14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft keeps pushing Office 365 as the main productivity solution for those in search of a powerful tool to work with documents, spreadsheets and presentations with the power of cloud, but it turns out that some of those who attempt to purchase a new subscription yesterday were affected by a pretty uncanny error.
Due to an internal error, some Office 365 customers received double bills for their subscriptions, Microsoft confirmed in a statement this morning.
All those affected by the issue will be automatically refunded, as the company has already fixed the error and is now trying to resend the paid funds to Office 365 subscribers. No action is needed from customers, the company said.
“A glitch on 5/21 caused some Office 365 customers to be double billed while purchasing select products. The issue has been mitigated for the majority of our affected customers and we are diligently working to fix any remaining incidents. No action from our customers is needed to resolve this issue, they will be automatically refunded. We sincerely apologize to our customers for any inconvenience, and are doing everything in our power to take the necessary corrective action,” a company spokesperson said.
Microsoft is offering several subscription plans, with the most affordable currently being the Personal package that provides access to one PC or Mac and one tablet that can be connected at the same time.
Office 365 Personal can be yours for only $6.99 (€5.05) per month or $69.99 (€50.5) per year and provides access to the most popular productivity apps included in Microsoft's suite, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. At the same time, is also brings 20 GB of extra storage for 1 user and 60 minutes of Skype landline calls for 1 user.
“We recognize that there are households of all shapes and sizes and we’re committed to delivering the right Office for everyone – whether that be one person or an entire household,” Microsoft explained.
Office 365 is also available on the iPad, as Microsoft recently launched the service on Apple tablets. While Office for iPad is completely free if you only want to view documents in Word or Excel, an Office 365 subscription is needed in case you're also planning to edit files on your tablet. Of course, the Personal package is the version that appeals to most iPad owners, but some have already purchased more expensive subscriptions offering access to multiple devices at the same time.