new 3 year warranty for 360 owners

jester1176

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From: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/petermooreletter.htm

Open Letter From Peter Moore
To our Xbox Community:

You’ve spoken, and we’ve heard you. Good service and a good customer experience are areas of the business that we care deeply about. And frankly, we’ve not been doing a good enough job.

Some of you have expressed frustration with the customer experiences you have had with Xbox 360; frustration with having to return your console for service after receiving the general hardware error message on the console.

The majority of customers who own Xbox 360 consoles have had a terrific experience from their first day, and continue to, day in and day out. But when anyone questions the reliability of our product, or our commitment to our customers, it’s something I take very seriously.

We have been following this issue closely, and with on-going testing have identified several factors that can cause a general hardware failure indicated by three flashing red lights on the console. To address this issue, and as part of our ongoing work, we have already made certain improvements to the console.

We are also implementing some important policy changes intended to keep you in the game, worry-free.

As of today, all Xbox 360 consoles are covered by an enhanced warranty program to address specifically the general hardware failures indicated by the three flashing red lights on the console. This applies to new and previously-sold consoles. While we will still have a general one year console warranty (two years in some countries), we are announcing today a three-year warranty that covers any console that displays a three flashing red lights error message. If a customer has an issue indicated by the three flashing red lights, Microsoft will repair the console free of charge -- including shipping -- for three years from the console’s purchase date. We will also retroactively reimburse any of you who paid for repairs related to problems indicated by this error message in the past. In doing so, Microsoft stands behind its products and takes responsibility to ensure that every Xbox 360 console owner continues to have a fantastic gaming experience.

If we have let any of you down in the experience you have had with your Xbox 360, we sincerely apologize. We are taking responsibility and are making these changes to ensure that every Xbox 360 owner continues to have a great experience.

This will take a few days to roll out globally, and I appreciate your continued patience as we launch this program. I’ve posted an FAQ that should address some additional questions, and we’ll update it over the next few days.

I want to thank you, on behalf of all us at Microsoft, for your loyalty.


Expanded Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage FAQ

Q: What are you rolling out that is new?
A: While we maintain our one-year console warranty (two years in some countries), Microsoft is extending the terms of its Xbox 360 warranty to three years for certain general hardware failures which are indicated by three flashing red lights on the console. This will apply to new and existing customers and we will retroactively pay back the out-of-warranty repair costs paid by customers for console problems indicated by the three flashing red lights.

Q: How does this warranty differ from your existing warranty?
A: Currently, any Xbox 360 is covered by a one year manufacturer’s warranty (two years in some parts of the world). If the console is out of warranty, there is a charge to have it repaired. It then comes with an additional one year repair warranty. With these changes, there is effectively a three year warranty with no charge for repair for general hardware failures indicated by the three flashing red lights error code which displays on the console.

Q: Is this effective worldwide?
A: Yes, these policies are global. The new policies are now being instituted in our customer service centers around the world, which may take a few days to fully implement.

Q: When does the policy change go into effect?
A: These new policies are now being instituted in our customer service centers around the world, which may take a few days to fully implement. They will apply to new and existing customers. For the latest information, customers should visit Xbox.com.

Q: Is there any health or safety issue at play here?
A: This is in no way related to any sort of product safety issue.

Q: Do I get a refund?
A: Yes, we will reimburse any customer who was out of warranty and paid for repairs due issues indicated by the three flashing red lights error message. Customer should expect to receive a check in 10-12 weeks.

Q: How does this affect my extended warranty bought from my retailer?
A: You’re still covered under your existing warranty for issues outside the scope of this specific three-year warranty.

Q: Have you identified a root cause that can lead to failure?
A: There is not a single issue that we can point to as being a problem. We test the product extensively, including accelerated life testing, but the nature of the console itself is very complex, as it’s a consumer electronic product that contains more than 1,700 different components and 500 million transistors.

There are a variety of scenarios that can cause a general hardware failure. Only the indicator (the three flashing red lights) is always the same.

Q: Who do I contact with further questions?
A: Please contact your local Xbox Customer Service (1-800-4-MY-XBOX in the US and Canada).
 
Oh wow. I know some friends that will be happy to get some money back. They still need to make some updates so the 3 rings don't pop up as much as they seem to.
 
Short of building a better box [crazy idea, huh?] or outwright admitting fault [legal issues] this is probably the best they can do. It's not ideal, but at least it makes it seem as though they care about the quality issues that have sprung up with the 360.
 
I'm still waiting for M$ to refund all of the my money. I paid $120 to get my console fixed and the first time they said they where sending refunds out I got $59. I called them and they said they would send me the other half. That was 8 months ago. :mad:

But this is definitely good for XBOX 360 owners.
 
