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Is it still possible to get a refund after making a mistake in provisioning a resource?

Jessica Shannon 0 Reputation points
2025-12-01T12:27:03.6066667+00:00

Unfortunately I didn't notice this mistake for 3 billing cycles. I manage multiple subscriptions and didn't realise one of them had jumped up so much in cost.

I set up a new SQL DB and accidentally set it with a default provisioned instance, it should have just been a basic 5 DTU instance for some dev work.

The initial response from support was "not our fault, no refund". I know it's my mistake, but is there any way I can escalate this?

The additional cost is over £1k which is a lot to a solo developer like myself.

Azure Cost Management
Azure Cost Management
A Microsoft offering that enables tracking of cloud usage and expenditures for Azure and other cloud providers.

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-12-01T12:27:15.97+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    In general, refunds for Azure services are subject to specific conditions. For instance, refunds for recurring charges are typically eligible within 72 hours of the start of the billing term or its renewal. However, refunds are not granted for variable charges resulting from usage, such as those incurred from provisioning resources like SQL databases.

    Since your situation involves a mistake made over three billing cycles, it may be challenging to receive a refund based on standard policies. However, you can escalate your issue by contacting Azure support again and explaining your situation in detail. Be sure to mention any specific circumstances that might warrant reconsideration of the refund policy, such as being a solo developer and the significant financial impact of the additional charges.

    Additionally, you can inquire about any potential exceptions or special considerations that might apply to your case. While the initial response was unfavorable, further escalation may lead to a different outcome depending on the discretion of the support team.

    References:

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  2. Bharath Y P 2,560 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-01T18:19:05.0233333+00:00

    Hello Jessica Shannon, We understand that you looking for a refund for the unexpected cost increase of over £1,000 for the misconfiguration went unnoticed for 3 billing cycle. When you contacted support, they initially denied a refund, stating it was user error.Azure generally does not refund usage-based charges caused by customer configuration mistakes, especially after multiple billing cycles. Standard policy allows refunds only for:

    • SLA breaches
    • Microsoft-caused outages or billing errors
    • Certain reservation cancellations within 72 hours.

    However, exceptions are possible if you escalate properly and explain the impact.

    you can follow the below document see, if this helps https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/reservations/exchange-and-refund-azure-reservations?wt.mc_id=knowledgesearch_inproduct_azure-cxp-community-insider#how-to-exchange-or-refund-an-existing-reservation

    Hope this helps, Thanks.

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