This blog post is for anyone looking to renew their Outlook.com Premium subscription.

Background
Microsoft provided a subscription service for their Outlook.com customers where, for $19.95 per year, you could pay not to see advertisements when you viewed your email online (outlook.com). Just recently Microsoft decided to drop this subscription service, which includes turning off automatic renewal, to force their customers of this subscription for no advertisements into their Office 365 subscription service starting at $69.99 per year for one user. If your subscription is still active, you are considered a “legacy user”. Microsoft has made it difficult and time consuming to renew Outlook.com Premium which seems a bit unethical.

Legacy User can renew Outlook.com Premium Subscription
I spent about an hour checking my Microsoft account, the online help, and calling the live support number. I was required to talk with 2 snake oil hawkers customer service representatives with the second trying to sell me the Office 365 subscription. The third customer service representative told me I could renew my subscription with no hesitation. No doubt Microsoft is hoping to coerce people into a more expensive product.

Steps To Skip The Sales Pitch

1. Call 1-855-425-8761 which will get you directly to Microsoft Accounts and Billing.
2. Explain that you are a Outlook.com Premium subscription holder and would like to renew your subscription.
3. They will ask for you email and phone number connected with your Microsoft Account.
4. If you already have an active subscription, they should offer to renew you Outlook.com Premium subscription.

It is a real shame that companies making huge profits, as well as receiving new tax breaks, are attempting to squeeze more money from their customers.