WOW, now I have to say I'm impressed. I wasn't sure if I'd do it, but this cinches it for me: Once the price drops, I'm gonna get one again.

Way to go, MS.
 
I just read this, good news, at least they're doing something.
 
If anyone decides/deciding to push a class-action or similar suit still goes forward, they're just dishonorable bastards now. ;)

At least now its just down to an inconvinience, and you'll probably still be getting a refurb back, but hey, it's not costing you anything now.
 
Basically they are doing a silent recall so they won't hurt their reputation. Bet the problem will still be around though. Atleast they're doing something:)
 
Wow... that wasn't an easy decision to make:

Microsoft will take a $1.05 billion to $1.15 billion pre-tax charge to earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2007 for anticipated costs under its current and enhanced Xbox 360 policies.

Lot of respect for MS doing the right thing.
 
Wow... that wasn't an easy decision to make:

Lot of respect for MS doing the right thing.

I doubt they are doing it for the "right thing". I'm pretty sure the bean counters finally came out and said....it will be much much worse if we don't fix this now. My guess is the class action words were becoming much louder..the point of could not be ignored.
 
This is awesome of microsoft. Quit hating on their descision...they are doing the right thing to satisfy their customers and this descision was probably backed by people who have a genuine interest of the reputation of their product. This goes a long way for me.
 
My guess is the class action words were becoming much louder..the point of could not be ignored.
Most of the legal speak on this was that MS were fairly covered against class action because they were sticking to the rules. I personally think MS did this because it was starting to harm their sales. Either way... at the end of the day it was the right thing to do, for whatever reason.
 
Indeed, it's still the right thing to do regardless of intention. Though if their intention are good that'd be better due to the fact that they're listening to complaint and distress with concern rather than just trying to reinforce their future sales.
 
Bravo to MS for doing the right thing. The Xbox division continues to impress me with bold moves like this.

I think this also means that they found a fix for the problem. That additional heat sink picture that is floating around is probably a reality and MS wants to start retrofitting bad 360s to cure this problem.
 
I think they had to do this. It was either this, or face a class action suit which would not only cost them more money, but make them look even worse. Better to do the right thing on your own, than be forced to do it.

They made the right choice and I feel a bit more comfortable with my 360.
 
At least now its just down to an inconvinience, and you'll probably still be getting a refurb back

In the UK at least, MS will not give you a refurb, they will either fix the issues on your console or give you a brand new one. When i first got my box fixed, i questioned them about this and got the reply from several reps that there changed procedure now means "No refurbs".

The sales of good act in the UK states that a refurb is not good enough in cases where you have to pay, which is why i questioned them about it. In the end i didnt have to pay and got it free........for it to break about 6 weeks later lol.
 
Yay, now I can keep having them break for longer.

I'd now like them to do a press release and say "WE KNOW IT'S TOO F'ING NOISY"

Having to shout over the noise from the DVD drive obviously.
 
Indeed, it's still the right thing to do regardless of intention. Though if their intention are good that'd be better due to the fact that they're listening to complaint and distress with concern rather than just trying to reinforce their future sales.


Give me a break.Every company on Earth does that for good PR that drives future sales. Companies are made to make money period. Who cares why they did it its just they did it. Its a good thing. I wonder if Sony would have done the same thing??
 
Most of the legal speak on this was that MS were fairly covered against class action because they were sticking to the rules. I personally think MS did this because it was starting to harm their sales. Either way... at the end of the day it was the right thing to do, for whatever reason.

hell...the main reason i havent purchased a 360 is because i dont want to plop down $400 on something that is PROBABLY going to break within a year. that's just nuts.

this is a good step foward though. but until Microsoft flat out addresses what was specifically the cause of the RODs and other breakages, and SHOWS us the changes that have been made, then i'm still holding out. its nice knowing that if/when it breaks i'm covered, but i still wont be buying something that i know will break.

its like buying a POS Kia. its great that it has a 100,000 mile warranty.....but it has that warranty for a reason. you are going to use it.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7667

and if Microsoft confirms this change, along with the move to 65nm on the procs....i MIGHT take the plunge.
 
Look at it this way ASUDevil83. If they hadn't found the answer to the problem then they wouldn't have announced the warranty increase... that's just a simple case of economics. That said, it's still going to take some time for these machines to get to stores so in the short term you risk getting a machine that may one day need fixing.

