So in October of 2007, I picked up my console from Best Buy and all was going fine until I got the dreaded Red Ring of Death. My XBox would play for a short while, freeze, then give me the red lights. This continued to get worse until I couldn’t use my console at all. I contacted XBox customer support and they gave me a cheat sheet of steps to try out to save me from shipping my machine. Unfortunately, none of those steps worked and so I had to ship it off. They sent me a box and UPS label to send it in, and then sent me my replacement back in around nine or ten days. Not a bad turn around time.

Cue last weekend – the games I played began to skip and jump. Not cool. I switched discs and sure enough, it happened with each one. Then the screen went a weird green colour and looked all washed out. Again, I changed discs, rebooted, and did all the things they tell you to do at the Microsoft support site – none of which worked. I did some checking into the warranty and this is where it gets all murky, what I like to call misty buff.

The three year warranty only covers ‘hardware failures’ – or errors deemed to be caused by a hardware malfunction. In other words, unless your XBox 360 craps out and shows the red ring of death, you’re out of luck and have to stump up almost $110. After looking at online forums and YouTube videos of my issue, it seems that it’s not an uncommon occurrence. Apparently it’s a video card issue resulting from over-heating (my apologies for playing on my console for over three hours).

The way I saw it, I had three options:

1. Go out and purchase a new 360
2. Stump up the $106 to get it repaired
3. Pitch a hissy fit on the phone to Xbox support.

There was no way I was choosing option number 1, putting more money into Microsoft’s coffers? Heck no. Again, choice number two was out, why should I have to pay for repairs on the console that they sent me? So I was left with option number three – and that is exactly what I did about two hours ago…

I was in no mood to beat around the bush, my machine going out at all is bad enough, but over the Christmas holiday period? Even worse. However, I retained my composure and called the support number. The service rep I spoke to explained to me that even though it was indeed a hardware issue, it was not covered under my warranty for my original 360 and that I would have to pay for it to be repaired. I told him that this was the console they sent me, and that it should last longer than an obligatory seven or eight months before it bites the dust.

After much back and forth in the conversation here’s how it went down:

Rep: “I understand that you’re having some hardware difficulties sir, but that’s why we have these kind of warranty’s and you did have the choice to renew it..”

Uh-oh, he just committed the ultimate customer service faux-pas, putting the blame on the customer.

Me: “Why should I have to pay for something you sent me to replace the original one that crapped out? That’s a pretty crappy warranty if you ask me.”

Rep: “Let me go ask a supervisor to see if there’s anything I can do..”

A few minutes later…

Rep: “Sir, I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do because your warranty expired in October 08″

Me: “So you’re telling me that because I chose not to renew the warranty on a machine that lasted less than 8 months, which was sent by Microsoft, that I have to pay for something that is not my fault?”

Rep: “That’s correct sir, unfortunately even though it’s a hardware issue it’s not covered by warranty”

I’d heard this warranty crap long enough. I don’t mind paying for something if it’s because of something I’ve let happen or if it were an old machine and I needed to get a new one. But there was no way on God’s green earth I was going to pay for damage that happened to a console I had less than eight months. We were about 15 minutes into the conversation at this point.

Me: “Can I speak to a supervisor please?”

I must have waited for another 15 minutes before someone called ‘Frasier’ came on the line. Frasier asked me if I was given a reference number by the last service rep..

Me: “No, I think he was pretty sick of me.”

Frasier: “Ok, so can you please explain to me the problem you’re having?”

I told him what was going on with the video being messed up and that this was the XBox I was sent by Microsoft to replace my original.

Frasier: “Sir, I can tell you’re very frustrated. I can’t offer you the repair for free but would you be willing to come to a compromise?”

Me: “Sure, what do you have in mind?”

Frasier: “How about 50% off the repair price and an extra one year warranty plus some free months on XBox live?”

Me: “Done!”

Frasier was then quiet for a point after he’d took my details…

Frasier: “Uh, sir, do you mind if I ask you what your nationality is?”

Me: “Hah, sure – I’m English”

Frasier: “I was gonna say man, you don’t sound like you’re from Tennessee!”

After that he confirmed that he would be sending me a box and a shipping label to send off my damaged XBox and that I would receive it within a few days, and that’s how it ended.

Before the conversation began with the first rep I was prepared to give a little ground to gain some, but I knew what my boundaries were and I wouldn’t cross them. I was ready to come online and start a viral campaign against Microsoft explaining what a bitter experience I had and that they were just money sucking vagabonds.

However, I’m very pleased with how this was settled. It’s easy to forget that behind the large corporations are people who have to feed their families, pay the mortgage, buy Christmas presents for the kids and listen to people like me day after day whinge about something that they have nothing to do with.

Dear Microsoft, please employ more people like Frasier, your company will be a lot better off because of them.