Microsoft’s forced-upsell to Office 365 Users. Abusing their monopoly.

Forums › Desktop computing › Microsoft’s forced-upsell to Office 365 Users. Abusing their monopoly.

kingdragonfly

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#318522 26-Jan-2025 08:58

Described perfectly in this video.

There's a notification about a price increase to your Microsoft 365 subscription choice...

Hidden away is a secret option to keep the same version, but without co-pilot.

If you don't want Copilot, you can downgrade and pay the same price as before.

I was stupid enough to pay in advanced, so the "Family classic" version is missing.

So the only way to "easily" disable co-pilot was to contact Microsoft

Before this I tried using Window group policy and even a registry hack to disable, before this video identified to root cause: Microsoft getting cocky with their monopoly.

There was complex instructions, well hidden away to revert the update, and disable future updates. Just an asinine suggestion, without mentioning the hidden upsell.

Microsoft’s Sneaky Forced-Upsell to 365 Users; If You Don’t Need/Want Copilot, Don’t Pay for It

Atomic Shrimp

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Networkn
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#3335898 26-Jan-2025 09:39

In other news, water is wet.

For me it cost $30 for my family to have the use of Co-Pilot, for a year. I found it decent value, I knew I could figure out a way to avoid the increase in price.

This whole thing was as predictible as the 'we want choice' when it came to TV providers. NF came along and everyone throught they were the best thing. Now, people pay far more than than they did for Sky and complain about fragmentation.

Consolidation will occur then people will complain about the fact it's so expensive to be with one provider, and on and on it will go.

Behodar

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#3335900 26-Jan-2025 09:49

It's more egregious than usual though. The bugginess of Microsoft products has, in recent years, caused people to claim that Microsoft customers are paying to be beta testers. It seems that Microsoft took that to heart, by "opting in" the entire customer base to the Copilot beta, at additional cost.

networkn

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#3335901 26-Jan-2025 10:12

Behodar:

It's more egregious than usual though. The bugginess of Microsoft products has, in recent years, caused people to claim that Microsoft customers are paying to be beta testers. It seems that Microsoft took that to heart, by "opting in" the entire customer base to the Copilot beta, at additional cost.

I 100% disagree. MS Products have always been similarly buggy, believe me, I've done IT Support for 30 years. There is more bugs because the programs are more complex.

As for MS abusing it's monopoly, like I said, in other news, water is wet. Look at how many fines they have paid over the years for wiping out their opposition in horrifically unethical ways. I recall a video a long time ago of one of the execs snorting in derision after MS was fined >1B for deliberately coding their OS to make other products not work properly and the guy basically saying it was still cheaper than buying xyz company.

kingdragonfly

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#3335902 26-Jan-2025 10:15

I'm in New Zealand. Office 365 said they could not do anything but cancel my subscription.

I asked if I was going to any refund for unused yearly account (which Microsoft encouraged by offering an reduced price over monthly)

After a long pause, they said I would not get any refund because I had used Microsoft Store to purchase.

She offered no advice on how to purchase the hidden "no copilot" "Family classic" version.

I told her I would let the subscription expire naturally (like I had a choice) , switch to free open-source LibreOffice, and contact US legislator that Microsoft abused its monopoly, and used a secret upsell.

LibreOffice - Like Microsoft Office but truly so much better!

Awesome Open Source

gehenna

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#3335907 26-Jan-2025 10:52

This stuff annoys me more.

I'm aware of the subs I have, Microsoft, since I bought and paid for them, and then decided to disable them. I don't need an exclaimation point notification telling me to resubscribe to something I don't need, particularly since the sub in question is for an Xbox - a device I no longer have. Will I see this forever, even though I have no device to use the sub with anymore?

I can forgive security lapses (although it's getting harder to accept) and losing features I might enjoy when products evolve, but I can't forgive the insipid babying of customers with intrusive notifications like the one I've described here, and more recently the ones in my Start menu that want me to know my PC isn't backed up. Are you sure about that, Microsoft? I'm pretty sure I have a backup...it's just not in OneDrive. And now I have a permanent measle on my Start menu for something I don't use and will never use.

rscole86

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#3335909 26-Jan-2025 10:58

In a similar vein, Disney+ won't let you change your account details without an active subscription. Effectively demanding $19 for a 2 minute transaction.

