Forum Discussion
Microsoft CSP - Indirect Reseller Status is Suspended and Can't Get Fixed
I am in a very bad spot with our indirect reseller Microsoft account and am hoping that maybe someone out there might be able to help me.
In mid May, I placed an order with Pax8 for a new customer and the order was rejected by Microsoft with the error, "Associated partner LegalBusinessProfile NotFound."
It turns out that when we moved offices and I updated our business's address at http://partner.microsoft.com, Microsoft de-authorized our partner status, which I didn't catch, and then put our Cloud Service Provider (CSP) indirect reseller program into "Suspended" status after some time.
In the partner center, I was able to get our legal business profile fixed easy enough - I just had to open a ticket and send them some legal documentation. Everything under the "Partner" tab in the Partner Portal is now green checkboxes and "Authorized". Pax8 tried the provisioning again, and got the same error.
It turns out that our "Indirect Reseller status" is now "Suspended" and this wasn't changed when the "Partner" status was fixed.
Microsoft has a webpage that describes why this can happen and what to do to get it fixed at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/account-settings/suspended-partner-center-account . It says, "Microsoft suspends Partner Center accounts for Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program when:
Significant account abuse is detected
Your vetting status is Rejected for more than 30 days"
We haven't had any account abuse (mercifully, our existing tenants are still operational and being billed for through Pax8), so our vetting status was almost certainly to blame. That same document says, "If you are sure that your account is compliant and should be moved back to Active state, contact https://partner.microsoft.com/dashboard/support/servicerequests/create for help with reactivating your account," so I opened a ticket with Microsoft.
Actually, 3 tickets so far, because every single one has the same copy-and-paste reply:
Thank you for contacting Microsoft Partner support about the suspension of the CSP account.
In the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Agreement, both Microsoft and our partners reserve the right to walk away from the partner relationship by providing 30 days' notice to the other. The notice of suspension and termination proceeding was provided April 2024. Neither party is required to offer an explanation for the decision to terminate the partner agreement. As Microsoft is exercising its rights under this section 4.b of the Microsoft AI Cloud Program Agreement, we are unable to share an explanation or further details.
Thanks,
I can't get anywhere with Microsoft support. We just landed a big customer and need to set up their tenant. I am afraid that if this goes on much longer or if somehow we are unable to add any more customers to our Pax8 account, that we'll lose this customer, which is large enough to really hurt the business.
Does anyone here have any ideas on how to get through to someone at Microsoft that could help with this situation? Does anyone else have any other ideas on what else we could try?
Some additional notes:
When clicking "Agreements" in the partner portal, we get an error message, "Service unavailable. Something went wrong. Please try reloading the page, if this problem persists please contact https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?linkid=868372."
Everything in Legal Info/Partner looks good. Our "Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program status" is "Active".
Everything in Legal Info/Reseller looks good except that "Indirect Reseller status" shows "Suspended".
Under Identifiers/Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, I have 1 PartnerGlobal ID and 2 PartnerLocation IDs, corresponding to our old and new addresses. Do I need to delete the old PartnerLocation ID? I haven't done so because it looks like this step is irreversible but I am getting desperate enough to try it.
Our "Company profile" is not filled out, but the "Update" button stays grayed out after I fill in the information and it appears that I am unable to update this.
I thought that maybe I just needed to sign the "Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Agreement" again, but I can't find anywhere on the partner portal where I would do so.
I went through my emails exhaustively and we did not receive a, "notice of suspension and termination proceeding" in April 2024, or any other time for that matter.
I can't find a copy of the Microsoft AI Cloud Program Agreement to even see what section 4.b says.
I've dealt with government bureaucracies a lot in my career, but I've never experienced a Kafkaesque situation 10% as bad as this one. This is probably the most stressful thing I've dealt with in this business in the last decade. This could destroy our business if I can't get this sorted out.
Sorry for the wall of text, but I tried to include as much detail as possible and it got long. If you got to this point in my post, thank you for helping or trying to help me.
The latest ticket ID we have from Microsoft is 2406050040012239
Hi there.
