Xbox Live Gold refunds will be available for canceled subscriptions in June

By Simon Sage
published

In a particularly classy move, Microsoft has announced that anybody that intends to cancel their Xbox Live Gold subscription because they're getting entertainment services for free starting in June will get a prorated refund on any previously purchased Gold time. That means if you bought and activated a year's worth in December, you'll get 6 months-worth of cash back (June through to next December). Refunds will take six to eight weeks to process after the request has been made following the June system update and before the end of August.

Of course if Microsoft was really classy, they would have never charged for things like access to these standard content channels in the first place, but at least they're making strides now. Which channels do you watch most on your Xbox One? Netflix? YouTube? Twitch? How many of you guys will be ditching your Gold subscription with these options soon to be freely available?

Source: Xbox Support (opens in new tab); Via: The Next Web

Simon Sage
Simon Sage
80 Comments
  • Cool. Doesn't matter to me though. I wonder, who will do this? Sound of below
  • Sound OF below? Is that like the sounds from the ocean depths? Like deep bellowing whale songs or the roaring of the Kraken? Or the sounds of screaming and torment from deep underground from the bowels of Hell itself (not that such a place exists, but humour me :P)?
  • I never play online. Just Netflix and a little internet explorer...but I might just keep it tbh. Never know when I might feel like playing online or using Xbox fitness, lol! Wait...will internet explorer still need gold???
  • Nope on IE, but I think fitness will
  • Kind of dumb not to allow IE...I mean I pay for my internet and it's just a browser. They should at least let you use IE without gold if you have kinect, lol! Was so looking forward to the potential until they caved in!!! :'(
  • I think you misunderstood my post. You asked if gold will be needed for IE. I said no, as in gold will not be needed for IE.
  • Yeah I just re-read your comment, sorry mate.
  • I don't know anybody that only uses Xbox Live Gold for apps.
  • I do. I don't game.
  • I do game a bit, but really only locally, never online. I pretty much use Gold to access Netflix, which is quite the pain. But if games for gold is any good, I may hold onto it. That, and if gold is required to watch the new Halo series (or other Xbox original programming), I'm definitely keeping it.
  • That is the content it will definitely be needed for now... The exclusive video content
  • Then why the heck do you even have one?
  • I have a PS3 that I've never played games on. It's a glorified bluray player really. My mum got it for free when she bought her tele, and I bought a new blu-ray player to swap with her. All of my friends are on Xbox, so I usually just buy games on there and never bothered to get any for PS3... there aren't any insteresting exclusives on PS anyway.
  • I don't like playing online at all and the majority of my time is using media apps like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Xbox Video, and Vudu. So, I'll probably cancel
  • I only have Gold for video and music apps. Love this change.
  • At the moment i do. Used to game online lots, but burnt myself out a bit with Black Ops 2 and Borderlands 2...having an extended hiatus from online gaming but still use the xbox for streaming tv etc...so this is a very welcome move for me. Will just purchase gold once I'm ready to game again (prob Advanced Warfare) ;-)
  • Mostly was a little bit multiplayer & to get dlc before silver members(but i dont think that rule still applies). But the gold marketplace sales have been worth the yearly subscription lately(alot of dlc that i passed on) & when you combine it with xbl rewards & bing rewards(if ylu live in the us) it works out pretty good
  • Nice, but I'll pass and keep the gold.
  • No ditching. 2 Free games every month is a deal on its own.
  • Not free though. But maybe a good deal...if the games are of interest to you. Personally, I downloaded quite a few of those "free" games and never really played them.
  • Yes they are free games
  • Pretty sure subscribing to gold is not free. Do you use the same logic when considering free healthcare? Nothing's free.
  • It is if your console was sent in like 12 times a year
  • We all used to pay for Gold and get nothing back, now we're still paying the same amount but getting 2 games a month extra. So yes, they're completely free as they cost no extra that what we'd be paying anyway.
  • They used to be free games. Now they're just free rentals. Stupid PSN plus ruined everything.
  • You know games with gold is coming to Xbox one
  • Nice, but only affecting 2 of my 4... Which will be a nice change
  • ^ This. With only part of my family playing multipler games (my girls love Minecraft with their friends), this will allow me to drop a couple accounts back to Silver.
  • Unless you had multiple Xbox consoles I don't think you need multiple gold accounts anyway. Home Gold means only one account need have gold. And even if you did have multiple consoles I think you'd just need as many gold accounts as you have consoles.
  • Yes but since he wrote that someone from his household plays Minecraft (which is on X360) Home Gold does not apply to those accounts when they are playing Minecraft. Home Gold is exclusively to X1 and to silver accounts while on X1. But I might be wrong since I no longer own X360.
  • There's no way I'm cancelling my subscription.  Even though I play no games on the Xbox One, I want to make sure I take full advantage of any other premium content or features that are -- or will -- available.
  • That's a pretty expensive price to pay for content that probably doesn't even exist.
  • For real.  Among Amazon, Best Buy, and eBay, you can find a year of Gold for $40 at least once every 6 weeks or so.  This is less than $4 per month.  Thats 1 cup of overpriced coffee.  Sometimes you'll see it go down to $35, but that's rare. 
  • I might do this. I haven't played a game on xbox in so long as I don't have that much time... I mainly use it for netflix now. But If I do it, I won't get the free games :( 
  • I will probably get a refund on my wife's account. Just renewed last month and she only turns on the Xbox for Netflix and Xbox Music. That is, assuming we don't need Gold to access our separate Xbox Music subscription. That'd be silly.
  • I'm wondering the same thing, I haven't seen any info about Xbox Music. I hope it'll work without Gold.
