What happened to direct Microsoft support for M365 products?

Question

For the past 13+ years, I've been able to reach Microsoft support directly in the M365 admin center. For the past few weeks my organization no longer has an option to contact Microsoft support; the only option is for our MSP's support.

Our MSP claims that Microsoft has always required MSP subscriptions to operate through them, not Microsoft. This has not been the case for 13+ years for me.

Did Microsoft drop its direct support? How can we continue to get support through Microsoft instead of dealing with an MSP for support?

Note: AI Assist suggests we have made a change in our subscription which caused MS direct support to no longer be an option. This is not the case; we have made no change to our subscription and in fact one of our products is purchased directly through Microsoft (our MSP does not sell it).

Answer 1

It appears that direct support options for Microsoft 365 may vary depending on how your organization has subscribed to the service. If your organization is using Microsoft 365 through a Managed Service Provider (MSP), it is possible that support is routed through them, which could explain the lack of direct support options in your admin center.

Microsoft does provide direct support for admins of organizations that have purchased subscriptions directly. If your organization has historically had access to direct support, it may be worth checking if there have been any changes to your subscription or account settings. You can also try accessing the Microsoft 365 admin center and selecting Help & support to see if there are options available for submitting a service request online or contacting support.

If you want to continue getting support directly from Microsoft, ensure that your organization has a subscription purchased directly from Microsoft, as those who have bought all subscriptions through a partner are directed to contact their partner for support.

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References:

• Get support for Microsoft 365 for business
• Provide different types of support to your customers