Possible to request a refund for Azure CosmosDB usage?

Question

Possible to request a refund for Azure CosmosDB usage?

Yoong Han 20

I have recently done lab experiments with Azure cosmosdb and one of the lab experiments created 2 databases (as it is a random generated id scripts). This caused the billed to soared to USD 64 within 1 day.

I would like to know if there are ways to reach out for refunds?.

The script request a tantamount of RU of 4k autoscale and automatically registers the account without free tier. I don't think these are fair to have put within lab. Worst yet, if the lab is executed multiple times, the database is guaranteed to be created with cost associated. Even the RU amount assigned to the database of min 4k and max of 100k, is absurd! It only enters 10k of records of 4-5 fields for a lab...what is it to achieve?

Would say it can be part of my mistaken to have not scanning new resource group being created in my subscription after executing the script. But the bigger part issue with this lab is that it is meant for public and lab aimed for learning. This is the link to the lab https://microsoftlearning.github.io/dp-420-cosmos-db-dev/ and it have lab 16 and 17 that takes in charges of at least 30USD a day per project run.

Few question as well.

Why are there no cleanup scripts within the lab? It indicates but doesn't tell how and it doesn't even inform that a new resource group was created!
Why would the lab use provisioned throughput of 4k-100k which ideally only 500 throughput is sufficient, worst yet this setting can cause a student to loose USD400 a day!
Why wasn't it using free tier?
There are no safeguards to the lab users. The lab can even be executed multiple times! Any mistakes creates cost.

VRISHABHANATH PATIL 4,825 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-12T07:32:16.19+00:00

Hi @Yoong Han

Thank you for contacting Microsoft QA. We will review your question and keep you updated.

Answer accepted by question author

2 additional answers

Your answer

VRISHABHANATH PATIL 4,825 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-12T07:32:16.19+00:00

Hi @Yoong Han

Thank you for contacting Microsoft QA. We will review your question and keep you updated.

Answer 1

Siva shunmugam Nadessin 4,555 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello Yoong Han,

For queries related to billing & refund create a service request they will contact you via email or call to resolve it. below are the steps.

1. Click the below click for Help + Support -> Create a Support Request

https://portal.azure.com/?#blade/Microsoft_Azure_Support/HelpAndSupportBlade

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Type billing.

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In Contact Support, create support request

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Fill in Problem description.

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Click Next button in Recommended Solution

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In Additional details add your problem description and in File Upload containing the detailed screenshot of the error you are facing.

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In Preference contact method select either Email or Phone.

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Click Review+Create and click Create button

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Your support ticket will be created and a mail will be sent.

You can track the support ticket in Azure portal using Help + Support, Recent Support tickets

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Let me know if you have further questions we would be happy to help you!!

Siva shunmugam Nadessin 4,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-15T02:20:09.85+00:00

Hello Yoong Han,

Just checking in to see if the solution shared above help you to resolve to create billing support ticket. please reach out to us If you have any further questions.

Thanks
Yoong Han 20 Reputation points

2025-12-15T02:28:57.0433333+00:00

Haven't reach my billing cycle and couldn't not provide invoice until next month, but the steps you have given me worked.

But these steps worked and doesn't lead me to a "refund" button only. Thank you so much.
Yoong Han 20 Reputation points

2026-01-13T23:41:46.5233333+00:00

Thank you Nadessin, got to contact MS and have it resolved on the refund.
Siva shunmugam Nadessin 4,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-14T03:00:51.6366667+00:00

Hello Yoong Han

As the issue is resolved kindly upvote it.

Answer 2

Hi @Yoong Han

Thanks for contacting to Microsoft QA, below are detailed mitigation steps on your questions

The lab scripts automatically provision Azure Cosmos DB with an autoscale throughput of 4,000–100,000 RU/s, do not use Free Tier, and create new resource groups without clearly informing the learner. This led to unexpectedly high daily costs during a simple learning exercise involving only ~10K documents.

Why are there no cleanup scripts?

Because the lab design assumes the learner will manually clean up resources, but the documentation is unclear. Proper cleanup steps were not included or explained, leading to leftover resource groups and active workloads.

Why use 4k–100k RU/s when ~500 RU would be enough?

This appears to be a legacy or overly aggressive configuration meant to simulate high‑throughput workloads. However, for small datasets and teaching purposes, this range is unnecessary and results in extremely high consumption costs.

Why wasn’t Free Tier used?

The lab scripts automatically create accounts using default settings. Free Tier requires explicit selection at account creation, which the script does not do. As a result, students unintentionally incur charges.

Why are there no safeguards for learners?

The lab does not implement:

resource locks
cost alerts
free‑tier defaults
throughput safety limits
clear warnings
cleanup automation

This makes accidental cost accumulation easy, especially if the lab is run multiple times.

What does provisioning 4k–100k RU/s achieve for a 10K‑record lab?

Practically nothing meaningful for learning. The workload size does not justify such throughput. It only inflates cost without improving the educational outcome.

What happens when the lab is executed multiple times?

Each run:

creates new Cosmos DB accounts / databases
provisions high‑throughput autoscale
incurs fresh daily cost (≥ USD 30/day)

Repeating the lab multiplies the cost linearly, with no safeguards.

Why did it cause high charges?

Because:

Autoscale 4k–100k RU/s is expensive
No free tier was used
No cleanup removed the provisioned resources
Resource group creation wasn’t clearly communicated

Even a few hours at high RU/s can accumulate significant charges.

Yoong Han 20 Reputation points

2025-12-15T02:02:33.81+00:00

Thanks for the response. I'll try on the billing, but yes this tutorial I would say it's pricey even as tutorial.

But thanks for admitting to the cost as well. I would say it's something not easy for a beginner to this module. Hope it highlights some improvement for future learners especially a cleanup option will be good. I know the tutorial stated manual deletion but with the random naming generation, it's an easy to miss out resource creation.
VRISHABHANATH PATIL 4,825 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-15T06:14:42.43+00:00

Hi @Yoong Han

Thank you for sharing this additional feedback. We appreciate the detail and have noted all your points. We will review them internally and ensure any necessary improvements are addressed.

Answer 3

Azure does not typically offer refunds for usage charges incurred, including those related to Azure Cosmos DB. However, if you believe there has been an error or if you're experiencing unexpected charges, you can reach out to Azure support to discuss your situation. They may be able to provide guidance or assistance based on your specific circumstances.

Regarding your concerns about the lab experiments:

Cleanup Procedures: It's important to check the lab documentation for any cleanup steps. If the lab does not provide clear instructions on resource management, this can lead to unexpected costs.
Provisioned Throughput: The choice of provisioned throughput settings in the lab may be intended to simulate real-world scenarios, but it can lead to high costs if not monitored closely. It's advisable to adjust these settings based on your actual needs.
Free Tier Usage: The free tier is available for Azure Cosmos DB, but it must be explicitly enabled when creating an account. If the lab did not use the free tier, it may be due to the account setup or configuration.
Safeguards: While Azure provides tools for monitoring and managing costs, it is ultimately the user's responsibility to manage resources effectively. Setting up alerts for spending can help mitigate unexpected charges in the future.

For further assistance, consider reviewing Azure's cost management features to monitor and control your spending more effectively.

References:

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Possible to request a refund for Azure CosmosDB usage?

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