I don’t really feel like writing a bunch of prose here, so I’m just going to list the facts as to why my experience with microsoft’s Xbox 360 support has sucked thusfar.
Late August, my console gets the three red lights of death (yeah, dead rising). So I call up 8004MYXBOX and they say that I’m out of warranty (I had a launch console) and that it would be $120 to repair it. I decline deciding it’s not _that_ important to me right now and I can wait a few paychecks to repair it.
Mid September, it’s announced that 2005 consoles are being awarded with an extra years worth of warranty, horrah. I call in and they send out a box for me to send my 360 back in (Microsoft Case# 1018624847).
October 11th, they send my 360 back to me (ups tracking #: 1Z05W3581204757459). I get it back on the or around the 16th. I open the box and plastic parts start falling out. It seems that UPS dropped the xbox from a fair height (I’m guessing 3 to 4 feet) and have possibly irreparably damaged the console. I jump online and start a claim with ups.
October 24th, UPS updated my tracking number with this
AFTER THE DELIVERY WAS MADE, THE RECEIVER REPORTED THE PACKAGE WAS DAMAGED;ALL MERCHANDISE IS BEING RETURNED. UPS WILL NOTIFY THE SENDER WITH DETAILS OF THE DAMAGE
So I wait.
October 27th, My console arrives back at the repair center (MC Allen, TX), so I call ups. They claim that they sent the info and console to microsoft and I should call them to get any new info on the console. I give microsoft the benefit of the doubt and give them another week.
November 6th, I call microsoft support and after waiting for close to 45 minutes I’m transferred to a “supervisor” sometimes called “tier 2”. Anyway, he takes in my whole store, takes my tracking number and claims he’s on it, and expects me to be sent my, or a new console within 8 business days. He also advises me that it shouldn’t happen, but if I don’t get anything to call back after 8 business days.
November 17th, (possibly 16th, it’s a little fuzzy) I call in and a representative tells me that “Taylor” emailed the repair center for photos of the damage. I’m asked to wait, but that I’m assuredly going to get a callback.
20th to 22nd of November, I call in multiple times and I get less than knowledgeable representatives that get very confused and sometimes very frustrated when I try to explain my plight. Each time I give them the same case number, but they for some reason can’t put all the events together. At one point I was told to call UPS and get a tracking number for my console because it was “on it’s way back to you”. I asked the rep if they knew that I can’t call UPS for a tracking number, they will only talk to you if you HAVE a tracking number. At that she hurried me off the phone saying “I’m sorry sir we have no updates for you”.
hold on… *sigh*, ok lets continue.
27th of November, I get a call from a woman to verify my address because there was “some confusion”. I verify, she is cordial, and we end the call. It seems as if I’m to expect a delivery!
1st of December, A different woman calls to AGAIN verify my address. I do, then I ask “Should I expect something because I got a call on monday to verify my address and now you are”. She says “Sorry, they didn’t create a ticket on monday, I am doing that now, here is your new case number: 1024861979”. But my experience thusfar made me ask my next question “Do you see the notes on this account, my xbox has been at your repair center since october”. She replies “Yes, we have a lot of units at the repair center and we’re trying to get them all sent out, you should get something in two to three business days” rejoice!
7th of December, I’m skeptical. Nothing has arrived, I dread the worst. So I call up customer service and get a nice woman named Allison who takes all my info. I then relate my entire story and she says “I’m sorry I would like nothing more than to find out what’s happening with your console, but our system is undergoing an update, I’ll get all the notes together and enter them into your case as soon as I can get back in. So if you call back in two hours and give them your case number they should be able to get you the information you need.” Double dutch. From experience I know that if I call after work I get the lame reps. Ah well, I thank her and go back to work.
Later that evening, I call back expecting the utter worst. After relating a subset of my troubles and my latest case number my friendly friend from not america tells me he needs to get a supervisor. hold hold hold, ring ring. OH! a new friendly friend, cool, but not a supervisor. My call must have dropped. So I again relate my subset of woes and my new dude “David” (I’m sure) says he needs to get a supervisor. hold hold hold. “David” comes back and relates that a “typographical” error was made on my account and they are updating the repair center’s records. I’m then advised to call back in two business days (December 12th) then I’m hurried off the phone.
