Microsoft Not Ready to Support Windows 8

A Frustrating Windows 8 Store Experience

The release of Windows 8 prompted me to install the new operating system. My initial attempt to download a free application from the newly launched Store was met with an error message indicating a failed purchase and a vague statement: "something happened."

Initial Support Contact and Account Issues

Seeking assistance, I contacted Microsoft support. The representative informed me that an Xbox account was required for Store purchases. I proceeded to create one, and when asked about my country of residence, I inquired if selecting "United States" would be acceptable, given my location in Israel.

I was assured that this was permissible and could be altered later. However, upon reaching the billing information stage at commerce.microsoft.com, I discovered the region was locked to the United States. Changing it proved impossible.

Escalation to Xbox Support and Continued Problems

The initial representative directed me to Xbox support, but they were unable to assist with modifying the region settings. Despite having a credit card with US billing address capabilities, I continued to encounter issues installing applications from the Store.

A subsequent call to Microsoft yielded little help from a representative who seemed unable to resolve the problem. I then turned to online chat support, hoping for a straightforward solution – a simple country change, akin to the two-click process on Amazon.

The Chat Support Log

The following is a transcript of my chat session with a Microsoft support agent named Tara L:

Please wait for an agent to respond. You are currently '1' in the queue.

You are now chatting with 'Tara L'.

Erez: Hello?

Tara L: Welcome to Windows Store Support! My name is Tara. Please give me a minute to review your issue.

Tara L: Hi Erez

Erez: Thanks.

Erez: Hey Tara :)

Tara L: How are you today?

Erez: Somewhat frustrated, but hopefully soon all will be well.

Tara L: So sorry for the frustration.

Erez: No problem; I just need a bit of help.

Tara L: You are attempting to change your region / country on the billing for your account?

Erez: Yup.

Erez: For some reason the account is listed as United States, while I'm actually in Israel.

Erez: The phone number's working fine (my Israeli one), but I can't fill in my real billing info.

Erez: (And I can't install anything from the Windows 8 Store)

Tara L: right, at this time there is not a way to change the region on the account.

Erez: uh, so how can I install Windows 8 apps?

Tara L: The only way is to create a new account.

Erez: This is my MSN account, and it has a 25GB SkyDrive on it.

Erez: I can't lose that.

Tara L: I know it is a pain to have to do, however this is the only way to get that to change.

Tara L: But

Tara L: once the new account is created you will be able to link another Microsoft account to the new account.

Erez: And how would that help me?

Tara L: I am sorry but this is the only way to update / change any region issues for billing.

Tara L: We have provided information to Microsoft about this issue

Tara L: and I also suggest you to do the same.

Erez: Am I to lose my 25GB SkyDrive because there's no way to change the account region?

Erez: You -are- Microsoft. I am hereby providing you with this information. There is a problem.

Tara L: the more people to request this to be changed the faster it gets fixed.

Erez: Okay, if I create a new account, can you give me my 25GB back?

Tara L: This will be an issue best resolved by contacting Sky-drive.

Tara L: I am unable to correctly answer that question.

Erez: I understand. I must say I'm extremely disappointed with Microsoft at this point.

Tara L: here is the contact information for skydrive

Tara L: https://support.live.com/eform.aspx?productKey=skydrivebilling&ct=eformts&scrx=1

Erez: Thank you, and goodbye.

Tara L: I completely understand and you are not alone.

A Disappointing Resolution

The support agent’s suggestion was to create a new account, potentially losing my existing 25GB of SkyDrive storage. The inability to simply change the region on my existing account, coupled with the lack of a clear solution for recovering my SkyDrive data, left me deeply dissatisfied with the support experience.

A Critical Assessment

The level of service experienced was exceptionally poor. Microsoft appears to be ill-prepared for the complexities inherent in the implementation of Windows 8.

Concerning Implementation

It is important to note that the current state of affairs suggests a significant gap between ambition and execution. Users should be aware of potential difficulties.

A cautionary note is being issued regarding the readiness of the system. Potential users are advised to proceed with careful consideration.