How long does microsoft wait before they deactivate Xbox live? According to both my Xbox and Microsoft online billing, my subscription was renewed and is not due until next sept. But I have gotten at least 3 emails saying they could not bill my card, I can not afford to renew at this time. I can still get on xbox live just fine, how long do they wait to turn it off?

depends what plan you are on.

Your Live account is ended exactly 12 months after you activated it. Even without a Gold account you can still access Live and do things like download games, shows, movies, etc. You just can't play games online at all.

If you spent $60 for the year subscription of Live, then exactly one year leter your subscription will end. Chances are your Live subscription has already ended.

I can still play games online. It is a 12 month subscription. I got an email saying "Thankyou for your purchase" and it automatically renewed even though there is no longer any money in my bank account. I thought that was odd, I just thought "Oh I guess they didn't realize I have no money there". Anyway it took them about 3 weeks to send me a "Cannot bill your card" email. I have not had interruption of service at all and I remember last year my subscription stopped immediately when I didn't buy another card.

Oh ok. I must've misread your first post. Sorry about that.

Your situation seems kinda confusing. So Xbox Live automatically renewed itself? You have to have the option set under your account settings for it to do that so I assume you chose for it to automatically renew?

Yes but I do not have the money in the account for it to renew yet it remains working.

As long as they've not overdrawn your account?... go with it?

It's called stop questioning life and just accept good things are happening.
Or would you prefer to get in the van?

I had a similar issue when they were trying to bill my account and the card I had registered was out dated. I think it took them like 2 months before they shut down my gold and put me on silver. Just recently I canceled my gold account by saying that I didn't want to auto-renew and it stopped immediately. It's something on their end and I would guess they're going to keep trying your card for a bit before they shut you off.

Yeah, that. And stop looking your gift horse in the mouth.