According to EU laws, companies must provide advance notice of price increases for services.
Microsoft was unable to hike the price of Game Pass in some EU countries. As one user from Poland notes, they have automatic subscription renewal enabled, but on October 1, the company charged their card 63 Polish zlotys (about $17), when according to the new rates, they should have been charged 115 zlotys ($31.66). The user claims to have received the following email from Xbox:
You may have recently heard about changes to the price of Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. At this time, this increase will only affect new purchases and will not affect your current subscription in your region if you have a renewable plan. If you choose to cancel your current plan and re-subscribe, you will be charged the new fee. If for any reason changes occur in your account, we will notify you at least 60 days in advance. You can cancel or change your plan at any time.
According to some commentators, it's all about European bureaucracy: companies must notify consumers of price increases 30-60 days in advance. The situation is further complicated when it comes to automatic renewals of subscriptions to services like Game Pass, as companies cannot increase the cost of the service without the user's consent (as in Germany).
