Trying to buy a 360 from Wal-mart (three strikes, you're out)
by Blake Snow 
{ Jan 30th 2007 at 8:15PM }
The above video features one prospective Xbox 360 customer named Tim trying to purchase the console from Wal-mart. He really wants to play Viva Piñata. His first attempt left him without a controller. He returned to exchange it for a second unit only to get the ring of death. He then ventured to Wal-mart a third time in exchange for yet another console and even powered up the system in the electronics department to ensure proper functionality. He took it home, and it wouldn't play games. Finally, Tim returned everything, got his money back, then sauntered into GameStop to buy his first working system. All told, Tim claims he spent six hours and a total of four trips to Wal-mart just to buy what should have been a "fully operational" machine. So either this is an isolated freak of nature, Microsoft is shipping abnormal amounts of defective product, or Wal-mart's restocking returns.
[via Consumerist]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Daran @ Jan 30th 2007 8:17PM
It's Wal-Mart, what do you expect?
Rubang B @ Jan 30th 2007 8:19PM
I admire his determination, but damn, why so much Wal-Mart?
randomdouche @ Jan 31st 2007 11:42AM
My 360 died on me this weekend, the UPS guy picked it up today. I go the damn thing on Christmas brand new and it dies a month later. Microsoft you dropped the ball.....again.
VistaRocks @ Jan 30th 2007 8:22PM
I'm having a flashback of buying another Microsoft product: Windows 95.
Except I didn't buy it from Wal-Mart.
And it never worked.
germanplumber006 @ Jan 30th 2007 8:24PM
I know at my walmart I don't put returned systems back on the shelves. It has helped for less returns on the hardware itself. Either that, or walmart had a very bad shipment.
John @ Jan 30th 2007 8:24PM
A broken Xbox360 is not an isolated freak of nature. Remember, the machine launched that way? Yet on ps3fanboy we have all these xbots posting comments about how bad the ps3 is... seems a lot of people are forgetting exactly how bad Microsoft's launch really was. But then, this is the US, and that happened over 6 months ago... way too long to remember.
LordMinogue @ Jan 30th 2007 8:25PM
I wouldn't be suprised if something wrong in the manufacturing process caused a string of faulty systems to be produced, then shipped to the same place.
I also wouldn't be suprised if Wal-Mart re-stocked returned systems.
I would be suprised if the defect rate for 360's is still above 5%
Neil @ Jan 30th 2007 8:28PM
I wish I made a video of my horrible 360 experiences.
Arturo @ Jan 30th 2007 8:27PM
@4 just because you hear so much of the bad stories doesnt make it speak for everyone. ive had mine since launch and havent had a single problem. that also goes for every console ive ever owned since nes (including nes of course, n64, snes, genesis, saturn, dc, cube, ps1, ps2, xbox, 360, and maybe a few others i may have forgotten). but none ever gave me any problems =)
mountain_rage @ Jan 30th 2007 8:28PM
It could that entire run of consoles were bad, they naturally would be grouped together too unless Microsoft rotates the groupings to prevent such large groupings of bad systems.
Alex R. @ Jan 30th 2007 8:33PM
i had to do the same thing, except with sears. first one, doa. 2nd one died after 3 days. 3rd one died after one week. i got my money back, but i never tried to buy another one. ill just get a wii.
vaylen @ Jan 30th 2007 8:34PM
Microsoft has had a year to get the kinks out and still you get stuck with a broken 360? This is why I'm not getting Vista any time soon. Shame on you, Mr. Ballmer!
DustyPhoenix @ Jan 30th 2007 8:35PM
It is also possible the guys off-loading the pallet knocked it around a bit too much.
Or aliens.
DustyPhoenix.
exvaxman @ Jan 30th 2007 8:39PM
Walmart puts returns right back on the shelf. When my osn got sick and just wanted to stay in bed and watch movies I ran otu to wallyworld for a cheap DVD player. Got home to find out that the player had been returned because it didn't work, the component cables I bought had been opened and broken, and teh switchbox I picked up had also been opened and returned as non-working as well. They had obviously been carefully re-taped. I was ape-s**t and the only good thing about this was that they took everything back without question. They lost one customer that day.
Arturo @ Jan 30th 2007 8:39PM
mine's worked great since day 1! (november 22, 2005) :D
Mr Flannery @ Jan 30th 2007 8:45PM
Did that kids story really need a video, honestly?
Yeti @ Jan 30th 2007 8:45PM
I think we should base a system's reliability on anecdotal evidence. If we did we'd know that PSP all have dead pixels, Xbox 1 drives are always faulty, Nintendo DS has broken hinges, Wii straps break and cause serious damange to everyone within 1000 ft, the PS2 drives are faulty as well and don't play the majority of DVDs, etc.
