Xbox 360 warranty extended, repairs refunded

by Christopher Grant on Dec 22nd 2006 10:33AM

Microsoft is extending the Xbox 360's manufacturer's warranty in North America from a puny (and competitively unimpressive) 90-days to the more reasonable (and competitive) one year. What spurred this holiday generosity? Perhaps it was Sony and Nintendo's one year warranties (don't forget to register to get a free 90-day bonus from Ninty)? Or perhaps old man Gates was visited by three ghosts in the night?

Regardless, they're making right by their customers who've already had their console repaired by making the offer retroactive. That's right 'stiqers! If you've forked over $140 to Microsoft to fix your 91-day-old 360 you're entitled to a refund. The best part, you don't have to request a rebate, Microsoft will mail a check out (presumably to the address they mailed your 360 to) in about 10 weeks. Anyone (besides Alexander) expecting a $140 Christmas present from Uncle Bill?

Read -- Microsoft Extends Xbox 360 Warranty to One Year press release
Scrutinize -- The NEW Xbox 360 product warranty

Tags: Refund, warranty, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (43)

This is great news. I had one console a few days out of warranty and because of this, could not purchase the extended warranty. Now I can (the console has had no problmes, just a precaution). My other console already has the extra coverage, so does MS change the extended warranty to two years beyound the now 1 year base warranty?

That's a pretty sweet deal for US 360 owners. Luckily for me though, EU law made MS package a 1 year warranty with the 360 :D

Good times then. Question that still needs to be asked though - what about launch 360s? I thought I remember hearing MS was extending the warranty on any made before January 06 indefinitely. Is that right?

If I bought the 2-year extended warranty, do I have 3 years now?

Also, how do you check your warranty status online? I'm not finding the link here.
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/systemsetup/xbox360/resources/warranty.htm

Go Microsoft Go!

@Bob422

I sent in for my 2 year extended warranty on Monday! Needless to say I just got off the phone with MS and they confirmed I will now essentially have a 3 year warranty (2 1/2 since the console was purchased 6 months ago).

Props to Microsoft. This makes me somewhat better about buying a 360.

Justice! The people have spoken.

What does this mean for like a toys r us warrentee that lasts one year after the microsoft standard warrentee expires? Do I get an extra year?

Im in the same boat as you # 3.

I think this will work out well. My 360, which was manufactured Oct 19 2005, just failed and is in process of being replaced under warranty (from the first extension). I was told the replacement would have a full warranty, which looks like it will now be one year instead of 90 days. Hopefully I can still buy the 2 year extension for $52CAD, which will then give me 3 years from now, giving me a total of 4 years of warranty from the date I first got my 360. Not bad for a free unit from Pepsi!

This actually went into effect like 2 or more months ago, but i guess it's not official until now. i would know b/c i was waiting for something to happen with bricked 360s since spending $140 on my 8 month old console seems insane to me. i got mine back and fixed for free in the middle of october.

p.s. i typed this whole thing out with the new opera browser via wii
woot!

Microsoft has done well with their warranty policy, but I am getting very concerned about their replacement procedures.

My first unit died over the summer (fine, initial batch, it happens), and when I sent it in I got a refurb unit. The refurb died on Tuesday, so on X-mas morning my son won't be able to play his new games while we are waiting for a new ont to come back from repair.

I have seen so many other reports of people going through two or three units over the last year, that it makes me suspicious that Microsoft is just sending out other people's broken units to honor the warranties.

I don't know how they got away so long with only a 3 month warranty on a $400 dollar product warranty. Especially when its so well know that more than just a few 360's were defective. Most of the major big box retailers offer a 90 day return/exchange policy with receipt. So essentially MS was getting away with offering no warranty. Glad they finally came correct.

Thank you Microsoft! Granted, it should've been a one-year warranty in the beginning, but at least you listened to the consumers.

Now if we can get Microsoft to MAKE THE QUALITY CONTROL PEOPLE IN MC ALLEN TEXES TO DO THEIR JOB and stop sending out defective refurbished 360s.

@ Copa
I had the same problem with my replacement 360. My original 360 was manufactured on 01/03/06. Those jerks at customer support were unwilling to cut me any slack so I had to pay $139 plus about $25 in packing materials and shipping. The refurb started showing signs of problems on the 2nd may. MS graciously offered to fix it or replace it. So big of them considering I had paid them $139 to fix it just a week earlier. I would have to once again cover the packing and shipping costs. Instead of going thru all that bullshit again so they could send me a unit that would probably conk out again in 4 months, I decided to go to Target and buy a new 360. I switched the refurb for the new one and took it back to Target. After a little hassle, they took it back and gave me a refund.

So now the refurb 360 that they have registered to me with be returned to them as a new defective system. Hope that doesn't somehow affect my refund check but I just wasn't gonna let MS get over on me like that after so many years of loyalty and $139.

Well, if they keep taking in broken units, refurbing them, then sending them out again.. basically, you guys are swapping defective units with one-another. So, if the underlying issues werent resolved, then it will b ebricked shortly after you get it.

YAY!!! I'm so happy I am getting my $140 dollars back. I think I'll go buy a HD-DVD player and a few games. WOOHOO!!!

awesomeness. i got the 2 year extended warranty also so now i have 2&1/2 years of warranty left. heeehaww

OBJECTION!

