So I was turning on my Xbox today and it exploded.
Sparks shot out the side and power was lost. It won’t turn on at all. So I call Customer Service…
Nice fellow named Vince answers, he takes my information and chats me up a bit about what games I play, then he goes to transfer me to a supervisor “because of the nature of the problem”. I am disconnected.
Call back, a new guy this time. He sees that I’ve called and been dropped. Apologizes and connects me to a supervisor. 10 minutes later I’m talking to her. She apologizes like mad, “I’m so sorry, that should never happen. Are you alright?..” Blah Blah Blah. Then she plays cover-your-ass for five minutes and asks if I was hurt or if property was damaged. No. Well…nothing except the Xbox…
Then she gets down to business. Since I didn’t buy their 3-year warranty, it should cost me $107.17 to get it fixed. But she’s feeling guilty about the “incident” and offers me either:
50% off repairs, I still pay inbound shipping to Memphis to get it fixed.
or
25% off and they pay inbound shipping to Memphis.
I get my ticket number and the supervisor’s name and say I’ll let them know.
I’m not trying to hose Microsoft and claim injury and destruction, I just want my Xbox fixed. But damn it, the thing exploded, I want free repairs.
So, what do I do when I call back? Take the 50%? Take 25% and shipping? Ask them for the cash equivalent so I can get a PS2 for cheaper?
Sounds to me like this is the standard formula for these types of cases. They feign concern then ‘generously’ offer a discount to fix a faulty product. I would be interested in finding out what other xbox owners have experienced.
Try to find out what exactly happened with your console. You need to know where you stand. Don’t let them fool you into paying for repairs you shouldn’t have to.
I’ll second the ‘how long have you had the unit’ question.
You can’t expect anyone (Evil Empire or otherwise) to guarantee their product forever can you - that said, if you can prove faulty components/workmanship you’re entitled to some recompense, if not a free repair.
My experience of games consoles suggests that many lead HARD lives and sooner or later something is bound to give up tho - purely due to the sheer the number of ‘hard’ resets (turning off the plug not the switch) - knocks, bangs, moves, controller-throwing-moments etc.
I also think exploded was probably ‘Exaggeration of the Day’ - I think you meant "spat a couple of sparks and died without causing damage or injury to anyone or anything’ perhaps?
I doubt the legal profession well be interested unless you needed an Ambulance (that they could chase
Yeah, I understand the lies that some people and their lawyers claim in order to get rich at someone else’s expense. I do not include the OP in this as he specifically states he’s only trying to get the repair paid for.
Even if it wasn’t a full-blown explosion, when a computer spits out sparks, that is not just normal wear and tear. That’s not even abnormal wear and tear. It sounds to me like he should even be seeking punitive damages: Stuff shooting sparks in your living room is a fire hazard.
To all else: I’ve had the thing since Christmas of 2001.
As for wear and tear: Nothing violent or abnormal. I did disconnect it and take it to friends’ houses every once in a while. I put it in a checked bag for my recent move, but it worked fine after that and I never had a lick of mechanical trouble with it.
As for the scenario with the return/repair: When my parents bought my Xbox 2 years ago, they got the warranty from Circuit City that covers 2 years for mechanical defects (and I’d classify the sparking as a mechanical defect). So, fortunately, I am covered. They will refund the purchase price with a Circuit City giftcard (Yeah, they’re giving me over $300…hopefully).
I don’t want to sue anyone. I’m not out to cause trouble. I just want a working console.
Also, for those of you that might have a similar problem where you have no power and your game/DVD/CD is stuck inside: get a sturdy paper clip and push it repeatedly into the small hole below the CD tray. This rotates a gear that releases the tray. Weee.
