I've sent in several requests over the last month to fix an obvious bug.

In June, Outlook.com discontinued linked accounts (which were stupid anyway, you shouldn't have to switch between accounts to check a different email.)  However, this made Outlook.com completely unusable for people with Microsoft Accounts with custom domains with live.domains.com

I -- and I am sure many others who just gave up and moved back to gmail, who does this seamlessly -- would like to "send and receive" email from multiple email address (I own several businesses, and websites, and thus, I need to answer to many email addresses).

Here is the problem.  While Outlook.com allows users to send and receive email from third party email accounts using pop3 and 3rd party smtp servers (e.g. pop3.gmail.com), it does not allow users to set up "send and receive" from its own pop and smtp servers (pop3.live.com and smtp.live.com).

As an alternative, Outlook.com includes "email aliases".  However, this option is only good for @hotmail.com, @live.com, and @outlook.com.  It does not work with custom domains setup on live.domains.com.

The most hilarious thing, is that when I try to set up "send and receive email from another account", by putting in my email settings for my custom domains email addresses that are setup and managed with live.domains.com (pop3.live.com and smtp.live.com), I get a message that says,

It looks like you're trying to add another Outlook account. Try linking your Outlook accounts together to make switching between them fast and easy.

MICROSOFT DISCONTINUED LINKED ACCOUNTS 3 MONTHS AGO!!!.  THAT IS A WHOLE FINANCIAL QUARTER!!!  THAT RECOMMENDED LINK ABOVE HAS DONE ABSOLUTELY ZERO FOR THREE MONTHS!!!

Since this was not resolved, had a choice, switch all of my clients back to gmail, or find a solution within microsoft.  I tried to set up a custom domain with Office 365 Business as a test, and found that if you point your domain's mx record to office 365, you can't manage mail server settings like a normal mail server.  The only way to set up additional email address on your custom domain is to purchase an entire user account for $16 per month.  Are you high? Nobody is going to pay $16/mo for an email address.

So, the Office 365 option was out.

Therefore, my only option is to point my domains' mx records to someone other than live.domains.com (e.g. POP.GMAIL.COM), then I can happily receive email in a single Outlook.com account from as many addresses as I want, by routing it through their competitor.  However, in order to do so, I have to change my primary Microsoft Account email, because it is on the same domain as some other emails that I want to check (e.g. *** Email address is removed for privacy *** and *** Email address is removed for privacy ***, etc), so, I'll have to setup an @outlook.com email, just to use Outlook.com and Office 365 and my Microsoft Account, in order to check multiple email addresses at my custom domain.

This will, however, make me have to wait for syncing via pop, in order to receive mail, and given the war between Microsoft, Google, and Apple, I doubt Google will point mx records to Microsoft for much longer.

Additionally, setting up that @outlook.com email as my Microsoft Account primary email messes up all my microsoft services.  My mail apps on windows8, surface, and phone8 will then sync with an email address that I don't even use (the @outlook.com email).

So, this begs the question.  Why would I go through all this trouble in order to use Outlook.com or Office 365 or any other Microsoft Service?

I don't think I will.

I've sent in a request to fix this issue several times to multiple departments.  I've even found a phone number for microsoft (which is a major task), but the people who answered in Malaysia don't seem to have much pull with the Microsoft's decision makers or its shareholders.

Apparently, end users don't have any pull either (at least, that's what Microsoft seems to erroneously think)

Prove me wrong.  Respond to this thread with action on this issue.

If not, I am moving all of my clients back to Google services, and will have to apologize to all of them for making the stupid mistake of recommending Microsoft products 2 years ago.

Boy it was a hassle giving Microsoft a second chance.  There will be no third.