaid card doesn't run out till July 1st?

 

Or can I call after July 1st to remove it and MS won't try to charge a invalid card?

 

Some advise from someone who has been through this or has reliable knowledge to share, please!

[HammR25]

Go into your account at xbox.com and then to manage payment options and see if you can remove it there. Your card based subscription shouldn't have anything to do with you being able to remove your debit card. If you can't remove it via the website go ahead and call them now.

[SoulBlazer]

Yeah, I can't remove it from the website cause it says I need to 'wait for my current subscrption plan to expire' even though it's a pre paid card. I'll call this week then.

[cparsley]

Call as soon as you can, you don't have to remove the CC, but have them remove the automatic renewal, cause Microsoft will attempt to bill the card if you dont have it turned off and leave the CC there.

[NE146]

At the very least, just disable automatic renewal. It's no longer mysterious/hard to do as it was in years past.

 

You just go to the website, sign in, and go to "My Account" and right there is info on your automatic renewal and you can turn it on/off.

 

http://support.xbox.com/en-US/billing-and-subscriptions/subscription-management/cancel-xbox-live-gold-subscription

[Gabriel]

At the very least, just disable automatic renewal. It's no longer mysterious/hard to do as it was in years past.

 

You just go to the website, sign in, and go to "My Account" and right there is info on your automatic renewal and you can turn it on/off.

 

http://support.xbox....ld-subscription

 

Yeah. In years past they automatically turned it back on even if you had disabled it and then refused to allow an option to turn it off. Then they made you call them, wait on hold for hours, and then top it off with an AOL-style cancellation procedure.

[SoulBlazer]

Sorry about not posting a update until now, very confusing.

 

I allready had turned my subscription off auto renew at one place (don't recall now where it was on the Microsoft XBox Live site, this was a few months ago) and KNOW I did it. I was surprised when I followed the link given above and found that it was still set on.

 

After jumping through some hoops (having to have a code sent to my e-mail to confirm my computer, and going through a nag screen, a offer screen, and a final cofirmation screen!) I finally got it shut off. More over, since I had my PayPal account linked but not active, I was then able to make it active, remove my old card, and then deactive my PayPal account again.

 

Now I'm all set to punch in my new prepaid 12 month code on the 1st and hopefully I won't have to turn the auto renew off AGAIN!

 

Thanks for the help.

[cparsley]

The code was due to the new security Microsoft put in on Tuesday night geared at preventing those wanting to steal other's gamertags from being able to make purchases, as when you access at a machine that hasn't been verified yet, it's going to prompt you for that code from either a trusted email or cell phone you entered previously.

[HammR25]

Now I'm all set to punch in my new prepaid 12 month code on the 1st and hopefully I won't have to turn the auto renew off AGAIN!

 

Thanks for the help.

You can stack up to 3 years worth of codes so you wouldn't have had to wait until July 1st to enter the new one. It would have automatically added it to the end of your current yearly subscription not that it matters now.