The Big Box Project

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After dealing with a couple malfunctioning Xbox 360s and a messed up return policy, one customer is trying to turn the tables and use Microsoft’s own policy against themselves.

Irked by the policy change, our protagonist saw the opportunity for revenge when he was told of another Microsoft policy. It dictates that when the repairs are completed, the console is sent back to the customer within the same box it arrived in, at Microsoft's expense. Thus, The Big Box Project was born.
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I am personally dealing an Xbox 360 that arrived DOA, got lost for 40 days at the service center, then the wrong Xbox 360 was returned to me, which then gave me the red-rings-o-death. To make matters worse, I was refused a fix by the service center, paid for by me, because of the condition the Xbox 360 (they sent me) was in. So, while I applaud the 40ft crate idea, I imagine the service center will simply refusing the shipment.
 
That's hilarious. What would be even funnier is if the shipping container really did have just his Xbox and maybe ten million packing peanuts, or like fifteen feet of bubble wrap for Microsoft to cut through, Ernie-Hudson-with-a-machete-in-Congo style :D
 
I went to the site for this project the other day and I like the part when he asked the guy on
the phone who big their repaor center was.

ME: How big is your repair center?

T2: I don't see how that pertains to the situation sir.

ME: Because I am going to send you my broken xbox in the biggest damn box you have ever seen.
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Buuurrrrrnnnn!
 
That would be funny. Too bad they couldn't mount a video camera in the box also just so that we all could see the look on their face when they open the shipping box.

This should be the new mastercard commerical

cost of website + domain for a year: $75
cost of shipping create: $2000
look on the face of microsoft employess when they open the create: priceless

There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there is mastercard.
 
Quality control sucks these days. Companies must figure they'll save more money by skipping QC during production and deal with complaints and returns in a rather prickish fashion.
 
I thought the idea was funny for about 10 seconds max. Then it became a stupid idea. I could probably see a refrigerator sized box with a lone console in middle, wrapped in umpteen layers of bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts and/or airbags, but not a shipping container.
 
ir0nw0lf said:
I thought the idea was funny for about 10 seconds max. Then it became a stupid idea. I could probably see a refrigerator sized box with a lone console in middle, wrapped in umpteen layers of bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts and/or airbags, but not a shipping container.
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Unbeliever! :p
 
So this guy is trying to con a company out of money due simply as a punishment?

I think this is wrong, you don't try to scam the people who just screwed up. Thats like somone screwing BestBuy over by swapping out a 440MX video card for a 8800GTX becuase they fucked up on the customer service.
 
Please point out the scam. He's simply pushing that particular Microsoft policy to its full potential. He isn't falsifying anything.

What's unfortunate is that he had to publicize his idea. I'm sure Microsoft will come across it before he can follow through with it.

That and I doubt Microsoft will take it lightly if he does.
 
GJSNeptune said:
Please point out the scam. He's simply pushing that particular Microsoft policy to its full potential. He isn't falsifying anything.

What's unfortunate is that he had to publicize his idea. I'm sure Microsoft will come across it before he can follow through with it.

That and I doubt Microsoft will take it lightly if he does.
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It's a scam in the sense that it's being abused. These policies are out there to benifit us. What if he suceeds? What if Microsoft then changes their policy saying that the consumer has to pay shipping BOTH ways? Would that be fair?

I consider this in the same lines as people who buy large plasma tv's at costco, beats the crap out of it in thier dorm room... when they are done college they simply return the tv because costcos policy allows that.

I consider this to be wrong becuase those are the types of policies that are a benifit to the consumer, us. Costco already has a policy change on their computer components and computers now limiting you to a 6 month return window... how fair is that to people like me who had something legitimatley fail 7 months later?... not exactly fair.
 
Dictionary.com said:
scam
–noun
1. a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, esp. for making a quick profit; swindle.
–verb (used with object)
2. to cheat or defraud with a scam.
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I recall you mentioning that English is not your native language, so here are two definitions of the word 'scam.'

He is not making a quick profit or swindling. He is not cheating or committing fraud.

What you can argue is that he is needlessly exploiting a policy for amusement. That's a matter of morals. Microsoft even changed this policy to what it is now. They clearly didn't think it through.

And they aren't a small company. This act would do nothing to them but annoy the receiving department, although I'm sure they'd laugh for a few minutes at the absurdity of the situation.
 
