Microsoft extends xbox360 warrenty to 3 years

[CptStern]

boy I'd be pissed if like many early adopters, I bought a second xbox360 after the first one went kaput after warrenty expired ...ok that's about 3 people but still, I'd be pissed ...hmmm I wonder if those people can get their old xbox360's fixed? hey there's quite a few "broken" xbox360's selling for dirt cheap online ..might be worth getting one:

Today, Microsoft announced that is once again revamping its warranty scheme for the Xbox 360. After mounting anecdotal evidence of the system's failure rate due to the dreaded "red ring of death" (three flashing red lights on the console's front panel), the publisher is changing its warranty to cover systems affected by the red ring for three years from the date of purchase. Any console which suffers the aforementioned failure--and only the aforementioned failure--can return the console to Microsoft for repair for free, as the warranty also includes shipping charges.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6173633.html?part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6173633

 

[dream431ca]

It's good there are extending the warranty, bad they're not trying to fix the problem.

 

[Icarusintel]

Well at least they're doing the right thing. A 33% failure rate is ridiculous.

 

[CptStern]

It's good there are extending the warranty, bad they're not trying to fix the problem.

I've heard that replacement xbox360's have heatsinks added to the mobo ..I guess a recall would be way too much to ask ..they'd lose a ton of cash

 

[Roland Deschain]

Well, they correctly observed that the negative perception of the 360's quality was gaining steam on the internet, to the point of people being reluctant to buy their first 360.

(Case in point: me. I would have bought one a while back had it not been for both my friends being on their third X-box).

 

[dream431ca]

I've heard that replacement xbox360's have heatsinks added to the mobo ..I guess a recall would be way too much to ask ..they'd lose a ton of cash

Instead of the warranty, MS could have redesigned the system (component wise) to get rid of the problem. But the warranty does work well.

 

[-Psy-]

FFS! MS, admit the problem before you get your ass sued.

 

[smwScott]

While I can't say for sure whether I would have bought one or not anyway, I can say that three of my friends having theirs die on them pretty much sealed the deal on me never getting a 360.

The 3 year warranty makes it not such a risky proposition though. Still can't say I really want one though.

 

[VirusType2]

It's good there are extending the warranty, bad they're not trying to fix the problem.

I think they are extending the warranty because they have fixed the problem for the latest machines being manufactured.


As soon as the elite replaces the other versions, and teh price comes down, I'll consider one. Give it a couple years. Maybe then I can get like 7 of the best games for a total of ~$100 by then.

 

[CptStern]

they havent changed the manufacturing process ..there's doubt even the elite xbox has the heatsink added

 

[B_MAN]

so are people that bought a 360 earlier not covered?

 

[CptStern]

right up to launch systems ...so pretty much every xbox ..or at least only when it comes to the ring of death ..must be 3 lights

 

[Bad^Hat]

What.

WHAT?!

Oh, ****s sake. I'd better be able to get a refund on that ****ing extended warranty I sprung for.

How long, you ask? THREE ****ING YEARS.

GodDAMNIT Microsoft.

 

[B_MAN]

this is fantastic news
glad i didnt buy the extended warranty when i purchased my 360

 

[VictimOfScience]

Glad I haven't bought one yet (though it will be hard not to toward the end of summer...)

 

[JNightshade]

About damn time

 

[CyberPitz]

I feel sorry for the people who were worried, and got the extended warranty for this problem...

 

[Lucid]

Boy, I'm glad I haven't bought a 360 yet.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

What.

WHAT?!

Oh, ****s sake. I'd better be able to get a refund on that ****ing extended warranty I sprung for.

How long, you ask? THREE ****ING YEARS.

GodDAMNIT Microsoft.

I take it you got the store warranty? You won't get a refund at all. Sorry bud, your loss for giving into their silly plows to take your money.

I remember when I bought my 360 back in December '05 I made sure not to spend the $60 on an extended warranty because it was absolutely retarded.

Oh, and if you want consolation, then if your DVD drive or anything that doesn't cause three red lights fails, then your store warranty will still be good. MS' warranty on anything but three red rings of death is only one year still.

 

[CptStern]

I take it you got the store warranty? You won't get a refund at all. Sorry bud, your loss for giving into their silly plows to take your money.

with 33% failure rate (imho it's much higher) it wasnt a silly idea

 

[Stigmata]

The Xbox 360 was the first piece of technology I've ever purchased that warranted an extended warranty.

 

[hungryduck]

about damn time.

 

[VirusType2]

from another source:

Microsoft has also made production changes that supposedly corrects the problems, although they will not state exactly what is causing all the hardware problems. They will also reimburse anyone who has been charged for the repairs, and it's estimated this and the extended warranty coverage will cost up to $1.15 Billion.

+

 

[Gargantou]

I bought my XB360 at launch and havent had a single red ring of light or w/e, guess I'm lucky.
And 3 years warranty doesnt really mean alot to me anyway.. Swedish laws guarantee me 2 years on anything purchased in Swedish stores, even if MS claims only 1 without extended warranty, Swedish law states 2.

 

[VirusType2]

I bought my XB360 at launch and havent had a single red ring of light or w/e, guess I'm lucky.
And 3 years warranty doesnt really mean alot to me anyway.. Swedish laws guarantee me 2 years on anything purchased in Swedish stores, even if MS claims only 1 without extended warranty, Swedish law states 2.

Sweden rules anyway. Let's all move there.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

with 33% failure rate (imho it's much higher) it wasnt a silly idea

Bah, that's such a distorted figure...

First, it never discloses what the issues are. Part of that number is people who have normal problems, like broken DVD drives or something. Both PS3 and Wii have these sorts of issues as well.

Then you need to think about how many Xbox360's are NOT bought at EB Games (which is where the number came from during their conference call). More people buy them at Best Buy, WalMart, Circuit City, etc etc rather than EB Games. Simple statistics tell you that if you get a wider pool of numbers you get a more accurate number. It would even out to be a lower number when you add in the other stores.

I still believe that as long as you keep your 360 well ventilated, you shouldn't run into these issues as often.

 

[Asus]

Yahoo news says:

Microsoft has admitted that every one of the 11.6 million Xbox 360 consoles sold in the past 19 months suffers from a design flaw that could cause the device to fail.

O rly?
First I've seen them admit that.