After some tickets I've found a "smart" support agent who wrote me a solution. I don't know if this could be the right way to solve your problem, but in my case this solved and I've been able to obtain the "active" status again.
I can share the answer and the proposed solution as is from Microsoft Partner Support:
"Greetings for the day.
Thank you for contacting Microsoft Partner support, I would like to inform that you have reached the offboarding team and as per investigation we found that you CSP tenant is suspended.
In the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Agreement, both Microsoft and our partners reserve the right to walk away from the partner relationship by providing 30 days' notice to the other. Neither party is required to offer an explanation for the decision to terminate the partner agreement. As Microsoft is exercising its rights under this section 4.b of the Microsoft AI Cloud Program Agreement, we are unable to share an explanation or further details. For more information on why your account was suspended, you can refer https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/suspended-partner-center-account#why-partner-center-accounts-are-suspended
For re-enrolling in CSP you will need to create a new tenant and use it for enrollment process. Please refer to the below article for creating a tenant and for CSP enrollment:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/fundamentals/create-new-tenant
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/quickstart-create-new-tenant
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/enroll/enrolling-in-the-csp-program
If you need further assistance regarding CSP enrollment or creating a tenant kindly create a ticket with relevant team. Also, we won't be able to provide any further information apart from referring to the notice of suspension.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in the process."
Another tip that is not written in the support email:
- create a new Entra ID tenant within the main Azure Entra ID tenant; use same region as the main one.
- create a global administrator in the new tenant
- in Partner Center, in account settings, Tenants, associate the new tenant using account you just created
- Signoff from browser session
- open new browser session and login to partner center with the global admin from the new tenant
- in account setting start a new Program registration for CSP indirect program
- you'll be asked to confirm MPN ID that will be your Company main MPN ID used for your previous CSP transaction
- accept MPA under Agreements
As a new tenant is created to manage CSP, you should send new Indirect Reseller relationship request to your customers.
Now I see that I'm currently in Active status with the same MPN ID.
This solved my problem!
Hope this could be helpful you too!!!
34 Replies
Same issue, what appalling customer service, I even created ticket, with no reference to the CSP, and asked "I want to speak to a human" and all I got was the same email about 4.b.
I have a tender we are due to submit on Thursday for 500 seats, this 100% guarantees Microsoft won't get it, sort sighted foolsI'm sorry this is happening to you.
I though government bureaucrats were the worst customer service possible, until I had to deal with this.
Hi there.
After some tickets I've found a "smart" support agent who wrote me a solution. I don't know if this could be the right way to solve your problem, but in my case this solved and I've been able to obtain the "active" status again.
I can share the answer and the proposed solution as is from Microsoft Partner Support:
"Greetings for the day.
Thank you for contacting Microsoft Partner support, I would like to inform that you have reached the offboarding team and as per investigation we found that you CSP tenant is suspended.
In the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program Agreement, both Microsoft and our partners reserve the right to walk away from the partner relationship by providing 30 days' notice to the other. Neither party is required to offer an explanation for the decision to terminate the partner agreement. As Microsoft is exercising its rights under this section 4.b of the Microsoft AI Cloud Program Agreement, we are unable to share an explanation or further details. For more information on why your account was suspended, you can refer https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/suspended-partner-center-account#why-partner-center-accounts-are-suspended
For re-enrolling in CSP you will need to create a new tenant and use it for enrollment process. Please refer to the below article for creating a tenant and for CSP enrollment:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/fundamentals/create-new-tenant
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/quickstart-create-new-tenant
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/partner-center/enroll/enrolling-in-the-csp-program
If you need further assistance regarding CSP enrollment or creating a tenant kindly create a ticket with relevant team. Also, we won't be able to provide any further information apart from referring to the notice of suspension.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in the process."
Another tip that is not written in the support email:
- create a new Entra ID tenant within the main Azure Entra ID tenant; use same region as the main one.
- create a global administrator in the new tenant
- in Partner Center, in account settings, Tenants, associate the new tenant using account you just created
- Signoff from browser session
- open new browser session and login to partner center with the global admin from the new tenant
- in account setting start a new Program registration for CSP indirect program
- you'll be asked to confirm MPN ID that will be your Company main MPN ID used for your previous CSP transaction
- accept MPA under Agreements
As a new tenant is created to manage CSP, you should send new Indirect Reseller relationship request to your customers.
