AfterDawn: News

Microsoft updates Xbox 360 warranty

Microsoft has once again made some changes to the Xbox 360's warranty. Back in December they boosted the console's warranty from 90 days to a full 365. However, these new changes fill in any gaps that the warranty service was lacking before.

The first of the new changes is in shipping. Microsoft will send you a prepaid postage box to return your console to the repair center whether you are in warranty or out.



Customers are still responsible for repair costs if your console is out of warranty but when Microsoft sends you back a repaired console it will come with a fresh one-year repair warranty.

Another exciting warranty addition is faster repair service. Microsoft has committed to repairing and shipping your broken console within five business days. Microsoft also plans to add more Xbox customer care representatives and is bulking up its on-site technical support facilities.


Source:
Dailytech

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 3 Apr 2007 7:41

• Previous article

• DFC wants to help organize students against RIAA abuses

• Next article

• PlayStation 3 sales plummet in UK

• 23 comments

• rihgt682

  It took them this long to make this happened. And they should be done fixing with all the problems by now.

  3.4.2007 08:21 #1

• handsom

  Unfortunately; they're not.
  
  From a customer service standpoint, the *repairs* and customer care departments seem to be doing everything within their power; but they can't do anything to help what was bad manufacturing to begin with...
  
  I'm dissapointed in the way this is dragging out, I'm a big fan of the xbox franchise; but I'm slowly waivering back to my old Nintendo roots because of ths fiasco.

  3.4.2007 09:15 #2

• jab1981

  Fiasco? I'm still running strong on my launch 360. I have no way of knowing the number but no matter what product you're talking about some of them are going to be faulty. I've gone through 2 PS2s and over 5 iPods. That's not to say they were "fiascos" though in the iPod's case perhaps that's warranted.
  
  Microsoft is owning up to a small percentage of defective units, but I'd wager these types of warranties are more to ease the mind of confused scared consumers such as yourselves. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch some videos on my perfectly functioning launch 360.

  3.4.2007 10:19 #3

• hade

  Quote:Microsoft is owning up to a small percentage of defective units, but I'd wager these types of warranties are more to ease the mind of confused scared consumers such as yourselves. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch some videos on my perfectly functioning launch 360.
  you don't add more CR and bulk up your tech facilities when there is only a "small percentage" of defects. i think they realize the problems that lay ahead and they all stem from their botched launch units. its a nice move but too bad they didn't offer current owners some discount or incentive to buy the "elite." but then again that may suffer from the same problems the original 360 did so im not sure how beneficial that would really be. oh well, nice on their part.

  3.4.2007 10:36 #4

• muccione

  Originally posted by jab1981:Fiasco? I'm still running strong on my launch 360. I have no way of knowing the number but no matter what product you're talking about some of them are going to be faulty. I've gone through 2 PS2s and over 5 iPods. That's not to say they were "fiascos" though in the iPod's case perhaps that's warranted.
  
  Microsoft is owning up to a small percentage of defective units, but I'd wager these types of warranties are more to ease the mind of confused scared consumers such as yourselves. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch some videos on my perfectly functioning launch 360.
  I'm on my 3rd 360. I also got mine on the launch day, and I went through 2 PS2s, I'm still on #1 for the PS3 that I also got on launch day. I was smart and bought the extended warranty because I know new tech has problems, (even vehicles). Spend a few extra bucks and buy piece of mind, If my systems freeze just one time I send it back with out hesitation. The sad story is that my PS3 have no extended warranty to buy. I wish it did, like I said piece of mind is very cheap

  3.4.2007 11:05 #5

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by handsom:Unfortunately; they're not.
  
  From a customer service standpoint, the *repairs* and customer care departments seem to be doing everything within their power; but they can't do anything to help what was bad manufacturing to begin with...
  