Negativecool @ Jan 30th 2007 8:47PM
The guy said "...apparently GOD doesn't want that to happen."
Theres your answer right there folks. It wasn't restocking issues, manufacturing issues, or mishandling issues of any kind. No, it was divine intervention.
That is why no console manufacturer can ever dominate 3 console generations in a row...God won't allow such an unbalance in power.
EezerGoode @ Jan 30th 2007 8:50PM
It was terrorists
Jahgah @ Jan 30th 2007 9:01PM
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG Its Not TEH SOny Bad News..... M$ IS TEH BeSt andSOny Is teh SuxxOrs According 2 joystiq..................
Where is the bias now you coporate whores
Bill=Pwnt @ Jan 30th 2007 8:55PM
My Gamestop purchased xbox has worked since day one as well. But I do have a friend that bought his at Wal-Mart and has already been through three systems in about four months.
Optimus Prime @ Jan 30th 2007 8:56PM
You're not a REAL 360 owner until you've gone through two of them.. lol
kevolution @ Jan 30th 2007 9:00PM
Walmart! You get what you pay for. That place is garbage, I'm willing to bet the restocked broken machines.
F Walmart. You can return anything to them without receipts, they'll take anything back. And that is all they are good for, returning crap.
Steve @ Jan 30th 2007 9:02PM
There's that Microsoft quality again. And people wonder why I don't have one of those defective POS devices.
But I do have a Wii, and hopefully in a week or so my Wii will return repaired. See, when it comes back I'll be on my third Wii. Nintendo's product does work, technically, but the video chip eventually breaks down and scatters dots over the screen. From what I've read, the 5 year old video card inside the Wii is overclocked and overheats.
jaxsedrin @ Jan 30th 2007 9:07PM
I've had the same 360 since launch... the hardware works fine to this day. The only problem I've had is that my 360 has left circular scratches on Oblivion and TWO copies of Saints Row... leaving all 3 unplayable. :-(
Arturo @ Jan 30th 2007 9:06PM
@23:
yep there's that ms quality. im still on my first and it STILL works! can u believe it? lolz
Mike @ Jan 30th 2007 9:11PM
Returning consumer goods is like a scratch-off lottery ticket: chances are if you buy one and leave the store, scratch it off in your car and win, then go back inside to get another...it's going to be a loser.
smjames23 @ Jan 30th 2007 9:12PM
Apparently nobodys heard of the Wally Switcheroo?!?! Wal-Mart does not scan the bar codes on the 360 to match it to the box and reciept (unlike Gamestop where my "first" 360 was purchased). So if yours breaks buy a new one then switch the consoles and return it. Sam will take ANYTHING back. Unfortunatly when you take it back it goes right back to the shelf. My sincere apologies to the dude that got my first 360 that broke last summer. :0
GoonieGooGoo @ Jan 30th 2007 9:30PM
Sucks to be him....I have 2 launch 360s and 1 2nd shipment 360...no issues whatsoever.
Am I just lucky or am I tempting fate by typing this message?? DUM DUM DUM!!!!
smjames23 @ Jan 30th 2007 9:15PM
This has nothing to do with MS quality its Wal-Marts return policy.
Konchu @ Jan 30th 2007 9:19PM
That is really interesting the 360 has definatly had it's share of system problems but I have not seen anyone thats had that many problems in that short of time leading me to believe that there is something up here.
Either Walmart is restocking bad systems, Divine intervention from God himself or a stunt by people wanting to make a video exaggerating the problem.
blackrabbit @ Jan 30th 2007 9:26PM
this sounds familiar; i went through a couple 360s at my local Best Buy - #1) controller was broken #2) wouldn't connect to XBOX Live #3) worked fine, so far. i did buy the extended warranty after getting #3, something i never do, just in case.
hyperweaver @ Jan 30th 2007 9:23PM
I am on my second XBox 360. The first one couldn't connect to the wireless controller and froze after 20 mins,I sent it back in and after 20 days finally got a used replacement whose DVD tray would not open! That one is still waiting for the coffin to send back to MS. How can Microsoft keep on dropping the ball with their products? Customer support was ridiculous and misleading. What a waste of time.
Jake @ Jan 30th 2007 9:25PM
My first 360 was purchased with a $40 Gamestop warranty. It started doing this weird thing where it would work fine, but if I played for more than 10 minutes I couldn't power off the system or switch disks. Once I did so, the video would no longer appear on my TV. The sound worked. I could start a game and hear that it was functioning. But, no video. I returned it, was given a new system, got to keep my hard drive, and have been perfectly fine since.
That is why you get an extra warranty when you buy something $300+. Gamestop's is great. They trade you no questions asked.
