Unexpected Azure Charges – Seeking Clarification and Refund Guidance

Question

Hi,

When we created our Azure account, Microsoft advertised that new users could use Azure services free of charge for 12 months. However, we were billed for Virtual Machine disk space and DDoS Protection, which accounted for a significant portion of the invoice.

Could someone help us understand what we may have done wrong, advise on how we might resolve this, or request a refund?

Regards,

Mostafa

Answer 1

Hi Mostafa Hanifi,

Sorry for the inconvenience caused usually,

Azure offers a free tier with some services available for free for 12 months, but there are limits on how much you can use. It's important to check if your usage has exceeded these limits.

A new users get $200 Azure credit in your billing currency for the first 30 days and a limited quantity of free services for 12 months with your Free Account

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/avoid-charges-free-account#you-used-some-services-that-arent-free

VM Disk Space & DDoS Protection: Typically, these are not included in the free tier. Charges for services like Virtual Machine disk space and DDoS Protection can accumulate quickly if you're on a Pay-As-You-Go plan or in cases where your free credits have run out.

I suggest you review your invoice to identify the specific charges for the Virtual Machine disk space and DDoS Protection. The invoice should show what’s categorized as "billable" versus what’s included for free.

Cost Analysis, Use the cost analysis tool in Azure to get insights into your usage patterns.

Audit Logs, checking your audit logs might help you understand what resources were utilized that led to these charges.

If you feel the charges are incorrect, you can create an Azure support request. 
1. Navigate to this link to start the process:

https://portal.azure.com/#view/Microsoft_Azure_Support/HelpAndSupportBlade/~/overview

2. Click Create a support request button at top

Please let us know if you need further clarification or additional help. We are happy to assist you.

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