In January my son's XBox 360 suffered the three blinking light problem. I was told by my local electronics store that Microsoft extended the warranty for this issue to 3 years since this was a problem with the consoles. My son's XBox was approximately 18 months old so it was still covered under this warranty.
I called the 1-800-4MY-XBOX (1-800-469-9269) repair center number and they told me that this is covered and that I would be sent a box either by UPS or Fed Ex to ship the console to them for repair. I did so. It took a little over a week to get the console back from Microsoft, which I didn't think was so bad.
Microsoft did not repair my son's console.instead, they sent a 'refurbished' console. However, this console did not work. It was no longer the three red blinking light problem. It was an issue with there being no picture on the tv screen. We tried this on several different tv's in our home and it did not work.
We made another call to the repair center to report this problem. They tried to work with me to try to see if it would work, but it was not going to work. It was not a working console apparently.
So, once again, they sent me a box through Fed Ex to ship the console back.
It only took a week for me to get another console shipped back to me. Unfortunately, this one did not work and I had the same problem as the last console. I talk to a supervisor who says that it should be taken care of now since this is going to be the third repair (including my son's original console).
They ship me another box and I send the XBox console in it. They they ship me back another console. This console had a different serial number than the last one. However, it still does not work.
Once again, I call the repair center back. I go through the same process. I ask to talk to a supervisor. Finally, after being on hold for awhile, I talk to someone who does not give me his last name. Just his first name. He tells me he will be handling it and this time the console should definitely work the next time it is repaired.
I go through the same process as before. They ship me a box by Fed Ex. I send the console back. A week or so later, I get another box from Fed Ex. It does not work either. I talk to a different supervisor who does not give me his name, either. He says that he is sorry for this inconvenience and they set up a new repair order. Again, they are going to ship me a box by Fed Ex and I am to send it back.
I received the latest "repair" May 14. It does not work.in fact, it is the same console, same serial number as the last one. I suspect that they just put this console into another box and shipped it back to me. I cannot believe anymore that anyone in the service center is actually working on these consoles.
Once again, I call the repair/support center on May 14. Both my husband and I speak to a representative at different times. My husband is trying to get the number of someone "higher up" in Microsoft. Eventually he tries to call the corporate office in Washington. He gets to several different departments and no one "deals" with that in any of those offices. Eventually he talks to someone in the sales department who understands the problem and sympathizes.
However, this person eventually just connects my husband back to the support center that we have been dealing with since January. They are going to send out another box for a repair and a supervisor was to call us back within 24-48 hours.
Today is May 19, and no one called us back. I have an email dated May 14 that says a box is to be shipped to me to send the console back. I still have not received this box from Fed Ex.
So I try calling another number I find on the Internet. After telling this person the issue, she ends up connecting me back to the 4MY XBOX number. Wonderful. So again I talk to someone there and tell them the problem. They connect me to a supervisor.
This supervisor listens to me and asks if I sent the console back for repair yet. I said no I haven't because I haven't gotten the box yet from FedEx. He tells me for some reason Fed Ex did not ship the box to me on May 15 like it should have been. Now I am scheduled to received it May 20.
So I am still scheduled for yet another repair. Why should this one be any different? These representatives never give you their last name or a phone number so you can call them back directly. Jose, who was the last one, told me that they do not have a direct phone number to call back. I have to go through the 4MY XBox number.
Jose also told me that he works for the support center. He said that he will send an email to the Service Center (where the console is sent and supposedly repaired) to let them know these problems. Every person I have talked to has told me they are going to do that.
So apparently there is a Service Center which deals with these repair issues. However, the Service Center is a different department and customers are not able to talk to them.
I have mailed back the surveys that Microsoft encloses with each console shipment. I have even sent an email to an address there - [email protected] and I have had no response from either. I have sent an email twice and still no response.
I don't think these representatives I talk to really care if we get our XBox 360 repaired or not. I don't think anyone in Microsoft cares. I really find it unbelievable that a corporation such as Microsoft handles its repairs this way. I have never had an issue with any other company regarding repairs or warranties. If they say it is under warranty it is. If they say they are going to repair it, they do. Never have I had to send something back this many times.
There is no one to talk to at Microsoft about this issue other than the "Support Center." So I am basically left to sending these consoles back until hopefully I get it resolved. There is no other choice. Either do that or give up and be out all of the money for the console and the money invested in the games for the XBox 360.
I highly doubt that I will ever buy anything again from Microsoft after this experience. I know I will certainly not be buying another gaming system made by Microsoft. I can't tell you the number of hours I've spent on the phone and waiting for the Fed Ex to come (because you have to sign when they send back the console). It is really becoming exhausting, but I refuse to be ripped off by this corporation so I will keep trying to find a way to resolve it. It's a matter of principle.
Lainey
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.
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