Microsoft extends 360 warranty

Soldato
Joined
4 Aug 2006
Posts
7,917
Location
Stevenage , Wisbech
Just having my daily browse through various websites and found this, no use to me but may be interesting for 360 owners.

Posted Apr 4, 2007 12:39 am GMT
One recurring knock against Microsoft's Xbox 360 has been that the hardware can be unpredictably flaky, with even properly cared-for units falling prey to the "red ring of death" for no apparent reason. While the company has already taken steps to address the situation, today it announced further changes to its warranty program to make the process of repair and replacing a broken system faster and easier than ever.

Right out of the gates of its November 2005 launch, Microsoft's Xbox 360 was beset by reports of malfunctioning consoles. While the company downplayed reports of faulty hardware for the better part of a year after launch, it eventually acknowledged that its original batch of systems was failing at an unusually high rate. As a make-good, Microsoft extended the system's standard 90-day warranty to one year, and promised to reimburse all those customers who had already been made to pay for repairs.

Today's revisions are aimed at addressing a number of complaints Xbox 360 owners have levied against the repairs process. First of all, Microsoft will no longer charge shipping on repaired consoles, and will send out postage-paid containers for customers to send in their broken units. On top of that, "most customers" will now receive their original console repaired and returned to them instead of a refurbished replacement, whether the repair took place within the warranty period or not.

Microsoft is also standing by its repairs longer than before. When repairs are made on systems under warranty, Microsoft will now cover the repaired system for the balance of the original warranty period or 90 days, whichever is longer. Repairs made on out-of-warranty systems will be returned with a one-year "repair warranty."

Finally, Microsoft has committed to putting more manpower behind its repairs process. The company said it is increasing the number of customer care representatives and supervisors, improving its training, and hiring a "customer care champion" to hone practices and policies for the benefit of users.

link
http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6168544.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;3
 
Its definately a move in the right direction, but it still looks like people with original launch 360's that go faulty will still need to pay for a repair even though there were known issues with them.
 
Just a shame that they repair them using monkeys and a soldering iron. This would be good if the repaired consoles didn't break a few weeks afterwards. Just get an extended warranty from the retailer so you can get a direct replacement when it dies.
 
Is this for North America or Europe? The last warranty change only affected North America (bringing it roughly in line with European warranties).
 
I think that possibly the warranty on repairs, and getting your own console back will be the same as the US, not to sure about the rest. On a not having a dig at microsoft note would if using 65nM IC's are apparently going to solve the problems of over heating would you not implement them asap? As the PS3 is going to go 65nM by October this year (quote from IBM) and 45 Nm by end 2008, why if the problem could be cured by a die shrink why have they not done it yet? as they have known about the problem for over 18 months now.
 
msmalls74 said:
Just having my daily browse through various websites and found this, no use to me but may be interesting for 360 owners.

Posted Apr 4, 2007 12:39 am GMT
One recurring knock against Microsoft's Xbox 360 has been that the hardware can be unpredictably flaky, with even properly cared-for units falling prey to the "red ring of death" for no apparent reason. While the company has already taken steps to address the situation, today it announced further changes to its warranty program to make the process of repair and replacing a broken system faster and easier than ever.

Right out of the gates of its November 2005 launch, Microsoft's Xbox 360 was beset by reports of malfunctioning consoles. While the company downplayed reports of faulty hardware for the better part of a year after launch, it eventually acknowledged that its original batch of systems was failing at an unusually high rate. As a make-good, Microsoft extended the system's standard 90-day warranty to one year, and promised to reimburse all those customers who had already been made to pay for repairs.

Today's revisions are aimed at addressing a number of complaints Xbox 360 owners have levied against the repairs process. First of all, Microsoft will no longer charge shipping on repaired consoles, and will send out postage-paid containers for customers to send in their broken units. On top of that, "most customers" will now receive their original console repaired and returned to them instead of a refurbished replacement, whether the repair took place within the warranty period or not.

Microsoft is also standing by its repairs longer than before. When repairs are made on systems under warranty, Microsoft will now cover the repaired system for the balance of the original warranty period or 90 days, whichever is longer. Repairs made on out-of-warranty systems will be returned with a one-year "repair warranty."

Finally, Microsoft has committed to putting more manpower behind its repairs process. The company said it is increasing the number of customer care representatives and supervisors, improving its training, and hiring a "customer care champion" to hone practices and policies for the benefit of users.

link
http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6168544.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;3

Good good :)
 
msmalls74 said:
I think that possibly the warranty on repairs, and getting your own console back will be the same as the US, not to sure about the rest. On a not having a dig at microsoft note would if using 65nM IC's are apparently going to solve the problems of over heating would you not implement them asap? As the PS3 is going to go 65nM by October this year (quote from IBM) and 45 Nm by end 2008, why if the problem could be cured by a die shrink why have they not done it yet? as they have known about the problem for over 18 months now.


It's not quite as simple as just moving over to the new die size, for one thing they have to be sure they can get the new chips in large enough quantities to make the switch (not to mention any revisions to the main board required for the change).
I wouldn't be surprised if they move production over one factory at a time when the time comes, changing additional factories over as the supply increases (that way they can minimise any disruption).

It's also worth remembering only a fool or a PR exec says "we will have this new technology fully implimented in X months" ;)
When companies move to new fab processes it can take a lot longer than anticipated to get yields up to a reasonable level, and get the cost per unit down.
 
Gaverick said:
This would be good if the repaired consoles didn't break a few weeks afterwards..

My launch core died in July last year, sent it off, got it back and works fine and is still used many times a week :)

Glad to hear these warruntee changes though.

Tis a damn shame I cut the plastic grills off mine (and soon the metal ones) to reduce the fan noise last week! :p

Ah well, when it dies, time for an Elite!
 
This is all more ammunition for anyone who needs to return a console for replacement to a high street store under the SOGA. It adds weight to the argument that the design is flawed and the fault is therefore inherent and present at the time of sale.
 
NokkonWud said:
Remember that guy here who cut his fan grills off in week one of the consoles release? Who was it and does his still work?


Yep I remember :) God knows who it is though
 
it's another gimmick because people have been refusing to pay microsoft £85 to repair their consoles and why should we, its nearly half the cost of brand new xbox 360 core
 
Back
Top Bottom