Microsoft is restoring to lies and obfuscation to hide their decision to take unused Skype Credit money rather than give refunds or credits.
Microsoft is trying to trick customers by saying that their Teams product replaces Skype – which is simply not true. Skype has two major features, only one is replaced by Teams:
- Computer to Computer – audio or video calls. Teams is just one option to replace this part of Skype.
- Computer to Phone Number – device to phone numbers – paid for by depositing money into ‘Skype Credit’ in addition to the 60 minutes a month available to Microsoft 365 customers.
Microsoft’s statements only relate to the ‘computer to computer’ part of Skype and ignore the ability to call phone numbers with the related Skype Credits. That Microsoft PR spin means that executives have to lie in their public statements even when those remarks are obviously not true.
Here’s some quotes from the Microsoft vice-president for Skype and Teams – in other words the person with direct responsibility for withholding Skype Credit money from customers. (Washington Post Microsoft killed Skype and trapped her money. She is fighting back)
Amit Fulay, vice president of product for Skype and Teams, said
it’s not possible to shift funds from a Skype account to Office subscriptions.
This is obviously false. Microsoft could and should offer some refund options to customers. That’s’ “Not possible” only because Microsoft has chosen not to make it possible.
And he nixed refunds because Microsoft will still offer basic call services for former Skype customers.
This is NOT true unless you redefine “basic call services” to only mean computer-to-computer calling – which is only part of Skype. A standard Microsoft trick is to closely redefine a word or phrase to suit their needs.
If that’s what Microsoft is trying to do then ‘Basic Call Services’ isn’t related to the Skype credits which are for computer-to-phone number calls.
“Refunds make more sense if you took away something,” Fulay said. “We’re not.”
Again – NOT True and blatantly not true. Microsoft is taking away an important part of Skype, the ability to call phone numbers. That’s what Skype Credit pays for. To say otherwise is quite outrageous.
We’ve had Microsoft staffers lie to us many times, sometimes right to our face. Sometimes the ‘softie doesn’t know they are lying but other times they are following the corporate line. This ‘spin’ on the end of Skype is especially outrageous because it effects many customers who are having their money ‘stolen’ by Microsoft.
Microsoft has decided that it’s easier and cheaper for the company to simply take unused Skype Credit as a little extra for their bottom line. They figure that the individual amounts are so small that most people won’t bother. The ethical issues in taking customers money for nothing probably didn’t even occur to Microsoft executives.