GJSNeptune said:
I recall you mentioning that English is not your native language, so here are two definitions of the word 'scam.'

He is not making a quick profit or swindling. He is not cheating or committing fraud.

What you can argue is that he is needlessly exploiting a policy for amusement. That's a matter of morals. Microsoft even changed this policy to what it is now. They clearly didn't think it through.

And they aren't a small company. This act would do nothing to them but annoy the receiving department, although I'm sure they'd laugh for a few minutes at the absurdity of the situation.
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You don't have to make money for it to be a scam. And yes it's swindling.

swin·dle /ˈswɪndl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[swin-dl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, -dled, -dling, noun
–verb (used with object) 1. to cheat (a person, business, etc.) out of money or other assets.
2. to obtain by fraud or deceit.
–verb (used without object) 3. to put forward plausible schemes or use unscrupulous trickery to defraud others; cheat.
–noun 4. an act of swindling or a fraudulent transaction or scheme.
5. anything deceptive; a fraud: This advertisement is a real swindle.
 
So next time you'll know to use the correct word. ;)

Swindling? Maybe. He's only making them spend the money they've agreed to pay per their policy. Obviously it's excessive, but, again, that's a moral debate and not a legal one.
 
What would be funnier is if they took the xbox out of the big box, and refused the box... then returned him his xbox repaired. :p Then he has a working xbox, and he got his box back for which he paid for both ways in shipping.
 
Big box or not, morals aside......WTF happened to the guys brand new 360???
and what is the center doing about it???
He seems an honest fellow, now taken postal by the knuckleheads at the service center.:D
 
Now I just thought of something, what happened if the shipping services loses his pakage? Now that would be ROFLS.
 
Lets just say hypotheticaly M$ does accept the package. They repair or replace the 360 thereafter and ship it back to the disgruntled customer in a smaller,cheaper,durable, and dare we say "normal packaged" box. What is he going to do refuse it or sue M$ because it was not shipped in the same "cargo hold" he originaly sent it in!? Once an item is shipped by the carrier i.e. (ups,dhl,fed-ex,etc) and the recipient signs for it, that item is now there property and they can do whatever they want with it. So if they want throw out the "cargo hold" they can and probably will. Lets say he refuses the package when the 360 is sent back to him because it's not in the "cargo hold". He just lost his little war with M$ because he just refused his own package. Lets say he accepts the "normal" package what then? He's got a working 360. All that effort for nothing anyways. Lets say he sues M$ for them not sending the 360 in the original "cargo hold" packaging. It probably wouldnt hold up in court since they accepted it and once accepted from the carrier it is now there property, box and everthing, as mentioned ealier. What's the judge going to rule on.. that M$ didnt honor the warranty especially if he gets a new 360 or it was repaired and sent back in a reasonable manner? This is pointless and stupid IMO. :rolleyes:
 
jigglesone said:
sorry for the double post. Browser messed up. :p
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Now you tripple posted ;)

But yes, you have a valid point. What can he do? Nothing really. Like you said, that wouldn't hold up in court anyways.
 
Taking the time to type 'M$' is getting old and super lame. Might as well start typing 'App£e' too.

:(
 
I just sent my XBOX360 in for service last week.

My email to Customer Service was on Jan 4, 2007, my call was on Jan 5, and it was my first repair on my console which was manufactured in November 2005 and purchased in Jan 2006.

Microsoft SENT me a shipping box and a prepaid return label for the unit...
so the policy has *not* changed... at least not for everbody. ;-)

It could be that MS only pays return shipping and supplies a box for the first one or two repairs under warranty... then they begin to get cranky on subsequent repair requests. :-O

I personally think it's amateurish that the dude is doing what he's doing, but the US is still a free country the last time I checked and he's totally within his rights to do what he's doing. Plus I don't think it's a "scam" or a "swindle", it's just somebody trying to get back at "the man" by exploiting "their" system. Doesn't mean I'd do what he's doing, but it's just his way of expressing his frustration.
 
The idea in itself is stupid however the guy has brought a lot of worldwide attention to M$'s inane policies. This has more value them them receiving a large, nearly empty crate.
 
I'm going to be curious if MS does anything about those policies... such as making people pay shipping both ways and they can ship in whatever sized box they want...

See how many people would be p'ssed off about this guys actions.
 
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