Formal Consumer Complaint - Office Activation Case 7106979314

Dear Microsoft Customer Relations / Complaints Team,

I am writing to make a formal consumer complaint regarding the loss of desktop functionality of my legitimately purchased Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac following Microsoft's July 2026 licensing certificate change.

My existing Microsoft Support case reference is 7106979314. I ask that this complaint is formally associated with that case and with the full history of my previous communications with Microsoft Support.

I purchased Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac from CheapTraining on 21 July 2023 as a one-time purchase. I was supplied with a product key and installation instructions specifically for Office 2019 Home & Business for Mac. The product was successfully activated and worked on my Mac.

Following Microsoft's 13 July 2026 certificate change, my Office 2019 installation can no longer activate and has entered reduced functionality mode.

I have spent approximately 10 days attempting to resolve this matter. I am not particularly computer-savvy, but I have followed Microsoft's troubleshooting instructions and tried the various workarounds suggested by Microsoft Support.

Most significantly, I followed Microsoft's recommendation to install the supplied Office 16.89 package. Microsoft's own installer rejected the installation with the message:

“This macOS requires version 12 or later.”

My computer is a 13-inch Mid-2013 MacBook Air running macOS Big Sur 11.7.11, which is the final version of macOS officially supported by Apple for this machine.

Microsoft Support has now confirmed that:

• Office 2019 can no longer activate following the July 2026 certificate change;
• the Microsoft-provided Office 16.89 workaround cannot be installed on my Mac;
• current Microsoft 365 desktop applications cannot run on my Mac because of its operating system;
• my Office 2019 licence is Mac-specific and cannot be transferred to Windows; and
• there is no replacement licence or alternative licensing remedy currently available through the support channel.

I fully understand that Office 2019 has reached End of Support. I am not asking Microsoft to continue providing security updates or ongoing technical support for Office 2019.

My complaint is different.

I purchased a perpetual, one-time licence for Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac, which was successfully activated and used. I have subsequently lost the ability to use the desktop applications because of a Microsoft licensing/certificate change. The workaround proposed by Microsoft cannot be installed on my Mac, while Microsoft's current Microsoft 365 desktop applications are also incompatible with the operating system of the Mac on which I purchased and used the product.

In practical terms, therefore, I have been left without the desktop functionality for which I purchased the licence, despite having legitimately purchased and activated the product.

I appreciate that Microsoft may consider the original Office 2019 product to be at End of Support. However, I ask Microsoft to consider separately the circumstances in which the activation functionality has been affected by the July 2026 certificate change and the fact that the proposed workaround is not technically available to me.

I have also been offered three months of Microsoft 365 Personal as a goodwill gesture. I appreciate that gesture, but Microsoft has confirmed that Microsoft 365 desktop applications cannot provide the required functionality on my Mac because of its operating system. The offer therefore does not provide a practical replacement for the desktop functionality I previously had.

I have now also contacted the retailer from whom I purchased the product, CheapTraining, and asked them to confirm the licence terms and consider an appropriate remedy.

Nevertheless, I would like Microsoft to formally record this matter as a consumer complaint and provide a substantive written response.

In particular, I ask Microsoft to consider whether, in these circumstances, an equivalent replacement Office licence, compatible upgrade, or other appropriate remedy can be offered.

I would also ask Microsoft to explain its position regarding the loss of activation following the July 2026 certificate change, particularly where Microsoft's suggested workaround cannot be installed on the affected Mac.

Please associate this complaint with Support case 7106979314 and the complete history of my previous communications with Microsoft Support.

I would also appreciate confirmation that this formal complaint, together with the approximately 10 days I have spent attempting to resolve the matter, has been recorded.

I look forward to receiving a substantive response from Microsoft and to having this matter properly reviewed by the appropriate customer relations or complaints team.

Kind regards,

Jakki

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