When you get the "three lights o' dead", the fourth quadrant DOES NOT light up green. Repeat: DOES NOT LIGHT UP GREEN.

:D (On my 2nd box)

Happy Holidays everybody.

"14. Now if we can get Microsoft to MAKE THE QUALITY CONTROL PEOPLE IN MC ALLEN TEXES TO DO THEIR JOB and stop sending out defective refurbished 360s."

Texas is spelled with an A, knucklehead. lol

Yes, I was waiting for this all year. People speak microsoft does listen.

Luckily, we Europeans have decent consumer laws, so all electronics hardware must have a two year warranty.

Woohoo! Merry Christmas Microsoft! I like this present

Some of the more elitist europeans can fit a "ONLY IN AMERICA LOL" into everything.

So it's great Microsoft has their shit together, but how about just looking into solving the minor "catching fire after hours of normal use" glitch?

I haven't needed a fix, but kudos MS!

I was very happy to hear this also, considering I just had to send my console in for repair (AGAIN!). They made me pay for shipping this time though.

Ok Drew or ">", whatever you post as now, (Unless your a totally different Drew) I don't think you even own a 360. (Unless your a different Drew then disregard.) lol

It's good to see Microsoft providing a one year warranty for a product that should last six years at the least, but let's get the five year warranty on video game consoles.

This is why it is good to have three companies in competition w/each other. Xbox owners have benefited from the PS3 and Wii.

This is definately sweet news :) looks like my xbox 360 warranty will last til next december

I got my 360 December 2005, and I got the 3 flashing red lights the other night. I called and MS tech support and after they told me that I would have to send in my machine for repair, I asked how much it would cost me. The kind person told me that it was still under warranty. I said OK, thinking that she read the purchase date wrong, since I knew the warranty was only 90 days. I'm glad that it didn't break next month. I was going to be very upset if I had to pay more $$$.

So not only do I have a brand new 360 manufactured 11/30/06, but I get my $140 back! EXCELLENT!
Love you too, Microsoft. Wii60 4lyfe.

I just bought my 360 today so does it count for the one year warrenty?

thank.the.lord.i.had.mine.repaired.in.october.and.purchased.the.system.in.june.so.i.guess.i.get.my.70.dollars.back.for.the.repair.that.was.done.ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL.RIGHTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Very pleased to hear that. Until I read this news, my recent 360 purchase felt like a very, very, risky acquisition. Specially after the disk drive(samsung drive) on my 2 day old 360 decided that it was going to close itself automatically after 3 seconds every time I opened it, even if I was in the middle of removing or loading a game disk. Luckily, this new 360 disk drive(hitachi drive) is working how it's supposed to so far. So the 1 year warranty is Christmas melodies to my ears.

the xbox 360, its a pretty good system when it works that is, but i'm on my 4 console and i'm sick of waiting two weeks every few months to get it back, and now that i have a week off for chistmas its broke again, i have no pets and no kids that can b the reason they are breaking down on me. Microsofts greed exceeds its abitlity to sell a product that shouldn't b sold, great software but unreliable hardware
, when i get my fixed xbox i'm going to sell it and buy a PS3, i hope microsoft fails the console wars

A good and necessary move from Microsoft. 60 days was simply not long enough. Often, problems don't even start occurring within 60 days of purchasing the unit.

Microsoft should have waited another 6 months or maybe even 3 quarters to release. I felt the 360 release was rushed. Had they taken their time and not hurried to be the first next-gen on the market, I think the 360 would be far more stable than it currently is.

I still suggest to all my friends that they get a 360. I love mine even with all the problems I've experienced. Also, simply updating the dashboard software didn't fix my problems like I initially thought. boo!

seeing all the people here with broken 360's proves to me that the 360 is a POS. nuff said.

Well, apparently they will not honor launch titles - I just had the 3 red rings of light happen on my December 2005 purchase and after speaking with 18004myxbox yesterday and today, I receievd 2 different stories - 1 being they would replace it for free and today a supervisor told me it will cost $140 to pay for the MS defective LEMON. The clock is ticking on all 360's just watch when yours breaks after their "warranty" period. MS is going to make a cool $11 Million + or so on xbox hardware failure issues. They took advantage of us consumers and becuase they has so much money they can do what they want - well, as a consumer, Im not taking it anymore. I will find a way to gte them to pay me my $140 USD, even if I have to "Borrow" a few $60 dollar games to make up for it - Lessons learned from MS!

Yeah Ive been looking for Extended Warranty xbox for a while now

Found the place above but want to find some better warranty aftermarket

Yeah Ive been looking for Extended Warranty xbox for a while now

Found this place http://www.warrantywebonline.com
above but want to find some better warranty aftermarket

Okay, it is now March 3rd. After 9 weeks since their
announcement I have not received a check for my
xbox repair refund. When you call their support number
the automated message says the check will be sent in
10 weeks and no action is needed on your part.

HAS ANYONE RECEIVED A REPAIR REFUND CHECK YET?

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Xbox 360 warranty extended, repairs refunded

Reader Comments (43)

Posted: Dec 22nd 2006 10:39AM (Unverified) said

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