  • Not really about it being free. Currently to use your Xbox Music Subscription on Xbox 360 you have to have Live Gold. So i have to pay for Gold for my wife for her to access the Music sub we already pay for.
  • Yeah, fair enough if you didn't have a subscription in the first place, then your month subscription should get you Xbox music with ads. If you're already paying for Xbox music subscription then it should definitely be available for none gold members.
  • Yeah, in our case we pay for the two Xbox Music subscriptions (mine and hers). But ideally we only need one Xbox Live Gold because she does nothing with gaming.
  • While I do watch NetFlix and Hulu+, I'll be keeping the Gold for the Gaming.
  • Should've happened since the X360 offered these apps. Anyways, glad they finally listened. Seems like Phil is doing a great job, and actually CARES about what the people want...
  • I love this. I can now use my 360 again. I will now be able to use the HBOGO & XFINITY APPS. I do not have any games or even a controller. I use my harmony remote. Those were the only two that I couldn't get on my Roku 3.
  • I don't see how people keep hating on Microsoft, they're doing exactly what people want now (office for iPad, Xbox with no Kinect and for $400, bringing the Start Menu back, 8" Surface). Was holding off until Christmas or Halo (which came first, price was not a huge factor at that point) but now at $400 I'm probably gonna get one much sooner and just pick up a Kinect a month or so later.
  • I use all features of gold. Really looking forward to free games on one! With one year of gold only 39.99 on amazon quite frequently, I feel I get a great benefit for my money
  • I know a few who use the $500 machine for social and media features only. In frustration, I gave 1 of them a stack of games. And its still wrapped in plastic. Why woman WHY.
  • Use gold for gaming in Xbox. Running Netflix on my Sony tv.
  • I can't stop playing GTAV. No cancelling here...
  • Nope I will be keeping my sub, really looking forward to destiny, and division plus the games with gold just make it worth it alone given each x1 game costs £50 more than what I paid for the sub :p.
  • I had to get gold for Netflix since my ps3 hard drive died.
  • Microsoft should had call Xbox plus instead of xbox live gold cause every time I read Xbox live gold sounds weird to me, its just me or is there some one else out there
  • Maybe/maybe not just you but for me "plus" is reserved for Sony and they can keep that all day. Gold because Live is just that, the Gold standard for console based online service.
  • Completely disagree.   I like Xbox Live Gold! :D
  • Keeping my gold. The benefits are worth it (and I game every day).
  • Thanks MS but no thanks. Gold member for almost a decade and not changing now. I support the platform not just aspects of it.
  • Will it work with Amazon instant video?
  • I'm also wondering if Amazon Instant Video is supported?
  • How about Elder scrolls online. Either subscription or gold. Not both!
  • Going on 12 years not gonna quit now! Keeping it, don't game as much as i used to but when i want to it will be on the live!
  • The free games are worth the price alone. I wish MSFT rolled in Xbox Music subs to Xbox Live Gold and had one price.
  • This is a really good idea. I would love this idea too.
  • Why would you not have gold...? Gonna get free games and play online
  • This is great.
  • So when is this change effective from ?
  • What if I got banned though? They owe me $30!
  • Not for getting banned. You violated the terms first, therefore no refund. You agreed to that in the beginning.
  • They owe you nothing cheater.
  • Your right :'( I feel so horrible. I wish I had another chance. Its not the same playing Xbox anymore
  • I used to play games, but its probably been a year or so....I've just been keeping Gold for HBO GO and Netflix access. Though if the Halo show and other original programs stay Gold side, I probably will too.
  • Good! I just bought a years worth of Gold and I never play games on my 360 (I don't even have a controller). I bought it for its Media Center Extender and Amazon Instant Video. So I will definitely be applying for a refund. Thank you MS!!!
  • I watch Netflix and Hulu and soon maybe amazon
  • Yeah, here's the difference: Now I don't have to panic when my broke ass has his gold account expire - I can wait a couple of days or so to do any online gaming, but can't live a day without Hulu/Netflix/Youtube (no cable tv). So, this is a welcomed move by MS.
  • What about xbox music? If I have a gold subscription, why do I still have to pay the music sub as well for my Lumia device?
  • Xbox Music is a separate service from Xbox LIVE.
  • How about include Xbox Music for free with an Xbox Live gold account?
  • And a car
  • I was thinking why couldn't they have added a tier to allow the XBL users access to Netflix and Hulu and Xbox music? I thought it was dumb for MSFT to not strike deals with these companies (Netflix for example) and have their exclusive app connect and verify a Gold account (or a newer "platinum" membership) and then have access to all the streaming you want, not have to pay separate. Then you would have access, pay once that's it. I think it would draw in more users and add more value. Other than that I think its great for them to extend this olive branch for the consumers. Here is how I think it should have been done: XBL Silver has access to free apps downloads and other free stuff, Gold gets all the perks with the free games, play online with other peeps etc., "Platinum" gets everything plus the unlimited access to Hulu, Netflix, Xbox Music/video, and a boost in # of free games limit. I do not pay or use XBL other than being a Silver membership. I do not know exactly what they offer but I feel this is how it should have been done.
  • I'm not ditching it. Although the idea of getting a full priced refund and then buying back a new subscription cheap on ebay seems like a mischievous option.
  • Class move but the complaint was ridiculous other than for a ridiculously small amount of Xbox users. Much like bitching about "always on". Xbox has and always will be an online focused console and so the vast majority of user already have Gold for this, therefore it becomes a non-issue. Of someone paid several hundred dollars for a NetfliXbox then the joke is on them.
  • Anyone know details on how the refund will work? Will they send me a check or will I get credit on my MS account? I looked at MS's site, the verge, and here, including all comments. Likely I wont cancel, but I have a licensure exam coming up and it will keep the temptation away. Then I can reup after the exam.
  • And all it took was getting their ass handed to them by PS4. These are all good news though