I had to use my account to log into ESPN, to change my email address.

nztim

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#3335912 26-Jan-2025 11:15

Just buy Microsoft Home and Business 2024 for $439 which is supported until October 2029

$439 works out at just over $7 per month through to end of support

Assuming you do not need one drive storage

Any views expressed on these forums are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Equinox IT

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kingdragonfly

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#3335927 26-Jan-2025 12:46

I thought Windows intrusion with Copilot just magically appeared on Windows, and didn't make the correlation to Office 365.

Honestly I forgot I had the subscription until Atomic Shrimp's video.

Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 is designed as a one-time purchase for installation on a single computer. One license permits installation and activation on only one computer at a time.

It was released on October 2024, and is supported for five years, with support ending on October 2029. After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, bug fixes, or security updates for this version. But it onw't self-destruct; you could continue to use it.

Office 365 Family subscription allowed 5 devices.

Office 365,in NZ dollars, IFMicrosoft doesn't raise the price again.

devices 1 at each device per month $14.92
devices 2 at each device per month $7.46
devices 3 at each device per month $4.97
devices 4 at each device per month $3.73
devices 5 at each device per month $2.98

Frankly I'm trying to wean myself off of subscriptions.

I broke my servitude to Adobe.

Microsoft just gave me a reason to get rid of one more subscription.

mattwnz

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#3335944 26-Jan-2025 15:04

When I first saw Atomic Shrimps video on this, I knew exactly what he was referring to. I can’t believe NZs consumer laws allow this to occur. If they do they should be updated for the 21st century online selling. Good reason to buy it as a one off purchase. However even then they can prevent you reinstalling it years later if they turn off their activation servers

kingdragonfly

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#3336097 26-Jan-2025 20:39

Microsoft Copilot Manager roasted, doesn't understand Confidentiality

Lawful Masses with Leonard French

Microsoft has turned Copilot Generative AI features on for everyone in the product formally known as Office. Does Microsoft 365 with Copilot violate lawyers' duty to protect client confidential information? Ben Schorr from Microsoft responds - poorly.

old3eyes

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#3336134 27-Jan-2025 08:02

My Office 365 Personal is prepaid until 2028 at which time I most likely will have no use for it and will use an open source version if I can find an email client that works on Hotmail and Outlook.com correctly.

Regards,

Old3eyes

roobarb

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#3336135 27-Jan-2025 08:08

kingdragonfly: I'm in New Zealand. Office 365 said they could not do anything but cancel my subscription.

I successfully navigated the website, went to my subscription and cancelled the recurring payments.

It then offered to switch plan which I did.

Microsoft 365:

You switched to Microsoft 365 Personal Classic!

Starting on MM/DD/2025, we’ll charge you NZ$129.00 every year. You can continue to enjoy your Microsoft 365 Personal benefits until then.

RunningMan

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#3336138 27-Jan-2025 08:33

This was all covered in the existing thread last month at https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=77&topicid=317770&page_no=1#3318994 but if you missed it, Consumer. published how to avoid paying for Copilot.

https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/you-don-t-have-to-pay-the-microsoft-365-price-increase

kingdragonfly

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#3336147 27-Jan-2025 10:04

RunningMan:
This was all covered in the existing thread last month at https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=77&topicid=317770&page_no=1#3318994 but if you missed it, Consumer. published how to avoid paying for Copilot.

https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/you-don-t-have-to-pay-the-microsoft-365-price-increase

Good article. I bought my subscription from a "third party." It may have been through my mobile phone to the Microsoft Store.

So the "Cancel ... Wait we got a cheaper plan... " option isn't available, even when I called Microsoft.

So, yeah, I'm getting sick of Microsoft's tricks to get everyone on CoPilot AI. I'll start using LibreOffice.

Decal

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#3336159 27-Jan-2025 11:28

So tried the cancel subscription trick and the copilot version is cheaper?

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