Gromitron

Ok, so I thought I would post an update on my Xbox 360 saga… I originally called Microsoft on Thursday, April 24th, and was told that a Supervisor (who was currently busy) would call me back by the next day and that I was a ‘priority’ (!) due to my Xbox 360 being broken for the 3rd time for the same problem.

Friday came and went with no call…

On Saturday my Slingbox Pro quit working as well (I hope these things don’t happen in threes) It was out of warranty but I thought I would give Sling Media a call and see how much it would cost to get it replaced/repaired. They were very nice on the phone and said to me ‘Don’t worry about the warranty date, we will take care of you, no problem!

On Monday I still hadn’t heard from Microsoft, so I called them again and explained the situation and they put me through to a supervisor. I talked to Aaron, who sounded very nice and concerned and said someone else still had to call me and it would definitely happen by the end of the day or Tuesday at the latest. He also promised to follow up with me personally on Tuesday just to make sure I was taken care of.
Well, Tuesday morning UPS delivered a brand new Slingbox Pro with shipping labels to use for sending the old Slingbox back to them.

Tuesday night and no call yet from Microsoft.

I mention the Slingbox because there is a company that cares about what it’s customers think, they went above and beyond their obligation to me as a customer, and have won my loyalty!
Yes, the Xbox 360 is a game system, it’s not the end of my world, but Microsoft should treat it like its a real product.

Microsoft doesn’t care about me.

 I had high hopes for this site.  I wanted it to be a place I can talk about important issues and things that are important to myself and many other people, especially with the all-important first post.  After all there are a great many important stories in the news these days!  Then something happened…  Tonight I put a DVD in my Xbox 360 and got the famed Red Ring of Death.  Which means its broken.  Again.  And I thought nah, screw it. I am just going to whine about Microsoft.

So tonight I spent another 45 minutes on the phone with Microsoft,  and was assured that the supervisor was away and soon they’d call me, presumably to tell me what they are going to do about the Xbox.  It was the same last time.  And the time before that.  This is the third time that it has broken with the same problem.  In fact my Xbox 360 is getting to take more vacations than I get.

It is sad that Microsoft seems to make things that break quickly and often.  Nearly all the people I know with Xbox 360’s have at one time or another had to send it in for the same problems I’ve had.  Windows XP was broken constantly when I had it, even though I know a lot about tech and how to keep it running.  I spend hours fixing other people’s installations of XP.  Although now I just tell them ‘Reinstall’.  Vista never did work properly.  I am just glad I (re) discovered Macs.  They work everytime (so far), and I can actually get things done, instead of spending my time trying to keep windows limping along.   I can’t say I would ever look back to Windows… Well, that is If my damned XBOX worked anyhow!  So it seems I’m stuck in a Ping-Pongesque catch-22 situation with the shoddy workmanship you would expect from any item found in a 1980’s Radio Shack catalog.

Thanks, Microsoft.  No more Gears of War or Halo 3 for me for a while.

Wii Tennis, anyone?  :sigh:

Gromitron.