Dec 6 05 - Apr 11 07 : X360 gave up the ghost

[JAGPANZER]

Rats....$140 to get it repaired.

MS customer service was way more helpful than Sony's.

We'll see just how everything pans out.
It get's shipped out tomorrow(maybe not IRS return weekend
makes the PO a damn hell hole this time of year).
Okay, so monday at the latest.
I'll report the progress of repair and return.

It's always something.:blacmad

[limpkorn]

Sorry to hear Jag!

Did they know what the problem was just by describing the symptoms over the phone or is the $140 standard no matter what the issue is? Cause if it's something small I'd hate to cough up $140 for something that will probably cost $50 to fix.

[JAGPANZER]

The motherboard is fried.
The X360's initial design was feared to have a susceptability to overheating.
The new redesign was to remedy that. I find it not a coincidence that
a new X360 motherboard can be had for the neighborhood of $120.
They actually expect me to pony up for a two year extended warranty?

As if; the material design engineers know their art all too well.
The first X360 outlasted it's warranty by 4 months give or take.

I'll take my chances.:redeek:

[JAGPANZER]

Strange, maybe not;

I was all set to pay the $140. Called back on 4/16 for payment and shipping
instructions. Was notified that my X360 would be taken care of via warranty
service. I never bought an extended warranty. Even with the year extension,
my X360 still fell out of the service window by well over 6 months.

XBXLV said the repair and dual shipping would be covered by MS.

MS sent the shipping box w/ packing and return label, it arrived 4/18.
Packed up and dropped off the 360 at the UPS store 4/19.
MS notified they recieved unit 4/21.
MS notified that problem was resolved; unit shipped home 4/22.
4/25-recieved UPS delivery at 12:50 PM CST
MS had opted to replace the entire unit to get this done faster.
I got 1 new X360 and a 1 month XBXLV card for my 'troubles'.

Sony has never been this responsive nor as helpful regardless
of what I was dealing with them for(digicam, handycam, wega, vaio, PS1/2).

I've said that the sonypeeps troll this site to gauge reaction and support.
Evidently MS does too(I'm sure they all do), the fact that my name is the
same as my gamertag doesn't hurt. Point being; I may have got a better
response due to the fact that I was being public with my X360 dying.

Maybe not, maybe MS treats all the fried X360 owners the same
as an MS-XBX booster going back to XBXLV beta test.

In which case Sony really sucks.

And the $140?
Took the wife out to dinner.
Thanks MS.
And Thanks MG.
:beer:

[limpkorn]

Niceeee dude!!!

Glad to hear it all worked out for you. Cheers to MS for one good deed! LOL :entlueft:

[born2phrag]

Nice to hear that it all went well for you Jag. Although my launch 360 is still alive and kicking, I just hope MS are as helpful if mine dies on me.

:beer:

[STi FlyBy]

And the $140?
Took the wife out to dinner.
Thanks MS.
And Thanks MG.
:beer:

Glad everything got sorted out. The "extra" $140 in your pocket is also nice ;)

I had no issues with customer service when my XBOX360 fried - I mailed it to them, they sent me a brand new one (can't do better than that) :p

[JAGPANZER]

I doubt it was an unintended error.

Reviewing the XBX support calls I believe I found where they
'fixed' my account: registration.

I registered my X360 the day she got home 12/6/05,
I still have the email thanking me for my X360 purchase,
as well as the subsequent gold upgrades for both
XBXLV accounts(JAGPANZER/JAGTIGER), dated 12/7/05.

The first svc tech I spoke with said that I was indeed outside
the free warranty repair by a few months if my buy date had been 12/6/05.
As such the repair would run $140. I knew all of this and was only unsure
of the price. Then he asked me for my X360 serial number.
When he ran it, he said it hadn't been registered yet; he would do it for me
That is where they pulled the freebie.
Most amusingly I complained that my initial registration back in 05
shouldn't have been lost and was irate regarding it.

I told him I would have to call back to pay for the svc work
(my play Mastercard had to be loaded first) I would call back for payment
and shipping instructions on Friday. He gave me a svc req # to use when
I called back friday so that they could get everything going then.

I call back, give them the svc req # and am told
the X360 falls within the free warranty service period.

The only way this happened was the 1st tech deleted my initial registration
date and replaced it with a later one, result:
it looks like my X360 was bought fairly recently

I actually argued with the second tech regarding it being free.
I insisted I had to pay, he insisted I didn't: so I gave in after about 5 minutes.
I figure I'd quit while I was ahead for once.

See Sham, Sony can't gladhand me because they don't know me;
or they can't pinpoint which Sony customer hitting their svc req line
is one that should be 'taken care of'. Hence if they wanted to svc
my PSP or digicam quickly, they would have to do everyone's to make
sure they got me as well. MS, by contrast, can link my gamertag to my
actual identity as well as my subsequent MS purchases. If MS so desired,
they could expedite svc req for anyone with a gamertag.

