Twenty years with the same email address. Microsoft’s bots still won’t open the door. (Illustration by Christopher Elliott)
THANK YOU! We wrapped up our fall fundraiser yesterday, and thanks to a flurry of last minute donations, we’re much closer to our goal. We raised 47% of the money we needed to keep operating, but it’s not a final number because it doesn’t include checks. Here’s how you can become a financial supporter of our nonprofit organization.
🔒 Locked out after 20 years — John Curtin pays Microsoft $84 a year for Office 365. Then the company flags “unusual activity” and locks him out. Its recovery bots reject everything he sends, including his payment history. What do you do when a bot won’t let you back in?
On Backchannel, Elin Carlson has spent four months trying to get Amazon to clear a refunded order off her “not yet shipped” page.
For Members Only: A Washington company sent more than 190,000 renewal notices that looked like they came from the state, then charged small businesses more than double the state’s $70 filing fee. How do you tell a real invoice from a sales pitch? — Christopher Elliott
FEATURED ARTICLE
Help! Microsoft locked my account and won’t let me back in!
John Curtin is an IT technician who has used the same Microsoft email address for 20 years. His banking records are in there. So is a visa application that needs his attention. When Microsoft locks the account for “unusual activity,” its automated recovery system won’t accept his payment history as proof the account is his. Can a company lock you out of a service you’re paying for?
FORBES EXCLUSIVE
7 best places to visit in 2027, according to travel experts
Two sporting events, a wetland most Americans can’t find on a map, and a bicultural Alpine region highlight the best places to visit next year. Here’s where luxury advisors at OvationNetwork are sending clients.
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📌 Here’s what you missed this week
Catch up on the latest stories from the Elliott Report
Help! Microsoft locked my account and won’t let me back in!
John Curtin had used the same Microsoft email address for 20 years and paid $84 a year for Office 365. When Microsoft locked him out for “unusual activity,” its automated recovery forms rejected even his payment history as proof the account was his.
Surviving the middle seat: A field guide to aviation’s worst conflict
A commercial airline pilot explains why the middle seat keeps your nervous system on alert for an entire flight, and etiquette experts settle the armrest question for good. A Hawaii attorney who has spent years refining her kit now boards with two inflatable lumbar pillows, a carabiner water bottle and a jacket engineered out of pockets.
Guilty until proven innocent? You are if you rent a car.
Howard Gross photographed a tire pressure warning light minutes after collecting his Alamo rental in Nice, France, and a manager later put the warning light in writing. Alamo billed him $752 for the flat tire that followed, and a Hertz customer got a $4,567 scanner-generated claim with a repair estimate listing zero days of work.
How a French château became a modern art spa — minus the clichés
Monique Pignet didn’t want a castle. Her family bought one in the Loire Valley anyway, restored it by hand over 17 years and turned it into a wellness resort with more than 40 resident artists, a spa inside ancient caves and a former fire juggler running the place.
StubHub told me to sell my Lady Gaga tickets elsewhere, then they charged me for it
Tony Rogozinski called StubHub to cancel his Lady Gaga listing before selling the seats privately, and an agent assured him no further action was needed. The listing stayed active, the tickets sold on the site a second time, and StubHub charged him $864 for an order he couldn’t fill.
Holland America canceled my cruise because of a pricing error. Can it do that?
Cindy Woodring booked a 10-day Zuiderdam sailing at $479 a person, applied a $200 credit and paid the $758 balance in full. Three days later Holland America called the fare a pricing error and billed her $1,530 more, then offered a complimentary stateroom upgrade to anyone willing to pay it.
Hells bells! How did these AC/DC tickets go from front stage to the worst seats in the house?
Jerry Auer paid $506 for AC/DC tickets at Notre Dame Stadium after StubHub’s seating chart showed Section 121 beside the stage, and the official venue map put those seats behind it. StubHub fixed the flipped map the day after he reported it, then used the corrected version to tell him he had bought precisely what he ordered.
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💬 What you’re asking on Backchannel
Hey Amazon, can you help me?
Elin Carlson canceled an Amazon order in November 2024 and got her refund. The item still shows up on her “not yet shipped” page. She has spent at least 10 hours in chats and another hour and a half on the phone trying to get it removed. Now Amazon’s executive customer relations office says it isn’t able to delete orders from her account. She doesn’t want the order deleted. She wants it off that page. Can she get Amazon to fix a record its own agents say they can’t touch? Here’s our team’s advice on Backchannel.
OUR UNDERWRITER
International Citizens Insurance helps expats, travelers and anyone far from home find the right insurance plan. Our knowledgeable agents will help you find the best plan at the right price and be your advocate for the life of your policy.
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