  I'm dissapointed in the way this is dragging out, I'm a big fan of the xbox franchise; but I'm slowly waivering back to my old Nintendo roots because of ths fiasco.agreed MS what where you thinking....if you did a recall you not only would have saved face but managed to not have to double your service depo and X5 the warranty 0_o

  3.4.2007 12:25 #6

• Gradical

  i know what happened was fkd up, is should know i have my 360 whith the ring of dead for the past 3 months, but now that i can send it to get fixed and have that warranty, at least now i know its not all lost, and thats all i care

  3.4.2007 16:27 #7

• handsom

  @jab1981
  
  If you're keeping up on things with this; you'll know you're a minority in the fct that your launch system is functioning. If you've been keeping up on this and haven't switched out your launch system while under warranty, you've probably made a very expensive mistake; because with the number of units left working from launch it would've been smart to replace your unit while still under warranty. But I'm not going to hurl insults because I made the same mistake. I was in your minority until roughly one month ago. Retailers are widely stating almost a 100% defective rate from launch systems at this point. I personally think it's much lower, around 70%, but my number would be considered VERY conservative in M$' favor. A couple retailers have even come out and said it straight out. Other reports have been from employees at store level for chains such as Gamestop.
  
  Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan, I love the systems; but the fact is a vast majority of launch systems have died at this point, and they're not even a year and a half old, that's a bad sign. M$ owned up to a small percentage at first, but then stopped discussing numbers quickly as the problem escalated with time, and they started ramping up warranties. That small percentage was literally released within the first month of launch, and has since changed drastically, unfortunately M$ isn't about to make those numbers publicly available, because they want to save some face.
  
  From a pencil pushers perspective, it looks better to extend warranties and keep DOA numbers quiet, then to publicly recall thouands of systems that you know are probably defective. It's a no-brainer, even if it were actually 100%, they would still probably not do a recall, because this way, they spread the problem out and make it look really minimal in comparison to the reality.
  

  Professional Grade Glass Etching - Get your favorite Game/Movie/Anime logos etched into glass, PM me for info.

  3.4.2007 17:01 #8

• perodot

  what are some of the problems going on with the 360 sometime when im playing it it cuts off and tells me to clen the disk but i havent taken it out of the system from the time i bought the game

  3.4.2007 17:09 #9

• starchy

  how much is the warrenty for a store because i heard MS warrentys are anoyying beyond belief

  3.4.2007 20:28 #10

• alphabit

  My 360 lasted 17 weeks before the red ring of death and error codes . I bought extended warranty @Walmart and they still refused to take it back (or exchange).I ended up with 3 assistant managers calling the store manager all this while I am telling them to call their district manager, a big line of people behind me ( I even had the receipt)Then I told them to"start writing employee#'s and names because I am taking them to court" "Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed" they have outside their store written in letters a foot tall. After 45 minutes of this they exchanged my 360 and for now I am happy.
  P.S. Microsoft support said if I have receipt bring it back to Walmart. Walmart said "send it back to Microsoft".And I said "I didn't buy it from Microsoft,I bought it from Walmart", And the extended warranty people said "it wasnt their deal until the OEM warranty was over"..Would I do it again? you bet I would.. Just not from Walmart.

  4.4.2007 01:19 #11

• plazma247

  Oh My Gawsh,
  
  In the uk we have the sales of goods act which a says that the item should maintain full functionality for a reasonable period, although this has been taken as upto as much as 5 - 6 years in some court cases, most retailers work on 12 months.
  
  Being that as a minimum reasonable period that a device sould last as its useful life.

  4.4.2007 02:29 #12

• 21Q

  this is awsome, maybe i should get the elite

  4.4.2007 03:16 #13

• rahula

  About time MS has improved some warranty issue. MS extended the warranty because of manufacturer problem. They dump that manufacturer now and will go with other manufacturers for newer 360. My launch one died a week ago and MS wants $140 to repair my system. The truth is mine was modded (firmware hacked) so it already void the warranty. Most local tech guys can do heat gun method to repair ring of dead issue but heat gun fix is just temporary. The best way is just buy extended warranty and go back to bestbuy and trade in with new one instead of going through MS repair and warranty issue.

  4.4.2007 06:15 #14

• starchy

  How much is the extended warrenty

  4.4.2007 06:29 #15

• rahula

  Its vary by the merchant. Circuit city and bestbuy charged around $40 for two years. If you want to buy more coverage the price may go up a little bit but way cheaper than MS repair cost.