Oh, and we know what Sony would do... they'd get taken to court in a class action over their lens problems with the PS2, lose and still not have to pay out even close to what this just cost MS. But the comparison is pointless, this is good for us, bad for Microsoft.
 
hell...the main reason i havent purchased a 360 is because i dont want to plop down $400 on something that is PROBABLY going to break within a year. that's just nuts.

this is a good step foward though. but until Microsoft flat out addresses what was specifically the cause of the RODs and other breakages, and SHOWS us the changes that have been made, then i'm still holding out. its nice knowing that if/when it breaks i'm covered, but i still wont be buying something that i know will break.

its like buying a POS Kia. its great that it has a 100,000 mile warranty.....but it has that warranty for a reason. you are going to use it.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7667

and if Microsoft confirms this change, along with the move to 65nm on the procs....i MIGHT take the plunge.

That's not necessarily true, I have friends with Kia's who've had them running for a long time. In fact, I have a friend who recently replaced her old Geo Metro with a Kia. Her Metro had--get this--319,000 miles on it, and the worst thing it ever needed was a couple of timing belts (about once per 100,000 miles, give or take). That was was a *tank* in terms of reliability :)

I still prefer my Toyota built Scion, of course, it's just a nicer car, plain and simple :)
 
A Hyundai has a 10 year warranty and it beats out toyotas and hondas in JD power rankings all the time. Bad analogy.
 
Yeah I don't think M$ did this out of the kindness of their hearts. I think it has something to do with all the retailers and articles stating a 30+% failure rate vs M$ saying 3-5%.
 
A Hyundai has a 10 year warranty and it beats out toyotas and hondas in JD power rankings all the time. Bad analogy.

A hyundai doesn't beat out Toyota's for reliability, LOL. Although I have to admit, the last few years they've gotten nicer. Still, I'll keep my new Scion, thanks. i tell you what, though, never buy a Daewoo. Made by GM from end to end, and boy can you tell. What a piece of trash. I was SO glad when my old Leganza was obliterated in the accident in May.
 
Yeah I don't think M$ did this out of the kindness of their hearts. I think it has something to do with all the retailers and articles stating a 30+% failure rate vs M$ saying 3-5%.

It's funny that that should matter at all. "Goodness of their hearts", LOL. The bottom line is that they're doing the right thing here, IMHO, which shows a pretty large amount of respectfor the consumer. That's what I like to see :)
 
I'm glad I didn't get an extended warranty in-store. Good move by MS!
 
A hyundai doesn't beat out Toyota's for reliability, LOL. Although I have to admit, the last few years they've gotten nicer. Still, I'll keep my new Scion, thanks. i tell you what, though, never buy a Daewoo. Made by GM from end to end, and boy can you tell. What a piece of trash. I was SO glad when my old Leganza was obliterated in the accident in May.

orly?

http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2006082

not in every category or class, but it happens, and ...that was the whole point of my response...that warranty does not equal bad product.
 
Give me a break.Every company on Earth does that for good PR that drives future sales. Companies are made to make money period. Who cares why they did it its just they did it. Its a good thing. I wonder if Sony would have done the same thing??

Not a nonprofit company, since they don't you know... make money >.> And I never said I cared if they did it from the goodness of their hearts or not. But I'm saying it would be better if it were if it was out of the goodness of their hearts since it shows that they aren't just hoping to make themselves look better. I'm not saying that they are or that I think that they are, but it would doubtlessly mean it'd be better.
 
Not a nonprofit company, since they don't you know... make money >.> And I never said I cared if they did it from the goodness of their hearts or not. But I'm saying it would be better if it were if it was out of the goodness of their hearts since it shows that they aren't just hoping to make themselves look better. I'm not saying that they are or that I think that they are, but it would doubtlessly mean it'd be better.

I don't see why that would make it better. Quite frankly, I'm really getting tired of the Altruism mantra being touted as a *good* thing all the damn time. If the world is perishing from anything, it's from an *orgy* of self-sacrifice. I'd much rather people do what's right because it's in their best interests to do so, at least that way you can count on a certain level of honesty. The LAST person I'm going to trust is the guy who says "It's all for YOU, I have no self interest!". Fucking liars :p
 
I don't see why that would make it better. Quite frankly, I'm really getting tired of the Altruism mantra being touted as a *good* thing all the damn time. If the world is perishing from anything, it's from an *orgy* of self-sacrifice. I'd much rather people do what's right because it's in their best interests to do so, at least that way you can count on a certain level of honesty. The LAST person I'm going to trust is the guy who says "It's all for YOU, I have no self interest!". Fucking liars :p

LOL :D
 
this xbox dying stat crap is pathetic. I feel for those with one cause I'd be pissed. with that kind of track record let alone monthly fees? :rolleyes:
 
1. there's no monthly fees.
2. microsoft did this *after* looking at the bottom line and the logistics. like any smart company would do.

sure its gonna put a ding in the bottom line, but they're doing the right thing here. no matter the motive.
 
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