Surface missing in transit during warranty service — Microsoft says no replacement “at this time”

Surface missing in transit during Microsoft warranty service — UPS investigation ongoing since August 6, Microsoft now says no replacement/warranty service

I am looking for advice regarding a very confusing situation with a Microsoft Surface warranty service request.

My Surface Pro 11 developed a serious hardware issue shortly after I received it. The device is shown in my Microsoft account as having an active one-year warranty.

Microsoft accepted the service request and arranged the shipment of my Surface to the service center using a UPS shipping label provided as part of the Microsoft service order.

I handed the device over for shipment on July 28, 2026.

The Surface was never delivered to the Microsoft service center, and its current location remains unknown. A UPS investigation was opened on August 6, and as of today, the investigation is still ongoing.

For several weeks I have been communicating with Microsoft Support while waiting for the investigation to be completed. My case has been escalated multiple times.

I have now received a very confusing response from Microsoft's escalation team stating:

«“We are unable to proceed with a replacement or warranty service at this time.”»

I was also told that Microsoft's internal team had “suggested not to replace the device” and was advised to contact the courier regarding my device.

This leaves me with several serious questions.

Microsoft arranged the shipment and provided the UPS label as part of the service order. I am not the contracting customer of UPS for this shipment. Therefore, I do not understand how I am supposed to independently resolve a claim with UPS if Microsoft is the party that arranged the transportation.

More importantly, my original Surface has still not been returned to me.

Even if Microsoft decides for some reason not to provide a warranty replacement, what happens to my original device if it cannot be located or returned?

I have asked Microsoft to clarify whether “at this time” means that a replacement cannot be issued while the UPS investigation is still ongoing, or whether Microsoft is actually refusing warranty service for this particular Surface entirely.

I have also asked why warranty service was mentioned at all, since the device continues to show an active warranty in my Microsoft account.

After I requested clarification, Microsoft Support confirmed that my case has been re-escalated, that the extended team and repair specialist are reviewing it, and that I should receive a final update within 24–48 hours.

There is one more issue that makes this situation particularly concerning: because Microsoft has not received the package, the service order is currently scheduled to close automatically on August 25.

This means that while the UPS investigation that started on August 6 is still unresolved and the location of my Surface remains unknown, Microsoft's system may automatically close the service order simply because the device was never delivered to the service center.

I am concerned about what happens after that date. The fact that the service order closes automatically obviously does not resolve the ongoing UPS investigation or the fact that my Surface has not been returned to me.

I am not claiming that UPS has lost the package, because the investigation has not yet been completed. However, the investigation has been ongoing since August 6, my Surface has not reached the service center, and I currently have neither my original device nor a replacement.

Has anyone experienced a similar situation with a Surface sent using a Microsoft-provided UPS label?

In particular, I would like to understand:

• What normally happens when a Surface remains missing in transit during a Microsoft service order?
• Who is responsible for handling the UPS claim when Microsoft provided the shipping label?
• What happens if the Microsoft service order automatically closes while the UPS investigation is still ongoing?
• Can Microsoft refuse warranty service while the original device remains unaccounted for?

I would appreciate any guidance from Microsoft Community moderators or users who have dealt with a similar case.