…
That was about an hour ago, I’ve been patient, I’ve been kind. I haven’t raised my voice. I haven’t pressured them into a “You’ll lose a customer for this”. I just want my xbox back. At this point I’m akin to get ANYTHING back. How is it that this guy not only gets a replacement xbox, but a free game after his gets RAN OVER?! I mean, a “typographical” error. They have got to have a NOVEL of information from all the people that have touched my issue. Leh sigh. Maybe I should call and tell them I ran over it, so I get a new one.. Major Nelson told me so.
!Update! December 8th, I got my original 360 back, still totally broken. And NOW it won’t even turn back on.
You should send this in to CNN.com (i.e. some big news company). This is ridiculous. I just sent my Xbox 360 in to the repair center about 2 weeks ago. I also received the 3 red lights, and awaiting to receive my 360 back. I hope I do not receive the same experience. But if I do, I will waste no time to let as many people as I know about it.
This is really bad man i dont know if ur in UK or US but i would contact the office of fair trading or the equal service in yuor country i have had lots of trouble with them also getting passed through to inida to people who dont understand english
this is bad any updates about it ?
No new updates really, I gave in and bought a 360 Core since I had all the components already. And handed off the busted console to a friend who’s profession is in IT, and ‘ejoys’ dealing with RMAs. He hasn’t had a chance to take any action.
Well thats one way of doing it but its not realy fair mine has been gone a week on my second system so fingers crossed i get a new one back if not hope it wont break lol any way good luck dude
i need full adress of that mcallen texas support center i need to send my xbox back thanks for ur help
I know how you feel, my Xbox 360 took at least a month starting when it broke and called them to get it fixed and when I got it back, its very stressful to go through with something like this when you just want to play a game on it and not have to worry about anything breaking.
Thats terrible dude, I was fearful when mine broke a week ago having read so many horror stories (one guy going through 11 of them) but thankfully I already got it back after just 6 days, completely fixed with an apology notice and a free month of Xbox live. I also noticed its humming much quieter then it was before (I got the the same console I sent off repaired and sent back) and quite frankly I’m astounding how well I was taken care of. The Major Difference between you and me? Well, I’m guessing Microsoft Australia is honoring its legal obligation and taking better care of its customers. I will also add that Australians get something called an ‘Implyed’ warranty which means every time we buy something its illegal for the manufacturer to not repair or replace the item so it works the way it supposed to. Anyways, I’m glad you found peace with the core, hopefully it lasts this time 😉
Hey I know just what its like to go through all the stress of the repair on a 360. I got mine last Christmas and after about 3 months I had to send it in for repair, that took a month for them to fix that one. So after that I was able to play for about 2 maybe 3 more months and guess what, the refurb 360 they sent had the same issue as my first one. It couldn’t read any disc I put in it. So now we are yet another month of repair. So out of about 7 months or so, I have about 5 of playing. Here I am today, and I have bad news, the last 360 they sent me is doing the same thing again. Now I follow all “recomended” guidelines for my 360, in an open space, clean, sturdy connections, you all know the list of things to check. Well god only knows what the problem is. So today I requested my 3rd repair. So in about a week when I get that box, I will be without my Xbox 360 or my HD DVD player, all the money spent on games and HD DVD’s … pointless for lets hope at most yet another month. It is so frustrating, I am tempted to dump Xbox and get a PS3 because from what I have seen and heard, they have nothing near the 30+ percent failure rate that the Xbox does. It upsets me because I am a avid fan of Xbox and all of it’s games over Play Station, but I would rather get my moneys worth than be stuck with a continuously broken product. What do ya’ll think?