Additionally don't underestimate the influence of the MGF.
ALL the big guys as well as developers and investors surf these
larger gaming forums. Sony has sent seminar posters here to supplant
the usual asst of fanboys. Their tell is that when hit with very specific
industry intel and DL; they clam up and drop off the radar.
The fanboys on the other hand, never give up, never concede:gun:
They don't let things like facts stand in their way.

I've been brutal to SCEA in no uncertain terms, and quite an effective
independent spokesman for MS-XBX-LV as well.

Final curiousity,
One of my boy's annual presents is his XBXLV renewal for his Bday.
He was supposed to enter the Sub # when his account expired.
I noticed he hadn't used his sub card almost 3 mos past his Bday.
He said his account hadn't told him anything was due.
I checked his account's current expiration date: 1/xx/08.

He got a 1 yr subscription from Uncle Bill?
:hug:

Don't know, but at some point coincidences cease to be such :yes:

[JAGPANZER]

I've said it's possible.

I also said I don't know what other people's experience with MS
regarding XBX support has been. That's part of the purpose of this
thread too; to see what other experiences have been like.

It's very well possible that MS treats everyone like this;
1 yr free gold account extensions too.
I do hope so.

Otherwise Sony really sucks.

As I've said SCEA put the Cus-s in Customer Service:cussing:

[Tone]

A lot of friends i have has had thier 360's die (three rings of death)

None of them recieved a new 360.. just a reconditioned one, some even got ones older then the one they had (going by the manufacturers date)

Lucky you got a new on Jag, as far as i know none of my mates had any problem in getting their machines fixed, before or after the 12 month expiry date of the warranty... i suppose the price is not as bad getting it fixed than forking out for a new one.

There is a fix now, to fix the (ring of death) but it involves opening the console up and replacing the X clamps that hold in the heatsinks. its the x clamps that causes the board to warp when it gets really hot.. and causing the failure, this has been proven.

There is a place that tells you how to do it and what you need, i heard its got most 360's up and running again with no problems.

I have not tried it (lack of ownership of a 360) :p

[born2phrag]

Hmm... good to know Tone. Hopefully I won't need to use it for my 360. ;)

[STi FlyBy]

A lot of friends i have has had thier 360's die (three rings of death)

None of them recieved a new 360.. just a reconditioned one, some even got ones older then the one they had (going by the manufacturers date)

Unless you got a defective XBOX360 nearly directly after release (mine died within a month), you got a reconditioned one. They have gotten a bunch of defective ones in, fixed what was wrong with them, and now they turn them around.

[JAGPANZER]

Apr 30 07- Feb 20 09 : replacement X360 was smoked

Yep rrod' it during Left 4 Dead.

Replacement unit's replacement unit was received Mar 8.

Free shipping, new warranty extension, 1 mo XBXLV-Au

See how long this one lasts.
My HALO ed 360 is still thumping.

The aftermarket cooling fans work.
I had a nyko fan for the 360 that burned out. I should have replaced it because
in less than a week the 360 gave it up.

Hence, aftermarket cooling fans for everyone.
My daughter insisted on a red wiisper as a result.

[STi FlyBy]

Sucks you had more issues, but glad to hear they're dealing with it appropriately.

I gave my 360 away (yes, you read that correctly), but the person I gave it to hasn't had any issues with it.

[Zafiras]

havnt had time to fully read this thread, but why do they seem to over heat or require extra cooling? bad design or just excessive gaming?

[JAGPANZER]

A bit of both.
This is still a MS product, so caveats still apply.
I destroy every aftermarket controller ever made, so there's that too.

[acal3000]

Paying thta amount of money for an xbox repair. I guess could be now near the same than buying it new by now

In this case I guess is xbow warranty

On my case whne some of my electronic eqpuipmntes get bad I have finished fixing thme myself a lot of times coz I hate to have to go with those greedy and cheater technicians we have here on this stupid town.

Whn I fix other people pcs I dont cheat with lies like those of those cheater tehcnicinans do do. I tell tehm the truth. I ma afradi on being on a minority now on this I hate whne they try to get easy money from women inexperiece whne they try to fix their laptops. I dont cheat them as they do

[JAGPANZER]

Cost?
Cost me nothing excepting a little patience.

As for techs chintzing the ignorant out of their money, I hear ya.
Doing HVAC I get into lots of trouble with my supers for doing repairs for
old ladies and the single moms living in a shoe for nothing or next to it.
However, the single male fruitycake who lives in a 6 bedroom house
by himself will find himself paying for his AC repair as well as covering
my costs for the widow and single moms.

Props acal for doing your part to help out the ladies and low money honeys.