Now I see that I'm currently in Active status with the same MPN ID.
This solved my problem!
Hope this could be helpful you too!!!
Wow!
You are the first person that I know that's solved this issue.
I will give this a try early next week and see if we are able to also re-enroll.
Thank you!!!
Hi there,
did you had sucess?
When I try to confirm the new tenant, I get an error message:
I already opend a ticket, and probably have to wait untill monday for an answer...
Hi, same problem. I've been able to register in CSP indirect reseller last year but as I tried to renew for current year I got the same issue.
The worst thing is the NO support from Microsoft. Is like talking with a wall..."I can't assist you with this request" or ". As Microsoft is exercising its rights under this section 4.b of the Microsoft AI Cloud Program Agreement, we are unable to share an explanation or further details".
It seems a joke because agent support sent me a link to the "Restore a suspended Partner Center account" and in that document is wrote: "If you are sure your account is compliant and should moved back to Active state, contact Support for help with reactivating your account". But there's no way to get help from support!
Unbelievable!
We are still not re-registered as indirect resellers, but Pax8 continues to be able to onboard new customers for us. We are now sending multiple thousands of dollars to Microsoft per month, but get zero support from them other than a cut-and-paste "f**k you" message from them.
We are going to try to re-enroll for the CSP indirect reseller in a few months, when the one year time after our mysterious de-enrollment occurred.
If a M365 competitor ever comes along, we are going to have to think long and hard whether we want to continue to send a company money that doesn't think that our monthly spend is even worth responding to our begging for help.
Hi - we have the same issue did you ever resolve this?
FWIW, we're experiencing the same thing. Microsoft responds to all inquiries with '4.b; pound sand." Not sure how we'll ever regain CSP status if no one will tell us what we did wrong.
I am sorry that you are going through this. It is beyond frustrating. We have not been able to get our account fixed, yet we're still sending several thousand dollars to Microsoft each and every month.
If you figure anything out, or figure out a way to get past the copy-and-paste Microsoft reps, please update this thread.
Another victim: https://www.reddit.com/r/msp/comments/1galkh9/ms_csp_indirect_reseller_terminated/
Someone in that thread mentions that they had purchased licenses for themselves and once they purchased them direct, that fixed the issue. That isn't our problem, but maybe it helps someone else out.
Pax8 sent an advisory email to their clients just now:
==========
Dear Partner,
This is a service alert is a request for you, as a Microsoft CSP partner, to review and verify your business information in Partner Center.
As part of the Microsoft CSP partner program, partners are required to ensure their CSP legal information in Partner Center is kept up to date. Microsoft will actively review the information to ensure accuracy. If Microsoft suspects any information is not accurate, it will trigger a verification for data validation. Additionally, any change/changes made to CSP partner legal information will also trigger a verification for data validation.
If a CSP partner is selected for a verification of its legal information, the partner will be notified in the Global Admin Action Center within Partner Center. Failure to complete the verification process within 30 days may result in a failed/rejected state, and subject to CSP suspension/offboarding. If suspended/offboarded, no new orders will be allowed under the CSP partner MPN ID and existing orders may be required to be transferred to another CSP partner for services to remain. Additionally, Microsoft may contact end customers directly to notify them of a partner’s deauthorization.
To ensure your CSP partner enrollment is in good standing, Pax8 recommends your Global Admin regularly checks your Action Center within Partner Center for notifications and important updates. Partners can also check their CSP partner status in Partner Center under Account Management. If any changes to the legal information in Partner Center, partners should be prepared to submit appropriate supporting documentation.
