Cannot cancel my Microsoft 365 subscription, account details are unknown

Question

I just noticed I've been billed for at least the last 5 years for Microsoft 365. The email I used for the Microsoft account when I initially subscribed is no longer in service and the company has shut down. It has been so many years I cannot answer questions concerning that email account. The billing is occurring through PayPal, which in turn bills me checking account so I don't have a credit card number to recover the account information either. How do I get the billing to stop?

Answer 1

Hi, I'm Bernard, a fellow Windows user. I'm happy to help!

Kindly follow the steps provided by Q&A Assist. If the issue persists, I recommend contacting Microsoft Accounts and Billing support by following the steps below:

Go to this link: https://support.microsoft.com/home/contact

In the search bar, type in your issue, then hit enter.

Scroll down to the bottom and select the blue button "Contact Support"

Answer 2

Because the original Microsoft account and its recovery details are no longer available, cancelling the subscription directly through Microsoft will be very difficult due to account security requirements.

In this situation, the practical way to stop the charges is to block or cancel the payment at the payment provider level:

1. Sign in to the PayPal account that is being charged.
2. Locate the recurring payment or subscription to Microsoft 365 in the list of preapproved payments or subscriptions.
3. Cancel or revoke authorization for that recurring payment so PayPal no longer pays Microsoft automatically.
4. If needed, contact the bank that holds the checking account and ask them to block further debits related to that PayPal subscription.

This approach is consistent with guidance that, when account ownership cannot be proven and sign-in is impossible, cancelling at the card/bank/payment-provider level is the viable option.

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References:

• How to Cancel Microsoft 365 subscription if you do not have account info? Or get anyone to help? - Microsoft Q&A