Cant cancel MS Teams Essentials subscription

Question

I keep getting charged for Microsoft Teams Essentials and seem to be unable to cancel the subscription. First problem is it won't let me log in with the email address that i received the order confirmation from Microsoft ([Moderator note: personal info removed]) and second problem, I cancelled the subscription with my bank but Microsoft carried on taking payments under a different reference.

Please cancel my subscription and stop charging me -

the order number is [Moderator note: personal info removed]

your original reference was microsoft#[Moderator note: personal info removed] which was blocked by my bank on 1st November 2025 but Microsoft re-instated the subscription as microsoft#[Moderator note: personal info removed] and took payments from 21st November 2025

I've rung the two Microsoft UK numbers and it doesn't matter what answers i give, I'm never put through to a person and only get a message to go to aka.ms/rfnd which is no use without any account details

My bank say that i have to contact you to give you the opportunity to refund the payments taken before they instigate a fraud investigation

Answer 1

1. The confirmation email i received when i took out the subscription did not include any admin account details
2. Ive rung both the UK telephone numbers and it doesn't matter what answers i give, I'm never put through to a person and only get a message to go to aka.ms/rfnd which is no use without any account details
3. With the problems im having cancelling this subscription im not prepared to sign up for a temporary one

Can i please request that someone from Microsoft Data Protection Support contacts me directly

Answer 2

Hi @robert hinde-dain,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.  

Thank you for reaching out, and I’m truly sorry for the trouble you’ve been experiencing with your Microsoft Teams Essentials subscription. I understand how concerning it is to continue being charged after attempting to cancel, especially when you’re unable to access the account associated with the subscription. I appreciate the detailed information you’ve provided, it helps me better understand the situation and guide you toward the right resolution.

1/ Cancel subscription

When your subscription was first purchased, Microsoft sent a confirmation email to the address used during registration. This email included your admin account details, which typically follow the format: ******@yourcompany.onmicrosoft.com.

Please note that the email used to make the purchase or receive notifications is not always the same as the admin account required to sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. If you’re unsure what your admin account is, please check your personal email for the original confirmation email.

If you still can’t locate that email and you are the only admin in your organization, this situation requires immediate contact with Microsoft’s Data Protection Team. Please note that only the Data Protection Team has the necessary permissions to reset your account from the backend. They are the designated and authorized team for handling account-related issues of this nature.     

Option 1: Contact Microsoft Data Protection Support by Phone (Primary Method)     

To regain access to your admin account as you can't access the Admin Portal, you can try reaching out to our Global Customer Service phone to raise a request for resetting your authentication method here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support. During the call, request to speak to an agent, and share with them every detail related to your query and also mention that you are the only admin lost access to your account. This should allow you to contact the appropriate team so you can solve this incident as soon as possible.    

 

Here are some tips and an example of a prompt to help you navigate the IVR more effectively:          

In some countries, it is an automated conversation like:    

IVR: What kind of problem are you concerned about?          

You: Authenticator.          

IVR: What kind of product do you use?          

You: Office 365 for business.          

IVR confirmation: education or company account?          

You: For companies          

IVR: Are you an administrator?          

You: Yes.          

IVR: Do you have another administrator in your organization?          

You: No.          

IVR: Do you need a... Service request?        

You: Yes. I need to create a ticket. Please send me direct to the Data Protection Team.   

 

Option 2: Create a Temporary Account (Trial Tenant) to Submit a Support Ticket (Alternative Method)    

If you still cannot reach to a live agent, there is still a workaround, you might consider registering for a new tenant by signing up for a trial subscription via this link Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365. This would allow you to create a new tenant following the prompts provided. Once set up, you can access the admin console of the new tenant and submit a support ticket requesting to speak with the Data Protection team on behalf of your previous tenant.     

    

Just to clarify, moderators do not have the ability to view or change user account information, so we cannot help with login issues, password resets, or modifying access rights. Even though we cannot access the internal tools required for account‑specific fixes, we are here to support you in every way we can within our scope. 

 

Please remember to cancel the trial subscription after your issue is resolved, as this will help you avoid any accidental billing. You may prefer the following resource for detailed instructions: Cancel your Microsoft business subscription in the Microsoft 365 admin center | Microsoft Learn   

 

Once you regain access to your admin account, you’ll be able to cancel your subscription by following these steps: 

• Go to Microsoft 365 admin center with your admin credentials > Billing > Licenses > choose the license you want to cancel  

 

• Choose Manage subscription details  

 

• Under Subscription status > choose Cancel subscription    

 

 

2/ Refund request

Refunds require contacting the Microsoft Billing Team, which must be done from within the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Once you regain access, follow the instructions here to open a billing support ticket: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin.       

 

I hope this helps you address your issue quickly. Please try the steps and let me know whether they resolve the issue. If the problem persists, we can work together to find a solution.  

As other users will also search for information in this community, your vote can significantly help those with similar inquiries quickly locate the most relevant resources. 

Thank you for your kindness and for contributing to the forum.  

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