If your account is compliant but is not reinstated to an active state, please submit a support ticket with Microsoft directly. Due to compliance, Microsoft will not release any information regarding a partner deauthorization to Pax8. To learn more about CSP suspensions, click http://sendgrid.pax8.com/ls/click?upn=u001.xm6XLzyxkr04M92zFhdxRte-2BxmXWwpmEVttkLW5LgwSwx-2FtBc8435G60-2BgdjSxHxNU8tQd9V9b9yFi9EHu5IAnhS-2FlcO9X98abyzGxcDAy5SZf4-2BLx-2BI-2FBprMTtHW5mXt-2B2Sbd928EdmwhEjgTEKBw-3D-3D8FjR_oaWK71-2BrwCQjxQiNHDKmxalJNozitiIWt5UiItXiwozYhBVhcXRoFk7ZVYYevEyYobPpNimEuD1ezWmvzJrpbPRdnadotidGSQilLfA0HFrXAg0oCaF-2FBvUjOcEiEhu-2BPQXLcJMqHaXhNHIYqZTG6Vc1rhE3kdtDoQNYbzcYGnz5uEFkRDjD1pora0NrE4pU78lsikP8Lze7UBUgPZ02BXBvdUt7A1UsLCzrrnrLda7l33P3-2BTGOOi-2FErIe8JhKkGSpI5dIXTBCK8MlzIc5A8MUWM-2FWw52rfmrvq-2Fzm7VQW0Urxa3Om8cK8Mm66SfM6eIVLElqguzpvzPO0uui5nJY06VE6nTX1wT78CejNRqonhnFoQPUgihtkg1-2BdaXa9Iab0auGDDeOiX3wvDsuHwMvxILLT3TMB61YMtf-2FIA70Dz8ArXss2hN2EGSPFo9Nma0y42uzOSFEL1KPHWBYEBTw-3D-3D.
Do not respond directly to this message, which was sent via auto-attendant.
Thank you,
Pax8 Alerts
==========
I suspect that more and more of their customers are being hit by this issue. Unfortunately, Microsoft does not seem to be sending alert emails from the Partner Center in a timely manner, and it's catching many of us unaware. It appears the only solution is to check the Partner Center at least twice a month, as you can be de-authorized after one month and without any email notification that there is an issue with your account.
I am in the same situation.
Microsoft support always responds with the same thing, to review the requirements. I have checked them again and again and the status is always the same CSP indirect account suspendedPlease Help me. I need to resolve it.
- We have not been able to resolve this in almost half a year of trying, including getting Rob Rae from Pax8 (a founder) involved and talking directly to Microsoft.
We even had Pax8's Microsoft representative open a ticket with Microsoft (yes, a Microsoft representative opened the ticket on ours and Pax8's behalf), and it was closed with the same copy-and-paste behavior.
I do not see a way forward. Thankfully, Pax8 is still able to sell us Microsoft subscriptions somehow, but we cannot use things like Lighthouse.- Maybe a redundant question, but do you meet the CSP Reseller requirements? More specifically the CSP revenue threshold?
I know that Microsoft suspends CSP Reseller status at partners whom do not meet this threshold. And you can only re-enroll after 12 months to try again meet the threshold.
I'd also double check with PAX8 regarding their 'fix'. As your CSP Reseller status is suspended, they are not able to use your PartnerID (MPN) anymore. So their fix most likely involves in using a different partner's PartnerID, or none at all. Which means you get 0 recognition anymore (which in turn will not help in achieving the CSP Reseller threshold for next year).
I am in the exact same situation. No notification of suspension whatsoever and unable to remediate. If you resolve the situation, please share. It'd be a great help. Thanks
- This is not resolved for us.
Communication with Microsoft is impossible. They just copy-and-paste the same reply.
Their representatives are clearly paid by the amount of tickets they close, not by the amount of problems that they solve.
- similar problem here, we have 3 tickets already, we had problem with verification, somehow one day it accepted documents but CSP status is still suspended. did you get any help or solution you can guid? some say it's about domain verification, we have 4 year prepaid payment and its not required to get new per year.
GBRRRNo - we are still suspended. Pax8 did something and we are able to place orders, but they take a long time to go through.
We had Pax8 raise tickets with their counterparts at Microsoft, who then raised tickets internally, and they were met with the same response that we received.
At this point, Microsoft seems to be an impenetrable mess who seem to employ people more interested in closing tickets rather than in fixing issues.
It would literally have been quicker and easier to set up a new LLC than to deal with Microsoft.
