Microsoft and its services are a mess when it comes to managing countries

By ajua
in Microsoft (Windows)

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ajua

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Posted

I'm really ****ed off right now. I don't know what to think or what to do to ease the frustration.

Let me tell you about the problem I was trying to solve. I created a new Outlook.com in Mexico because my current Live ID was registered in the United States and I couldn't add a credit card from Mexico to buy apps, games and music. I've been using my Windows Phone (since it launched) with this current Live ID. I've been using just free apps and games because of this.

When Outlook.com launched I thought: Why not create a new account registered in Mexico, use it on my phone (resetting it because there's no other way) and be prepared to buy apps and games in the Windows Store in Windows 8? Great!

So I created a new account registered in Mexico. I tripled-checked this before clicking on Accept in the registration form, believe me. Everything went fine. I configured mail and other settings.

I installed Windows 8 Pro using this new account. Everything was fine until earlier tonight. I exported my Live ID contacts and imported into this account using the web interface (oddly, you can't import CSV files in the People app). As soon as I finished checking that every contact had the right info, I proceeded to send invites to Messenger (using Windows Essentials Messenger). This opens a webpage that requires a captcha unless you had you account verified (I tried this a couple of times, but got an error). My Messenger contacts are about 50 and having time tonight I said what the hell, let's just input 50 captchas so everyone can accept the invitation tomorrow morning.

After 10 or so invites I was told to wait one day because I had reached a limit with an unverified account. This baffled me but I went to my account information to look for a setting to allow to verify it.

One of the links in my account sent me to Billing Information and this is where all went to hell. My account appears as registered in Spain when I registered in Mexico. Obviously, I can't change the country.

So, in short, I have now the same problem I was trying to solve in the first place, which was to have an account registered IN MEXICO to add a credit FROM MEXICO to buy apps, games, music, etc.

The only game I installed was Wordament in Windows 8. This automatically associated my account with an auto generated Xbox gamertag and profile. The problem is that they set it to Spain even when the account is registered in Mexico and my Windows 8 regional settings clearly indicate that as well (I double checked even I set that up while installing Windows).

As one can't change the country, my new account is useless. I spent the last few days configuring my mail, contacts, messenger. I planned to reset my Windows Phone tomorrow to start using this account and buy some apps I wanted to but couldn't with the current account.

I already ranted on the Outlook.com Twitter account and sent an email to the Microsoft Support staff but as far as I know, there is no way they would change the country of this new account.

I'm boiling in anger and frustration right now. How on earth did they associate this account with Spain when it was registered in Mexico as MEXICO in the country field.

Now I have a mess because some Messenger contacts will receive invites to this new account, I can't use it for buying stuff on Windows Phone/Windows 8/Xbox.

Sorry if I bored you with this long post, but there's no way Microsoft can manage its accounts properly. Let's put aside the country restrictions, I understand media rights on other things interfere with that. This is why I created a new account and was prepared to ditch my old one.

Thanks for reading this rant but I needed to vent my frustration.

Grand Master

neo1911

Posted
Posted

I feel for you. I had to close down a heavily used live.com email ID as it was created in UK and it didn't allow me to purchase WP7 apps in Indian app store. Hope they fix it in time. Where as my apple ID was seamlessly transferred from UK app store to Indian app store. Apple got it right.

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