Yup. Microsoft automatically switched me to the $99.99/year version with Spicy Autocomplete. You have to go all the way through "cancel subscription" to be presented these options and get the $69.99/year one you actually chose.
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Copilot (their AI) good now. It was months ago (I can’t remember when) but one day they switched the model and dumbed it WAY down. This can happen to AI models. They change how it works, sometimes to make it less expensive to run or to make it more commercial for everyday users.
For some reason, I wasn't able to do this and was on the phone with them for over an hour. It's likely because my membership came from Best buy, so be forewarned of potential bullshit.
I was just looking at mine today, too and got it from best buy. There's no option to change it on Besy Buy's website. I may cancel and start fresh if the won't give it to me.
Don't buy AI "add-ons", uninstall AI programs from your devices, disable or ignore AI bots in your devices, turn off "AI assist" in your searches, etc. Eventually, they'll get the message.
Classic wasn't an option. Called cust service who ignored my ask "let me tell you about copilot-" "no thx classic plz." "Yes, but copilot-" "NO. Stop. Please just do what I asked. He cancelled my current sub. & 'manually input' classic cuz it's not an option for him either. 23 minutes of my life.
Some people have spreadsheets that have MS specific stuff, but the craziest part is 90% of users would get everything they need from FOSS versions of this stuff.
Thank you for posting this. Our household was considering consolidating our clouds on the Microsoft family plan and ditching any other subscriptions. Will look out for this as we do.
Download LibreOffice | LibreOffice - Free and private office suite - Based on OpenOffice - Compatible with Microsoft https://search.app/zndFH6p1jjcZhd866
Thank you so much for posting this. I tried everything to get rid of the damn CoPilot. After I read you post, I was able to cancel the subscription and disable the AI feature.
What’s super fun about this is that if you’re using a business account, there doesn’t appear to be a way to disable it on the biz admin page. Hope I’m wrong about this.
I’m a regular United States subscriber. I don’t know why I couldn’t get it. But I tried canceling recurring payments, I tried suggesting I was going to cancel the whole thing, and then I gave up and actually canceled it.
The problem is, I pay for MS 365 Family, and share it with family members. However, my subscription renewed in November, so the price increase won't affect me until November 2025. Whether or not the non AI version will be available then is anybody's guess. Also, Basic doesn't include Word/Excel.
I share my Netflix with my mom. Legally, I actually pay for the extra subscription. But that means I have to have the ad free version which they just raised another three dollars a month. It’s not even my favorite service and now I’ll be paying almost $30 a month. Grrr.
We get it for about £4.99 with ads just for one subscription. There’s a package called NowTv that was usefully priced ( £5.99?) and then shot up to £16.99 without ads. Had lots of good U.S series. For me, now, out of reach ( we pay for our state broadcaster about £17pm, may just use that instead)
Just a little fyi. The Google suite of software for the same stuff is Free. It works almost exactly the same and is compatible with Microsoft products. Save yourself to 70 bucks and give the finger to Microsoft.
Microsoft has been allowed to get away with a lot of scam crap for the last several years and they have flown under the radar while everyone is focused on the other big companies
Feels like they want to be like Apple and we don’t need that. Seems like they are always doing too much versus making the one thing we use their products for better.
They continually make changes and try shove down our throat. Instead of fixing existing things or creating more problems. I use SharePoint 20 years with every update they create more security nightmares security is is managed in about 5-6 different places. It’s almost impossible to teach anyone.
I'm nowadays just buying serial codes instead of using recurrent payment.
Each gives you the same +12 months extension to the subscription, and you can stack them to get multiple years in advance, getting protection from price increases.
When I clicked "Billing History" it was showing the new price too, making it look like I had been paying the spicy autocomplete price for years. This is false of course, as I have emails showing what I actually paid.
Huh. I have the family plan, already paid for the next 6 years. I wonder if they've added anything to it. I don't think I've been billed for anything additional.
Heads up for others that this didn't work for me, it just canceled the sub outright and presented no option. It took an hour plus of chat to get it back (and switched to Clippy-on-Roids-free version)
This is so ridiculous but thank you for posting. Can't believe I had to spend 5 minutes clicking buttons to avoid being charged for a product I didn't want. Classic @microsoft.com bullshit
Microsoft needs to die. Normally, I'd prefer Windows os, but they're getting way out of hand. When they disable my copy of Windows 10, I'm going to Linux, and I doubt I'll ever come back.
