Can't get into admin on my office.com account

Question

I'm stuck in a total authenticator loop trying to get into admin. We're not big office.com users, but we have some licenses. I'm trying to log into admin to get my bill so I can file my expenses and also add a new user. But I can't get a one-time SMS because that doesn't seem to work in Sweden for the admin login and I don't have all the MFA stuff setup.

So I'm in a situation where I keep getting bills that I can't put on expenses and can't add more users and when I call the Microsoft support number and try with both Swedish and English talking to it, the support system crashes and hangs up on me. I tried the front desk at Microsoft Sweden and they told me to ask the community support, so here I am. Totally stuck in a loop.

About 3-4 months back, I spent half a day in turning of all the MFA stuff because we're irregular users, but it seems to have come back on and now we're in a loop and there doesn't seem to be a way out besides blocking Microsoft charges on our corporate cards and then abandoning our office.com account because it has become impossible to administer.

Any ideas what to do because the support number here in Sweden doesn't seem to function?

Answer 1

Hi @Stephen Bryant
From what I understanding, this appears to be an administrator account MFA lockout scenario. If there are no other Global Administrators in the tenant who can reset your authentication methods, you will likely need assistance from Microsoft's Data Protection Team. They are responsible for reviewing account recovery requests, validating tenant ownership, and determining available recovery options.

Since you've already tried calling Microsoft Support, could you clarify whether you're unable to get past the automated AI phone system, or does the call disconnect before you can reach a live agent?

If the issue is with getting through the IVR system, you may want to try again using the approach below. Based on my experience and several similar cases I've seen, the following script may help route your call to the correct team and eventually connect you with a live representative:

(When you call the support number, you may hear an introduction for about 30 seconds, such as "you can visit the link...". You can ignore this introduction and wait until the menu options are presented. Then press "1" for business email users, and press "1" again for technical support.)

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 directly to the Data Protection Team. 

Note: Before proceeding, you should prepare any relevant information that may help prove ownership of your tenant, such as billing information, subscription details, domain ownership, recent invoices, or any other account-related information the team may use during the verification process.

You can start by calling your regional Microsoft support hotline here: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support    

You could give this a try and let me know the result. Hopefully, it will get you connected to a live agent who can assist with the verification and recovery process.