Thanks for the input chaps!
Indeed, it is for free
and it is a pain to start using another service, but at the moment it's about as useful as a chocolate teapot….A week ago a home where I was staying gave me this problem, using the kind neighbours wifi all was normal. Also different cafes gave different results. Most frustrating.
The amount of info that M$ want to reset the account is, for me, too intrusive and so it would seem that, like others, I either put up or move on.
SHJ