Hey everyone,
I'm in a tough situation and could really use some advice from anyone who's faced something similar, especially if you've had to deal with a rogue partner. On September 12, 2025, our managed service provider (MSP) used their delegated Global Admin access to lock us out of our Microsoft 365 tenant. This means:
- All 30 of our licenses are inaccessible.
- We've lost access to essential tools like Exchange, Teams, and SharePoint/OneDrive.
- Even our own Global Admin accounts have been blocked.
- Our Azure AD is tied up, preventing staff from logging into their workstations.
They're now conditioning any restoration of access on the payment of an unrelated invoice that we dispute—it's not even about our Microsoft licenses!
Here's what I've done so far:
- Submitted a ticket with Microsoft Support, but they won't get involved in disputes between global admins.
- Tried explaining that it's not a dispute within our organization, but rather a partner hijacking our tenant, but no luck.
- I've reported the incident to Microsoft's Business Conduct and Partner Conduct teams, but no response after 7 days.
- Escalated to the ICO due to GDPR concerns since we've lost access to sensitive data.
I'm worried because our MSP has exclusive access to critical corporate information, and we can't do anything right now. I'd love to hear from anyone who's had a similar experience:
- Has anyone managed to get Microsoft to intervene in tenant ownership issues like this?
- What escalation paths have worked for you beyond the initial support?
- Are there specific Partner Code of Conduct points you've cited to encourage action?
- Any potential issues I should be cautious about if we attempt to create a parallel tenant while fighting to regain access to our main one?
I'm just trying to get back our rights and kick this partner out of our systems. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
What’s the amount on that disputed invoice? If it’s not much, just pay it to get back access, then you can sort out the issues with your MSP separately.
First things first, check your contract with the MSP. If there's a clause about unpaid invoices allowing them to block access, that could be their justification. That said, definitely contact a lawyer for proper advice and maybe even your finance team to see if they can settle the invoice just to regain access. As for the data, you can review audit logs later to see if they've been snooping around your sensitive information—which could lead to legal action if necessary.
Make sure to speak to a lawyer, and depending on your situation, consider contacting the police. What your MSP is doing could be considered extortion, and it might escalate quickly if you don’t act.
I appreciate the advice! It’s just wild how this has turned out.
You might want to consider having your company’s lawyer send a formal letter to your MSP, demanding restoration of access. Make it clear that any damages from this situation will be pursued against them. It could put pressure on them to resolve it quickly.
Honestly, this is a legal issue. You need a lawyer who can handle this situation rather than trying to solve it on your own. You're mainly there to provide technical support for whatever legal actions they need to pursue.
That makes sense! It’s frustrating, though. Why do people not think of legal help sooner?