We’ve added informal dispute resolution and binding arbitration clauses to many of our agreements and warranties for customers who live in the United States. Those agreements encourage Microsoft to resolve disputes informally within 60 days. If we can’t, either of us may commence arbitration with the American Arbitration Association. An impartial arbitrator near where you live—or in King County (Seattle area), Washington, if you prefer—will consider both sides and resolve the dispute promptly. Or you can bring an action in small claims court, either in the county where you live or in King County, Washington if you meet the court’s normal requirements.

Our arbitration agreements offer speedy and fair individual dispute resolution, but do not permit class action lawsuits or class-wide arbitration for customers who live in the United States. Class action lawsuits usually last for years. Our agreements strongly encourage Microsoft to resolve disputes informally before they get to arbitration, and our arbitration provisions are among the most generous in the country. For instance, we promptly reimburse filing fees, and, where we offer less to resolve a dispute informally than an arbitrator ultimately awards, we will pay the greater of the award or $1,000 for most software, devices, or services plus the customer’s reasonable attorney’s fees.

Send us a Notice of Dispute only if you’ve tried to get help from a customer service representative first and are unsatisfied with the resolution.

If you live in the United States and have a dispute, locate the software, device, or service in the Agreements with arbitration clauses section below. The links in that section will help you find your agreement or limited warranty, confirm it contains an arbitration clause, and follow links to forms that may be used to start the dispute resolution process or commence arbitration.

Arbitration forms and instructions

Locate instructions on how to download and complete our Notice of Dispute and Demand for Arbitration forms.

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Microsoft is committed to resolving disputes fairly and efficiently. If you are unsatisfied with the resolution a customer service representative offers for your problem, you live in the United States, and your agreement contains an arbitration clause, you may notify us of your dispute by downloading and mailing a completed Notice of Dispute form (PDF) to Microsoft, or submitting an Electronic Notice of Dispute form.

Instructions for filing an arbitration claim if you live in the United States:

  1. Before filing an arbitration claim, please download, fill out, and mail a Notice of Dispute form (PDF) to Microsoft, or submit an Electronic Notice of Dispute form. Allow 60 days to resolve your dispute informally. Use the Demand for Arbitration form only if you and Microsoft could not resolve your dispute informally within 60 days.
     
  2. If, after 60 days, you wish to file an arbitration claim, please download and fill out the Demand for Arbitration form and keep a copy for your records.
     
  3. Mail a copy of the completed Demand for Arbitration form and your check or money order for $225 to American Arbitration Association, Case Filing Services, 1101 Laurel Oak Road, Suite 100, Voorhees, NJ 08043. Make your check or money order payable to American Arbitration Association. Please consult the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules for more information. You can find them at www.adr.org.
     
  4. Please copy (or download and print) and mail to AAA (with the completed Demand for Arbitration form and your check) your agreement with an arbitration clause (for example, Microsoft Services Agreement (for Xbox Live and most Microsoft services), Manufacturer’s Limited Hardware Warranty & Agreement (for Xbox, Surface, mice, keyboards, cameras, and most Microsoft hardware), Microsoft Software License Terms Windows Operating System, etc.). If you don’t have your agreement, you can find most at the Agreements with arbitration clauses section below.
     
  5. Mail a copy of the completed Demand for Arbitration form, a copy of your Microsoft agreement, and a copy of your check or money order to Microsoft Corporation, CELA Arbitration, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399. Upon receipt, Microsoft will reimburse you for your $225 filing fee if your claim is for less than $75,000. If, due to a disability, you are unable to communicate with Microsoft via U.S. mail or sign a physical document, you may sign your Demand for Arbitration by typing your name and email it (with an image of your check or money order) to Msftarb2@microsoft.com instead of sending them by U.S. mail.

Refunds

Or you may take advantage of our refund policy on certain Microsoft hardware of software acquired from a retailer within the last 30 days.

View our refund policy

Agreements with arbitration clauses

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Select your Microsoft software, device, or service for information on where to find the agreements that include arbitration clauses.

If you believe your Microsoft software, device, or service has an arbitration agreement but you cannot locate the agreement in the above list, you may still submit a Notice of Dispute form (PDF), or submit an Electronic Notice of Dispute form. We will tell you if no arbitration agreement applies.