Is it expected that a Sev A support ticket receives no response for over 48 hours?

Question

Is it expected that a Sev A support ticket receives no response for over 48 hours?

Richard Kirby 0

We've been a paying Azure customer for over 8 years. The account was deactivated at 3am on Saturday, 7 days after a card payment failed which we didn't notice. This is our fault, but at 8am a new card was applied to the account and the bill settled.

We pay for a Standard support contract, so 3 hours later, since the account was still marked deactivated, I raised a support ticket. No response.

24 hours later, the account was still deactivated, still no support response, so I raised another ticket. No response.

Later in the day on Sunday I pinged the Twitter/X @AzureSupport handle. I got an immediate reply and that team have made promising and supportive noises, which is better than nothing, but still: zero movement, no reply.

Given the SLA for first-response is 1 hour, I'm wondering whether this is a regular experience for Azure customers these days, even those paying decent 5 digit amounts annually to Microsoft?

Suchitra Suregaunkar 16,780 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-18T11:09:48.1433333+00:00

Hello Richard Kirby

We will check and update you.

Thanks,

Suchitra.
Richard Kirby 0 Reputation points

2026-05-18T17:21:15+00:00

Hi @Suchitra Suregaunkar - any update? This is trivial for your team to resolve. I find it astonishing that Microsoft feels it's ok to turn off a customer's subscription and then just not re-enable it.
Richard Kirby 0 Reputation points

2026-05-18T21:45:46.2866667+00:00

So I hear back... 60 hours later. To escalate I can email msazcorebackuptek@microsoft.com, an email account that bounces straight back.

You couldn't even make this stuff up.

What has happened to Microsoft?

1 answer

Your answer

Suchitra Suregaunkar 16,780 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-18T11:09:48.1433333+00:00

Hello Richard Kirby

We will check and update you.

Thanks,

Suchitra.
Richard Kirby 0 Reputation points

2026-05-18T17:21:15+00:00

Hi @Suchitra Suregaunkar - any update? This is trivial for your team to resolve. I find it astonishing that Microsoft feels it's ok to turn off a customer's subscription and then just not re-enable it.
Richard Kirby 0 Reputation points

2026-05-18T21:45:46.2866667+00:00

So I hear back... 60 hours later. To escalate I can email msazcorebackuptek@microsoft.com, an email account that bounces straight back.

You couldn't even make this stuff up.

What has happened to Microsoft?

Answer 1

For a Sev A (critical business impact) support request under paid Azure or Professional Support plans, an initial response within a few hours is expected, not a 48+ hour silence.

From the documented SLAs:

For Microsoft Professional Support / Support for Business, Severity A incidents have an initial response target of 2 hours.
For Power Platform and Dynamics 365 (Unified/Standard/ProDirect), Severity A incidents have an initial response target of less than one hour.
Azure guidance states that severity determines response time according to the support plan’s SLA, and “Highest critical impact” is reserved for premium customers, but Sev A/critical still carries a short initial response target.

So, for a paid Standard support contract where the issue is truly Sev A (critical business impact), no response for over 48 hours is not in line with the published initial response targets.

In this situation, recommended actions based on the documentation:

Ensure the ticket severity accurately reflects the business impact (Severity A / critical business impact). Response targets are tied directly to the severity level.
When opening or following up on a case, clearly describe the impact (production down, account disabled, revenue impact, etc.) so support can justify/maintain Sev A.
If the portal allows, update or reopen the existing ticket rather than creating many new ones, and include subscription ID, region, and exact impact as advised in the Azure incident guidance.
During broader Azure incidents, Microsoft notes that many customers contacting support simultaneously can delay handling, but that is described as a possible delay, not a 48+ hour lack of initial response.

For ongoing or repeated SLA misses, escalation through the support request itself (asking for a duty manager or escalation) and via the account’s Microsoft contact (such as a Customer Success Account Manager if applicable) is typically required.

References: