Xbox 360 Nightmare

[anonymo]

Here's the deal...

 

My best friend and I waited in line at 7am on November 22nd so that he could buy an Xbox 360. He managed to get one along with a bunch of games and when we finally finished rounding up a rogue copy of Perfect Dark Zero at around noon we returned to his place to play it for the rest of the day. We played for about 6 hours on the Tuesday and of course I returned the next day, the 23rd, to play some more. We got about 2 hours into playing when the Xbox died, we got the 3 red lights and shut it off. My buddy got right on the phone and called MS tech support, who told him that it was a hardware failure and that he would have to send it back to them in a box that they would provide through the mail.

 

Here's where the problems began. MS told him, at 6pm on November 23rd, that the box was being shipped, and should be there in a day or two (they told him it was going express post). Well, last week my friend obviously began to get antsy when the box still hadn't arrived by Monday. So he called them again, gave his confirmation # to the tech support people, and to his amazement they told him they had absolutely no record of his request. They gave him the number of their shipping company so he called them, gave them his address and again was told that his request did not exist. Now more than angry, my friend called MS again and demanded to talk to the supervisior. He explained what was going on and the supervisor told him that it was all a mistake and he would have his box there by the following business day (Tuesday).

 

So Tuesday comes and goes, so does Wednesday and on Thursday before going to mail the anthrax to Redmond, my friend calls MS again to see if he couldn't threaten them verbally any more...Hey guess what..."we have no record of your request or either of your confirmation numbers, although we can verify that they are the same type of confirmation numbers that we use." That obviously made him furious along with the tech supervisor being equally as useless as all the confirmation numbers they gave him. The supervisor went on to promise that the next box they sent out would not be forgotten, and when they did send him his new Xbox that it would include all the "latest features" (he originally bought the core system so he has no hard drive or headset).

 

So it's Tuesday, exactly 2 weeks after the launch and still no box. He got all his mail this morning and is very pessimistic about its arrival today. This has become so rediculous. If he were to try to return it to Best Buy to get a refund, they would instead direct him to MS as it is a defective unit and thats Best Buy's policy concerning items still under their manufacturers 90 day limited warrenty.

 

So what do you think he should do? Keep waiting for a box that may not even exist? Call them again and go through the same process? I'm unsure of how to go about this...I mean, why don't I start a company that sells high priced electronics, have them all be defective and then string my customers around with their warranty while I swim in the profits...I couldn't because I would be arrested for fraudulent business practices. So should I report this incident to the authorities? (remember I'm in Canuckia, so only fellow Canucks could answer this one)

 

Well thats the story...I hope no one gets too frustrated by it...

 

[Saris]

Sillies. People should've figured when they were buying a rushed, brand-new Microsoft product. I suggest you tell your friend to get a refund anyway he can, then wait for a revolution or PS3.

[Kilzugud]

yea had to return mine to microsoft also(still waiting for new one). oooo yea.... btw.....(this is a side note)

 

dont dare lay it flat or move it at all when the cd is spinnin. lol, lets just say...... its as destructive to the cd as a chainsaw.

[YoMamma]

Thats rediculous. Id just ask for my money back after all that trouble.

[anonymo]

Sillies. People should've figured when they were buying a rushed, brand-new Microsoft product. I suggest you tell your friend to get a refund anyway he can, then wait for a revolution or PS3.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah but with the PS3 now possibly pushed back to 07 and the revolution being as risky as the GC (cube, not coalition)...what is he to do with no console? (trust me, he needs it)

 

Oh and something I realized just this morning, the Nintendo Revolution is an interesting name...what is a revolution? it's "A single complete cycle of such orbital or axial motion." and as we all know...a complete cycle would be 360 degrees...coincidence? I think not!

[YoMamma]

Sillies. People should've figured when they were buying a rushed, brand-new Microsoft product. I suggest you tell your friend to get a refund anyway he can, then wait for a revolution or PS3.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah but with the PS3 now possibly pushed back to 07 and the revolution being as risky as the GC (cube, not coalition)...what is he to do with no console? (trust me, he needs it)

 

Oh and something I realized just this morning, the Nintendo Revolution is an interesting name...what is a revolution? it's "A single complete cycle of such orbital or axial motion." and as we all know...a complete cycle would be 360 degrees...coincidence? I think not!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

lol. Thats a funny connection you made there. I like it.

Yet, I think for Nintendo, the word 'Revolution' refers to their new 'revolutionary controller.'

Edited December 6, 2005 by YoMamma

[TheGeek]

Thats why i stick to computers.

That and i cant get use to the controlers

[Gond]

Ummmm...first mistake was calling MS...Just take it back to Best Buy and keep talking to people till they either exchange it or return it. That is why people buy from stores...for the convenience.

 

Remember...the customer is always right...that isn't always true but sure seems it in this case.

 

Oh, and as example. I bought a DirectTV DVR from Best Buy and it didn't work after a day. Took it back...got a new one...not even a question from them beyond "whats wrong".

 

Besides...with the mess up getting him a box back do you really think he would ever see a replacement XBox? If he does send it to them (like a crazy man) he should be sure to register it with a return receipt.

[JackieChan]

Typical. Microsoft sucks. Period.

[FroBoZZ]

Ok, all i am hearing about xbox 360 is that it is unreliable. I really want to get it for my birthday or christmas (both soon). I hear that the new series ofxbox 360's are coming out early january and that these are not going to break like these ones. Should i get one now or wait till january? Is everyones breaking?

[Vovik]

I played it for exactly one minute in Best Buy over the weekend. It was Call of Duty 2. The graphics are definitely better than previous console but they're NOT better than my pc and all those screenshots I've been seeing.

 

Furthermore, I played a big firefight where there was a bunch of smoke, and when I looked at it I could tell that framerates just PLUMMET...I mean that's just ridiculous, first you can't really play a fps game with the controller and on top of that there's lag with framerates? I'm never buying a new gen console.

[Brillow_Head]

I'm sure the customer service departement for the 360 is a completely new add-on to their customer support. (This = noobs at the helm) Also, I'm sure the company has been hit with more calls than they expected and are dropping/lossing RMA numbers, service orders, etc etc. (In short, they wern't ready) On top of that the 360 was rushed so they could get it into market before Xmas when the hardware obviously need more refinement both mechanically and electrically.

 

I do have to point out tho...

 

 

why don't I start a company that sells high priced electronics, have them all be defective and then string my customers around with their warranty while I swim in the profits...

 

the part about swimming in profit is not accurate. The hardware alone for the premium 360 package costs over $480 for MS to manufacture. They would then sell the units to retailers who would sell at a mark-up, meaning that they are selling to places like Best Buy and Circuit City for less than what the consumer pays. Basically MS it taking a hit greater than probably $100 just to get the Xbox into the stores.

 

This doesn't mean that MS is taking a loss. The system index is proably a .6 markup meaning the actual unit would cardex (material price) for about 1/3 of the total price (1/3 * $480 = $160) The total price you'd pay for it would be ~1/3 add on for taxes and idealy ~1/3 for profit. This means $160 toward the cost of the unit, $160 to pay in taxes, and $160 in proffit, totalling $480.

 

Say MS is lossing $100 for every unit they ship, this leaves only $380 for MS to draw from meaning $160 for cost, $160 for taxes, leaving only $40 profit.

 

Now take the increased cost of shipping, processing, and repair time of all the units that are comming back cause they released an unstable product. In the long run its going to dig into that proffit margin pretty hardcore.

 

Bottom line, MS needs to sell a huge amount of these to recoup the cost...hence one of the reasons for comming out before PS3 and Rev...get a bigger market share.

 

I hope the 360 plummits and vanishes like the dreamcast...MS should know better than to do business this way.

[Kilzugud]

i believe the hit is $160 if you wanted to be precise.

[FroBoZZ]

Ya, MS losses tons of money on all of there game systems. The only reason they profit is because of their games: Halo 2. Oh wait, thats only one game and it sucked

[Kruten]

Ya, MS losses tons of money on all of there game systems.  The only reason they profit is because of their games: Halo 2.  Oh wait, thats only one game and it sucked

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What evil program is that installed on your computer?

[FroBoZZ]

Evil program? You mean my mind? I meant the only way they profit from their game hardware, not any of their other products

[Kruten]

Evil program?  You mean my mind? I meant the only way they profit from their game hardware, not any of their other products

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oh. EVIL!!!

[FroBoZZ]

Indeed!!!!

[EbilDustBunny]

ouch sorry to hear... i still need to call MS myself after my finals or maybe tomorrow? hmm anyways i got the 2 red lights... aka overheating. Yeah I can only get about 30 mins of multiplay before it goes down.

[Vovik]

ouch sorry to hear... i still need to call MS myself after my finals or maybe tomorrow? hmm anyways i got the 2 red lights... aka overheating. Yeah I can only get about 30 mins of multiplay before it goes down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Is this stuff for real? There are lights that tell you something is overheating or not working? That's just ridiculous.

[FroBoZZ]

It seems as though trying to play the xbox 360 will break it. What a fragile piece of hardware. I would be afraid of breaking it in two

[EbilDustBunny]

ouch sorry to hear... i still need to call MS myself after my finals or maybe tomorrow? hmm anyways i got the 2 red lights... aka overheating. Yeah I can only get about 30 mins of multiplay before it goes down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Is this stuff for real? There are lights that tell you something is overheating or not working? That's just ridiculous.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yeah... lol the red location of the red lights on the ring means different things.

[Saris]

New feature in the Xbox 360!: Lights that indicate when your system will break down! Great for RPGs when you need to save your work before the actual game crashes! An ideal to way to steadily watch as your system swiftly reaches meltdown temperature and crashes through the floor to the room below! Only from the Xbox 360!

 

I agree with Brillow. This is a blow that Microsoft did not need, and it's only going to further shake the beliefs of XBox gamers that created the foundationds of Xbox being better than PS2/Gc - the hardware. Now, having come out early, it's gonna be trumped by the better hardware of PS3/revolution as well as the better software. This is why I was so surprised to suddenly hear one day that the XBox 360 was less than a week away when I still thought it wasnt until 07 - I knew something along the lines of this was going to happen.

[*BiGBonES**]

don't worry about microsoft making a loss its nothing they can't handle.

[anonymo]

why don't I start a company that sells high priced electronics, have them all be defective and then string my customers around with their warranty while I swim in the profits...

 

the part about swimming in profit is not accurate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sorry...that was kinda misleading...I'm not trying to say that MS is swimming in the profits of the 360, I'm just saying that they are violating their own manufacturer's warranty...and at the end of the day any company that does this type of thing in numbers is violating laws against proper business practices (at least up here), ie something one could make a killing doing if it weren't illegal, so why is MS getting away with it even on a smaller scale? (i guess thats my point)

 

And to all those who keep referencing any Sony product or are making fun of the 360 for their brilliant system of lights...what if your computer only loaded programs (games, apps etc...) and when you had a problem, which you have to admit happens regularly with any PC, you got nothing but an error screen...you'd freak out!...now the PS2 didn't have a system to troubleshoot problems and regardless of what you may think, they malfunctioned aswell (my xbox never malfunctioned, my friend who is going through this had 2 PS2's die on him)...now I'm unaware of what kind of system the PS3 is going to use, but I see no exterior system of warning lights...as well, I am unaware of what kind of operating system Sony plans on implementing into the PS3, but I know what the PS2's was like, and that's exactly why I bought an Xbox...hey, I'm still optimistic though...I can still see the PS3 implementing a half decent operating system...but I have to say, it will be a saving grace (especially with how good the 360's operating system works)

 

As for what Call of Duty 2 looked like in the smoke and the heat of a firefight I saw no slow down whatsoever, I played 4 player Perfect Dark Zero and saw no slowdown

 

Another thing I realized has been left out are the load times of the 360 games, while PDZ was by far the longest of all the games I played, the load times killed the Xbox's load times, I'd love to see how fast original Xbox games load on it...again if the PS3 solves the load time problem from the PS2 then I guess I'm on board...

 

Edit: I need to stop ranting so much...

Edited December 7, 2005 by anonymo