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Appeal Microsoft Partner Center Vetting Process
I joined the Microsoft Partner program two days ago. They took my payment, but immediately put me through the rigorous vetting process nitpicking at every little detail, putting me on the Employment verification stage. No mater what document I provided to prove I own my company and my domain - invoice for my domain purchase, proof of my company's status and ownership via my country's company registry - I kept getting rejected for one bleak reason or another..
Finally I ran out of "tries" to the vetting process??? Something that was mentioned absolutely nowhere and there is absolutely no way for me to try and continue with it. I simply got an email saying that I have 30 days to fix the issues or my account will be terminated and yet - no matter of how to approach this issue was mentioned...
I created a support ticket explaining the situation and asking for an appeal. I can see my support ticket, but when I click on it - I am met with this amazing message:
"There was a problem retrieving the support request details."
Can someone advice me how to process from here or should I just wait for the 30 days to pass and HOPE to get my money back for Microsoft wasting my time with vague bureaucracy?
I'm sorry to hear of everyone's troubles here. The vetting process is vigorous to protect all parties involved. Unfortunately, that doesn't help anyone here.
All I can do is point you to resources and tell you to keep trying thru support, that's the only way to get through it. They know the process is broken, we have been telling them for a year, it's so frustrating I know.
What I can tell you is that your documents must be dated in the last year and CANNOT expire within the next two months, that may have been your issue Sally3620
Also your company name MUST match your registered partner center name EXACTLY as your domain paperwork states it. If not, they will reject you over and over. Follow their guidelines and you should be able to get through.
I'm sorry I can be of more help. :( Here are some links that will hopefully help some of you:
Verify your account information - Partner Center | Microsoft Learn
How to appeal a rejected partner profile in the verification process | Microsoft Community Hub
11 Replies
Yes - this sucks, personally I've given up on the process given if Microsoft cannot fix an issue for 1000 would be partners in the same boat then they won't bother for one more such as me. It's a shame the MPN idea is effectively not an option for those outside of the US.
Hello,
I have been trying to get the verification for several days now. I’ve sent everything, including the same document I submitted the first time my profile was verified, six months ago.
This time, they requested the DUNS number. I deeply regret complying with that request.
We went through the same process on Google Play and the App Store without any of this hassle.
At this rate, no one will want to be a partner...
- JillArmourMicrosoft
Community Manager
I'm sorry to hear of everyone's troubles here. The vetting process is vigorous to protect all parties involved. Unfortunately, that doesn't help anyone here.
All I can do is point you to resources and tell you to keep trying thru support, that's the only way to get through it. They know the process is broken, we have been telling them for a year, it's so frustrating I know.
What I can tell you is that your documents must be dated in the last year and CANNOT expire within the next two months, that may have been your issue Sally3620
Also your company name MUST match your registered partner center name EXACTLY as your domain paperwork states it. If not, they will reject you over and over. Follow their guidelines and you should be able to get through.
I'm sorry I can be of more help. :( Here are some links that will hopefully help some of you:
Verify your account information - Partner Center | Microsoft Learn
How to appeal a rejected partner profile in the verification process | Microsoft Community Hub
Hi Jill,
I've jumped through all these hoops multiple times.
- I've submitted my company registration/formation documents (articles of organization received from my state's Secretary of State office) showing them how everything matches.
- I've submitted my EIN confirmation letter from the IRS showing them how everything matches.
- I've PDF-ized and submitted my WHOIS record showing how everything with my domain matches.
They ("Vetting Operations Support") kept rejecting, and the most frustrating part was that they wouldn't explain why - wouldn't tell me what they didn't have, or what apparently didn't match - which would enable me to directly address whatever is the issue.
So, frustrated, I went through the process to obtain a DUNS number for my business. I actually paid the extra money to have them (Dun & Bradstreet) expedite it so I could get through this process with Microsoft faster! Dun & Bradstreet validated my company and generated my DUNS number. Woohoo! I could finally get through this verification process with Microsoft!
NOPE! Rejected again without explanation!
Submitted a new support ticket (probably my third one at that point), again asking why. They again just asked me for all the same documentation, as if nothing changed.
So, frustrated, I went and renewed my domain purely so I could generate a new receipt that directly addressed all the requirements and matching data points they listed:
- domain matched the one I'm trying to enroll in partner center.
- company name matched the one I'm trying to enroll in partner center.
- Renewal receipt was not older than 12 months (obviously), and provided proof that the domain does not expire within the next 60 days.
That should do it, right?
Nope! And this was the response I received:
What the heck!?
Sooooo..... I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here trying to figure out what is wrong, and there is one thing that doesn't exactly match between my partner center account and all of my documentation, and I'm wondering if this could be the issue.
My company is an LLC, and thus all the documents I've submitted for verification lists my company with the ", LLC" at the end ("Right Edge Golf, LLC"). However, in my partner account, because it was very explicit during signup that you should not include the ", LLC" (or ", Inc" or whatever) with your company name, my company name does not have the ", LLC" like it does with all the company documentation I've submitted.
Do you think this could be the problem? Causing confusion with "Vetting Operations?"
If so, without being able to have the ", LLC" included with my company name in the Microsoft partner account, how would I resolve that? I obviously can't have it removed from my my company's formation documents (articles of organization and EIN/IRS registration).
Certainly the Vetting Operations people understand that the signup process indicates to leave off the ", LLC" part of the company name, right?
Thanks for taking the time to read my long post, but, for all kinds of reasons, this is beyond crazy at this point. I'll take any thoughts, ideas, feedback - anything - at this point.
-Brandon
- JillArmourMicrosoft
I'm sorry, but they have decided to terminate your partnership. :( There is nothing else to be done. If you keep trying to get through verification you will keep getting rejected.
I would move on and spend your efforts elsewhere. Best of luck to you and your business, apologies it didn't work out as you had hoped.
Same thing happening to me and I have been a partner since 2011. I have also run out of opportunities to appeal with no explanation when i lodge (and get denied) a support ticket. The last correspondence I got before they cut me off was that my documents aren't in the past 12 months when they clearly are. I too are being told I will be cut off in thirty days. I seriously do not know what to do?The "fix it" option is no longer available to me and i know I ran out of options because they did not give me clear directions on wheat was wrong.
It feels very unfair and kind of unlawful.
same problem for me the only difference is that they dont allow me to create tickets did you fixed the issue ?
Hello.
You won't get your money back. At least I haven't managed to do it so far. In general, the verification process resembles a game show. You pay an entry fee and either you win or you don't. There are no legal rules of conduct. In my case, the verification team has no idea what documents are issued in my country. After sending the invoice for the domain, I received information that it is not original (after two months of asking what is wrong). The verification team clearly lacks competence and legal knowledge in this area.The entire Partner Center Vetting Process is a simple SCAM!!! If you request a refund, you will get the following response:
The requestyou submitted does not relate to the verification of your account and therefore we are unable to support it.
Please review how to contact support available here and choose the topic that most closely resembles the issue you are experiencing.
My ticket was previously manually redirected by an employee to the appropriate department (as they claimed) that will handle the refund.
To sum up, the verification is the responsibility of an extremely incompetent team whose main goal is to accept the payment and that's where their role ends. From that moment on, it's a game show in which you either win (if you are from the US) or you don't (if you are from another country about which they have no legal knowledge).
