This whole ordeal started at the end of March, I located on a forum that I visit an Xbox 360 for sale with the red rings of death. I understood that there was a chance that the sticker would be removed and Microsoft would be unwilling to repair it, but I looked into it and the warranty had never been voided and everything was good. I received my 360 from the person that I purchased it from, and all seemed to be well. I called Microsoft's Xbox Repair line the moment that I received the console, I spoke with a gentlemen there and was informed that despite that I had bought it second-hand everything would be alright and the console could be repaired no problem. I was overjoyed, my purchase of $65 seemed to be a godsend. After that, I received the box to ship the console back to Microsoft and sent it away immediately. The service center received the console on April 5th, again, everything seemed to be flowing smoothly. I noticed something weird when on Apr 10th, I received an email from the service center saying that I had never sent the console, I doublechecked the UPS tracking number from the box and saw that it did indeed arrive and wondered what was going on. I checked their website, service. Xbox.com and found the status had not been updated; I was concerned, no information had changed and everything seemed like it didn't happen and so I called their service department.
The first time that I called Microsoft, they told me that they had indeed received the Xbox and it was under repairs. Feeling elated, I dismissed it as just technowizardry not working the way in which it was supposed to and went along. I waited until 4/18 to call again, not having heard anything back from Microsoft and not seeing the website ever updating was cause for concern. I spoke with a representative there, whom this time could not find any information about the console. I gave him my reference #, and nothing had ever been updated in the system despite what the first agent had told me. I started to get a bit upset at this point, things were starting to get kind of sketchy. The agent ended the conversation by telling me that he knew nothing about anything that was going on, and they would have to contact the actual service center. The agent then informed me that there would be a 3-5 business day wait until the service center replied and then they would know more. I asked the agent why there would be such a long wait to which he gave the eloquent answer of, "I don't know." He seriously said, "I don't know." I pushed further, to which his only response was that he honestly had no idea how the system worked. After speaking to a supervisor and receiving the exact same answer, I was frustrated. It appeared that in some strange twist of feline quantum mechanics, I had been sold Schrodinger's Xbox.
I called the service center again on 4/23, figuring that would be plenty of time for them to locate the console and figure out what's going on. The agent whom I spoke with that day was kind enough, she never gave me an answer of I don't know but instead was never even able to locate the order in the system. I gave her the repair number, which she could not find and I gave her the UPS tracking number (which as of right now, still works). The order was again escalated to the repair center and I was told that it would be taken care of. She informed me that I was likely to receive my console this week and nothing would be wrong, they had just not yet determined whether to send me a new console or repair the old one. Again, Microsoft lead me to believe that everything was okay. During this entire time, I had made no mystery of the fact that the console was purchased second hand.
Yesterday, on 5/02, I had not received my console. I had received no word from Microsoft, and no contact. Again, I contacted the repair center. I spoke with a gentlemen there, and was informed that they had again received no information as to the whereabouts of the console. He informed me that it had been "esclated to the highest level" and that a supervisor would be calling me within the next 24 hours. Despite being angry, I agreed that this would be okay. 24 hours later, I had received no call. I called them. I originally spoke with an agent at the center with the pseudonym of Louise, he found that the service center had finally responded but escalated the call to a supervisor. The supervisor, Jose, proceeded to inform me that the Service center was now requesting a proof of purchase from me and if they did not receive it they would be returning the console unrepaired. I was livid. I had made no secret that the console was purchased second hand, being so far as to be outright about it at the first call. I told Jose about what his original agent had told me, but he remained unpersuaded, I would be shafted and given a broken console in return. It took this department 28 days from the date of reception to go so far as to merely request a proof of purchase, I offered them the proof of purchase of secondhand but obviously, they would not accept this. I asked to speak to Jose's supervisor and was told that despite that they were indeed there, they did not accept calls and I would not be allowed to speak with them. I asked Jose if there was anybody else whom I could contact for an alternate opinion who would be above him, and was told that my only option was to call the service center again and hope to speak to another supervisor. I asked Jose for a list of information regarding the console and was denied. Jose made absolutely no effort to help, their entire company strung me around with absolutely no help. It took me 28 days just to get an answer from them.
28 days of being told that everything was okay, being told that repairs were underway. Because of this call center's approach, and their assurance that it was indeed being repaired, I went ahead and purchased games and accessories for the console none of which I will be able to use. As of right now, everything that I have purchased for the console is a total loss.
Microsoft's complete lack of customer service is a flagrant disregard for the responsibility which they as a large corporation hold. Their products will not be being recommended by me in the future.
Thanks for reading,
Nelson Jay Smith
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