  4.4.2007 08:40 #16

• starchy

  Can I buy it at walmart and go to bestbuy for the warrenty i heard walmart is bad

  4.4.2007 09:16 #17

• muccione

  Originally posted by starchy:Can I buy it at walmart and go to bestbuy for the warrenty i heard walmart is badahhhh NOOO
  
  Just buy it at Best Buy its the same price for the system

  4.4.2007 09:46 #18

• spydah

  Well for the few that said they have had their 360 working since launch your considered a dinosaur where I'm from because so far like 30+ people i play games with on xbox live and include my brother and myself we all replaced ours like 2 or more times. Also no company beefs up a warranty if theres only a few people they simply get pushed to the side until a large number of people complain which is why they put the warranty up to a year unless its some major issues going on and they cant control them.

  4.4.2007 11:21 #19

• navsav

  Hey if you have a modded xbox your warranty is void - i know that. but will MS still fix the unit for a fee?

  4.4.2007 14:50 #20

• starchy

  muccione-
  no not for me i get a 10% discount at walmart so i dont really have to pay tax is what it comes down too, is the walmart warrenty bad good or what
  
  last resort is bestbuy or gamestop

  4.4.2007 15:14 #21

• rahula

  Originally posted by navsav:Hey if you have a modded xbox your warranty is void - i know that. but will MS still fix the unit for a fee?yap. MS will fix it if you didnt say anything about modding.I didnt say that mine was modded but they asked me when did I get it. mine was launch one and already over a year.

  4.4.2007 19:00 #22

• tkarenko

  I'll just tell you what I have experienced. I bought mine from Walmart 5 weeks after launch (01/06) because I had nagged them on the phone enough that they told me when to come in (day and time) as that was when they were to get the next shipment sinbce launch. So, I was in the store when they brought out 6 units. I got unit 5 which was a core system but I had already bought the hdd, wireless, 2nd controller, etc. as my launch day web deal fell through (oversold). This January, I put in my 65" plasma, bought the hd cable and switched it over to hi-def. Wow. 1 week later I had the codes and ring of death. I was 2 weeks out of the extended 1 yr warranty they gave out last year. :( I called Xbox support Wednesday afternoon with my info in hand and within 30 minutes, had my RMA number. I used my own, plain brown box that they suggested I use so nobody would lift the unit during shipping. You keep anything that can be plugged in or snapped on. Even the faceplate you keep. Thursday I was at UPS and overnighted the thing at my cost to Texas. They had it the next day. By the following Thursday, I had the unit back. 1 week total. Even though I was out of warranty, no charge. My cost was the shipping down there. They repaired it as the serial number did not change. My unit sits 3 inches off the floor on a bookshelf. The power brick lays on the carpet behind with nothing around it. Keep both pieces well ventilated. I consider this to have been a launch unit based on the date I got. It gets packed up and travels to my son's friends houses when they have mulitple consoles attached during game parties. I have a Dreamcast, Xbox, 360, PS2 and Wii. You can keep the overrated and overpriced PS3. I'm waiting for this summer when the 360 with the smaller/cooler chipset arrives and will have all of the elite add-ons to get another one. You can't beat MS with their Xbox Live. Nothing compares to it. To watch my son play (while talking of course) with friends who are a mile away, in Canada, the UK, LA and NYC is amazing. All with no or very little lag at times. The amount of data being pushed over the cable line is mind boggling. MS has it problems and I deal with it every day with my work but there are some things they do well. The console issue had its manufacturing issues, true. Seems $ony had some similar production issues with the PS3 if I heard right.
  
  And to shell out $$$ for a PS3 because it will play all your PS2 games only to find out it won't, well the next time you buy a car "with" air conditioning, when you drive away and all you got was a 12 volt fan plugged into you cigarette lighter with a note attached saying "sorry, coming soon", then you can be ticked off.
  
  So, now that my repaired unit is good for another 12 months (less 3), I'm fine with that.
  
  As with any electronic equipment, keep it clean and dust free. Dust will kill your gaming console, PC, whatever. Just treat it right.
  
  Geez, I feel better now...

  5.4.2007 13:30 #23