Left Hand, Meet Right Hand…

Sigh, this is yet another rant about Microsoft…

You may recall that I am concerned about the limitation in Microsoft’s Zune/Xbox Live/Windows Phone service account whereby you can’t change your country of residence if you move. You also can’t delete your Zune/Xbox Live/Windows Phone account without first deleting your linked Windows Live ID.

I don’t want to delete my Windows Live ID (which I’ve had for more than 10 years), but I’d be perfectly happy to delete my Zune/Xbox Live/Windows Phone service account in order to start afresh with a new one.

I’m not the only one so concerned, and there’s also an online petition about the issue.

Last month, I wrote to Microsoft about this issue, asking that they give consideration to introducing the ability for consumers to delete a service account themselves, without also first having to delete the Windows Live ID linked to that account.

Today, I got a reply from Rob Warwick, XBOX EMEA Senior Advocacy Team. It’s reproduced below (click for full size versions):

I draw your attention to the bit where he says:

…despite the fact a Windows Live ID needs to be linked to both these accounts, you can cancel either/or both Xbox Live and Zune without deleting the linked Windows Live ID.

There will be a reply in the post to Mr. Warwick tomorrow. In part, it says:

I am afraid that either you, or Microsoft’s Zune/Xbox Live Customer Support Teams, are very mistaken in this matter.

I have tried, on two separate occasions, via online chats with Zune/Xbox Live Customer Support to get my Zune/Xbox Live service account deleted without deleting the linked Windows Live ID. On both occasions, the Microsoft representative flatly informed me that this was impossible, and that my Windows Live ID would have to be deleted first. Only then would the linked Zune/Xbox Live account be deleted.

Their advice was to create a second Windows Live ID, and then create a new Zune/Xbox Live service account. This is also the answer that is frequently given in the online Microsoft Answers forums.

Nowhere has it ever been stated that it is possible to cancel either/or both Xbox Live and Zune without deleting the linked Windows Live ID as you claim. In addition, Microsoft’s online self-help account management does not currently offer this option.

Therefore, with regret, I state that your answer has completely failed to clarify the state of my accounts and the options open to me. I look forward to your further help in resolving this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Geoff Coupe

Left hand, meet right hand…