Getting overcharged for Service "developer support "

Question

I am experiencing recurring overcharges for the "Developer Support" service, which I have not subscribed to at any point. Despite removing this service from my subscription multiple times, it continues to be added again without my consent.

Could you please clarify the reason why this service is being automatically reactivated? Additionally, I request guidance on the process to obtain a refund for the incorrect charges that have been applied month over month.

Answer 1

Hello satish velayudhan

It sounds like you’re getting billed every month for the “Developer Support” plan even though you’ve removed it at the subscription level and it keeps popping back on because support plans are actually managed at the billing-account (enrollment) scope, not per individual subscription. Here’s how you can dig in and resolve it:

Analyze where the charge is coming from :

• In the Azure portal, go to Cost Management + Billing > Cost Management > Cost analysis.

• Group or filter by Service (look for “Support Plans” or “Developer Support”) to confirm exactly which billing scope is generating the charge.

• If you have multiple subscriptions under a Microsoft Customer Agreement or Enterprise Agreement, you’ll see Developer Support reappear on each until it’s disabled at the top-level billing account.

Remove or change your support plan at the billing-account level :

• In the Azure portal, switch scope to your billing account (not the subscription).

• Navigate to Support + Troubleshooting > Support plans.

• Change from “Developer” to “Basic (free tier)” if you don’t want a paid support plan. That change will stick across all associated subscriptions.

Request a refund for past charges:

• Still in the portal, go to Help + Support > New support request.

• Under Issue type pick “Billing” > “Charges incorrect or unexpected.”

• In the form, reference the Developer Support line items and the invoice months you want refunded.

• Upload screenshots or your invoice PDF to speed up review.

Reference Documentation :

• Explore and analyze costs with cost analysis: https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/cost-management-billing/costs/quick-acm-cost-analysis

• Review invoiced charges in cost analysis: https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/cost-management-billing/costs/cost-analysis-common-uses#review-invoiced-charges-in-cost-analysis

• Disagreement with a charge (service not listed): https://docs.microsoft.com/azure/cost-management-billing/costs/dispute-charges-service-not-listed

Hope this helps you zero in on why Developer Support keeps reactivating and how to get those refunds processed! Let me know if anything’s unclear or you need more details. Thanks,
Suchitra.

Answer 2

I think Azure bills Developer Support only when that plan is assigned to the subscription, and checking Help + support → Support plans and opening a Billing request from that same subscription is the official way to stop charges and request refunds.

Answer 3

Unexpected recurring charges for a service that was not intentionally subscribed require direct billing investigation, as root cause and refunds depend on subscription- and account-specific data.

For this scenario, the appropriate next step is to open a billing support request so a billing engineer can review the charges, confirm why the "Developer Support" item keeps appearing, stop any unwanted recurring billing, and assess refund eligibility for past overcharges.

Follow these steps to create a free Azure billing support request:

1. Go to the Azure support request creation page: https://portal.azure.com/#create/Microsoft.Support.
2. In the search box, type billing and select Go.
3. Choose Billing and select Next.
4. Select the affected subscription from the dropdown and select Next.
5. After a short delay, select Create a support request at the top (do not select any of the suggested solutions).
6. On the Basics tab, fill in:
   • Summary: e.g., "Recurring overcharge for Developer Support I did not subscribe to"
   • Problem type: a billing-related option
   • Problem subtype: the closest match for incorrect/unauthorized charges Then select Next.
7. After another delay and suggested solutions appear, select Return to support request in the upper-left (ignore the suggested solutions), then select Next to go to Additional details.
8. Provide:
   • Subscription ID
   • Dates and amounts of the "Developer Support" charges
   • Confirmation that the service was removed but keeps reappearing Then select Next, review, and select Create.

Billing support is free. After the case is created, support can:

• Identify which offer or action is causing "Developer Support" to be re-added.
• Stop the recurring charge going forward.
• Determine and process any applicable refunds for incorrect past charges.

If any of the charges are not recognized at all or appear fraudulent, also review them via the Microsoft account billing tools described in the references below and, if needed, dispute with the payment provider.

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References:

• How to investigate a billing charge from Microsoft
• How to get a refund on a Microsoft subscription
• Unable to cancel your Microsoft subscription
• Fraud Charges - Microsoft Q&A