My question is does this change their TOS for Copilot training on their users content? Does enabling this give their LLM free access to your document library now?
When I did that, it said it can’t cancel because I’m prepaid by six months and I’ll have to wait.
Who know what Microsoft will be charging or offering then?
And that is why I've been sitting on my stand alone Office 2016 license for 9 years... which can't be transferred to another PC so it will die with my current PC but its been a good run of not paying Microsoft for 9 years of unovation.
Thanks for the warning! Mine renews 3/1 so I went in to check and sure enough I was switched to the AI version. Had to do the cancel piece to switch back. Shady!
Oh. Thanks for letting me know. My subscription is due for renewal in a couple of months. I had to turn off copilot in Word the other day. Too intrusive and annoying.
I still run my desktop on Windows for various reasons,
as my wife does on her laptop, and my Chromebook and Android tablet have their own issues,
but LibreOffice works well enough to replace MS Office for everything we do. (For people in publishing/writing that's different.)
I still venture into Windows for a thing or two, but I hope to one day be fully rid of it. The work they've done to make Linux useable for morons is incredible. I should know. I'm stupid as hell.
On top of an unjustified subscription model for software they are actively making less functional by requiring more clicks for basic functions, to do this dark pattern bullshit is disgusting.
it just keeps getting shittier haha. Heres the confirmation email that Ive switched my account back to Classic with no AI. Note how I highlighted "we'll tell you if this price ever changes" when they uhhhhhhh clearly didnt haha.
Thank you for this info. I just did it. So angry that I have to do this AT ALL!! I also had to opt-out of my writing being used in their AI Data. Such shady bullshit. :\
I've managed to avoid such subscriptions so far. No Microsoft, no Adobe, no HP ink nonsense. Going Old School, using unsupported programs and OPs and doing okay. At some point, I might have to resort to using my vintage Underwood. Finally bought ribbon for it, without a subscription!
OpenOffice word processor still runs fine, fwiw. Spouse uses it daily. It's part of an open source alt to the Office suite and it doesn't have modern clippy dripping from every part of it.
I might try, but I'll definitely fail lol. OO Wordknockoff works for the purpose it needs to right now so OpenOffice it is, until it's not supported. I'll make a note about libreoffice for when that happens.
(Not trying to be difficult! Spouse is how he is. Brains are all different!)
First, skip Word 365 subscriptions and just buy a copy that you can keep on your computer without additional costs.
Second, use LibreOffice, which is free and open software, works great, and won't screw you.
Yep. I got rid of 365 in November and went with the basic Home and Student stand alone version, since I only need Word and Excel. It wasn't easy to do, though, since you can't run 2 versions of Office, just one. I had to completely remove 365 before installing the stand alone version.
Yeah I just called and said they should fire every marketing goon involved with this decision.
I don't want a wrong answer machine at all. I especially don't want the deceitful assholes at Microsoft to charge me MORE for a wrong answer machine without me consenting.
Here's a bizarre one.
I just did this to check and for some reason Microsoft 365 *Family* (with AI) is *cheaper* than Microsoft 365 Family Classic (without AI). However, 365 Personal *is* more expensive than 365 Personal Classic just as you say.
Honestly, I don't trust that the version without ai is actually free of it. It's probably still feeding your work into it without giving you access to... whatever it's supposed to help with.
I've no faith in Microsoft anymore, after a life of using them. I'm very begrudgingly going Linux soon.
Hey there @maxkennerly.bsky.social, did your renewal screen ever show the same price for the Co-Pilot and Classic plans? I have no clue why my cancel page (attached) shows the same price for both.
here's where i quietly shill this beautiful open-source alternative, for those willing to trust a random stranger https://www.libreoffice.org/
has all the functions at least a casual user of the Office suite could need, can open all of those file types, and is totally free
even works on Linux
There is a catch: if you bought it using a discount, downgrading you lose it! I got 365 Family with 30% discount for 90€ and downgrading to the “classic” would cost me 99€.