I know your pain man, i bought my original 360 in March 07, replaced it once at the stor for “dirty disc error” sent my 2nd unit to xbox for repair for dirty disc error, got a new one back and less then a week later send it back for repairs because video was out, 2 days after i got that unit back from repair center it was still broke, sent it back and they sent me a refurbished one, that one lasted about 3 weeks red lights of death, that one was replaced with a refurbished unit that started doing dirty disc errors within 30 mins of getting it. So in all I have had my 360 replaced 5 times (6 total xbox 360’s if you count my original) and sent it in to the rapair center 5 times in 7 months. Now i am to wait for a phone call from an xbox special repair supervisor so they can work out what needs to be done to handle my problems….ohh yea i build computers for a living so my 360 doesn’t ever move and is well taken care of.
I was almost beginning to feel sorry for myself……
My first 360 went three red rings long ago. It was a bummer being away from online friends for a month or so. I too bought a second 360, and wouldn’t you know it……yeppy, three red rings of death again.
I was a bit miffed at microsoft the first time around, because I called them, was very civilized, and that was that. One of my online friends who sent his in just a bit before me, called and ranted and yelled and screamed, so they sent him a free 360 game. I don’t get it…..So if I’m mean to them I get better service? This is supposed to make sense right?
I wasn’t mean this second time around, but I have to admit it’s frustrating not having your console when you’re accustomed to playing on the thing daily. If I was going to punish a gamer, I mean really punish him; I’d tell him he had to lose his console for a few weeks. Wouldn’t that suck? Yeah I know.
deelu
If your console was damaged in shipment that should have been the responsibility of UPS, looks like they passed the buck.
Whoa i feel bad for you… im scared because my 360 should be here by now :9
I sent mine out almost 3 weeks ago and apperently im suppose to get a call from an “english-speaking” supervisor tomorrow. The trick is the faster you call and talk to a manager the faster you get your xbox back. Taking into account where you live and what the problem is with it. I think ill be gettting a refurb too. Sorry about your troubles and good luck with the new one!
I like the CNN idea, you should send it into CNN
I bought my console in september of 2006, it lasted until tuesday last week and finally got the red lights of death, I was so pissed, just as the two pre -orders I have been waiting for are coming out (fable2 and Fallout3) I have heard the horror stories myself, took my friend 1 month and 1 week to receive his console back. I notified xbox online and had a box sent out, it got here Friday last week, I boxed my xbox 360 up added extra bubble wrap too. and sent it back same day i received the box. I also included a note, on my wife’s kitty cat pink paper for the grocery list. The note was in hopes i could receive the same console back”if possible”. All I could find(in a hurry) Sent it off , it got there monday, But they told UPS to hold it for later delivery, I”m already thinking the worse!!! Next day however they accepted it, That same night, the send me a email telling me it was repaired and being sent back. They send UPS the shipping info… Two days later it’s updated and it’s on it’s way set for a Oct 20 delivery, 1 day before fable 2 comes out. My console was mint, no cosmetic damage, still has the plastic protecting the tray and the remote sensor. I can only hope i don’t get back some dinged up but working refurbished model, I pray, I’ll update the 20th, I did this with my wifes 3 fucking mths old wii, and got back a scratched refurbished dirty wii that worked… I wrote nintendo a very angry nasty letter. The good part, a mth after I sent that letter , nintendo wrote me back apollogized and sent a 2000 wii points card and two games. Didn’t make me feel any better about the console but did make me less angry.
I am also working on my 6th repair order. I’m so tired of this…. I waited 22hrs in wal-mart for the launch pro system with the chrome dvd face lol. It dies within the first year with video going out. Then the other 5 have been due to disc read errors with the exception of 1 time being sound stopped functioning correctly. I have the xbox all by itself on the end of an entertainment system so it is well ventilated and I also build computers for a living and know how to treat computer hardware. I’ve written them in WA and also agreed to pay any differences so that I can get a NEW system instead of a refurb that will continue to break within a years time….. sigh
I just sent my xbox a couple of days ago. According to the status report they already shipped it out, and its only been about 5 days. I guess it depends on your location and luck. And I’m sorry to say, but the calmer people never get the attention that the screamers get. Why do you think hollywood starts get all the publicity that they do? Unfortunately, society teaches us that being a pain in the ass gives you want you what. F everyone’s lives.