It’s not just shady… it’s a SCAM.
Ive been using Windows for 30 yrs. Never once did I use office or alot of other BS. Open Office works just fine. Pro tip….Never put your real name on a computer, take it to a computer shop and remove all bloatware or do it yourself. And definitely dont set your stuff up to auto remember passwords.
If OpenOffice Calc or Google Sheets were as good as Excel, I wouldn't. And I don't even need to use Excel that often—JUST enough to make the subscription worth it. Unfortunately.
I don't really enjoy online only services for hundreds of documents and years of work tbh. Looks like a good option potentially for some things, but they would be things I already do in Libreoffice
some cunning rapscallions online have discovered reliable ways to bypass the paywall, which under no circumstances should you Google in case you find out exactly how within the top few results. And if I had done that myself I would never say.
I've long maintained that the one thing I learned from working tech support is "Never, ever, for any reason, under any circumstances use Office 365" and I see I continue being vindicated in that opinion.
Big fan of OpenOffice here. I’ve used them for years when I just got sick of Microflop adding “features” I never wanted and upcharging me for the privilege.
Time to get rid of Microsoft. It is a pain but doable. The hardest part is to stop One Drive and save locally. Try Free Office/SoftMaker. It works with your old files. Most of us remember when Microsoft just came with the computer. Now we live in Fee Nation.
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This is why I haven’t used Office in ages.
I guess reject modernity and return to non-365 subs.
I understand those might not be what some people need.
Download LibreOffice | LibreOffice - Free and private office suite - Based on OpenOffice - Compatible with Microsoft https://search.app/zndFH6p1jjcZhd866
Free Luigi
And they know this, so the existing plan is what changed, making the non-copilot plan the new “classic” one.
Shady.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365
I’m OK with canceling it, but it was the cheapest terabyte of cloud drive.
I'm facing down learning a whole new ecosystem after 30 years, because I'm not ok with them crowbarring AI into everything.
Like, I don't want to just do Linux, but I'm rapidly running out of choices.
Each gives you the same +12 months extension to the subscription, and you can stack them to get multiple years in advance, getting protection from price increases.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/office-home-2024/CFQ7TTC0PQVJ?activetab=pivot:overviewtab
Pair that with google docs same functionality and onlyoffice offers cloud services
https://www.wordperfect.com/en/product/professional-edition/
like in what world is it legally acceptable to charge you $30 more without notice
https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/p/office-home-2024/CFQ7TTC0PQVJ
charming business model
Who know what Microsoft will be charging or offering then?
as my wife does on her laptop, and my Chromebook and Android tablet have their own issues,
but LibreOffice works well enough to replace MS Office for everything we do. (For people in publishing/writing that's different.)
BUT ACCURATE.
Sorry I just had to say that 😂 But yeah that's absolutely fucked.
(I cannot emphasize enough how much spouse hates change* so maybe it's an older and more familiar solution.)
(*he runs a program that basically makes his OS look like three or four versions ago. I'm on Mac so no idea.)
They come from the same family
(Not trying to be difficult! Spouse is how he is. Brains are all different!)
Thanks for the info though. I refreshed my subscription and disabled Copilot, but I do need to make sure I'm not getting charged for it.
Second, use LibreOffice, which is free and open software, works great, and won't screw you.
https://bsky.app/profile/hannamari.bsky.social/post/3lge3djinpc23
I don't want a wrong answer machine at all. I especially don't want the deceitful assholes at Microsoft to charge me MORE for a wrong answer machine without me consenting.
I just did this to check and for some reason Microsoft 365 *Family* (with AI) is *cheaper* than Microsoft 365 Family Classic (without AI). However, 365 Personal *is* more expensive than 365 Personal Classic just as you say.
I've no faith in Microsoft anymore, after a life of using them. I'm very begrudgingly going Linux soon.
Just switched mine back to 69.99/year before my annual charge.
https://www.libreoffice.org/
has all the functions at least a casual user of the Office suite could need, can open all of those file types, and is totally free
even works on Linux
It’s not just shady… it’s a SCAM.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-365/p/office-home-2024/CFQ7TTC0PQVJ
90% functions like MS versions.