MrBlank @ Jan 30th 2007 9:27PM
They restock returns. I bought Final Fantasy XI only to find out, after several hours of installing, that the serial number was invalid. Some one bought the game took the number and then neatly resealed the box and returned it. I had to bitch and bitch to get an exchange. They didn't understand what I was talking about and then didn't believe me. Finally a manager approved it and I made damn sure the second one was sealed up properly.
Dark-Pen @ Jan 31st 2007 9:08PM
Personally, I've had a bad experience myself with Walmart, though I think it was an isolated thing as well.
When I first purchased a PSP (it was the entertainment pack, in December of last year), I ran the Lord of Dogtown UMD, and there was all of this black shit going on on the screen. There isn't even any sort of technical term for this behavior anywhere on the net, as it seems that "dead pixel" "stuck pixel" and "hot pixel" and their respective definitions are all mixed up.
After experimenting, running that flashing color video that's supposed to fix stuck pixels for about 12+ hours, trying movies from my memory stick, I finally ended up exchanging it for a new one at walmart about a week before christmas (and mind you, it was very busy, particularly the customer service/item exchange/refund area).
Long story short, the new one worked perfectly well (aside from two hot pixels that you can barely notice), and I've been using my PSP as an mp3 player ever since :D
PS3 covered in dust @ Jan 30th 2007 9:30PM
I agree it's Wal-Mart's return policy and restocking shelves. My 360 works like a tank!! I bought a nintendo product from them before that (when I got home) turned out to be an empty box!! Nice inventory system you got going there Wal-Mart. How that company has stayed in business with their bargain bins is beyond me. Damn, and for a split second Sony Fanboys thought they had something to do kartwheels over!!
thebiggameover @ Jan 30th 2007 9:38PM
Wal-mart's restocking returns. dont buy anything there. for reals, have you ever had their bread? i think they make it in a tube or something....
Dustin @ Jan 30th 2007 9:33PM
I ended up trading in three consoles to get my almost-fully operational fourth console.
From my experience Xbox 360 is a fairly faulty console.
James @ Jan 30th 2007 9:50PM
This isn't news. Everybody knows Xbox 360's are poorly constructed little bitches. Maybe that extra $100 for the PS3 went into quality control, because Microsoft surely didnt' spend enough there.
steve Johnson @ Jan 30th 2007 9:55PM
What do you expect? A POS product made by a POS company, bought at a POS store.
Great for a laugh though!
It reminds me of the first thing a guy told me after he got his 360 and I asked him how he liked it. He said to sure you get the extended warranty, because he had to return THREE of them before he got a 360 that worked! And no, he didn't get his from sleezbag Walmart either.
mcloki @ Jan 30th 2007 9:55PM
It was divine intervention, but you didn't take the hint.
Covenant @ Jan 30th 2007 10:02PM
I worked for Wal-Mart years ago, back when the PS1 was king...and returned items often went back to the shelves. (Now, this has been about eight years ago, so things might have changed--maybe). I worked in the electronics department, and unless something was "obviously" wrong with an item (physical damage and the like) Customer Service taped it back up and sent it back to the department. I sold the same Home Theater in a box twice, and saw it returned twice, before I was able to convince someone to send it back as defective. The same was true of VCRs and (early) DVD players. After Christmas, we had about 2 dozen PS1s returned...and EVERY one of them went back on the shelves, carefully taped. The only reason I stuck with this job was to pay the bills. Once my other job bumped me up to fulltime, I quit. Now, my sister toils for them (different store), and she's told me a few stories, too.
Dux @ Jan 30th 2007 10:13PM
Im on my 3rd 360. The first one I bought was on March 5th 2006 and the machine worked fine until around November. Thats when I got the 3 red rings of lights. So I sent it in for repairs and they sent me a refurb unit that its disc tray would not open! So I sent that one back and they just sent me a brand spankin new one! MF Date: October 11, 2006. Praying to god this one does not fail.
Greg @ Jan 30th 2007 10:29PM
"So either this is an isolated freak of nature, Microsoft is shipping abnormal amounts of defective product, or Wal-mart's restocking returns."
Or perhaps someone just wanted their 15 minutes of fame. Congrats if that is the case. :)
reg0later @ Jan 30th 2007 10:34PM
I bought a ds from wal-mart,
and the system was broken into 2 and had grease and black smudges all over it.The girl at the return desk said it happens all the time at least once a day.To top it all off I had to hear the stocking guy lecture about the Greatness of the psp and I should exchange for that while we searched for a DS that was not Broken!!
sethern @ Jan 30th 2007 10:44PM
I had 10 360s die on me. the first lasted 3 weeks. took it back to Eb and got a new 360 that lasted 4 weeks. I had to go threw Ms for my third 360 and it was DOA. The same with the 6 that followed it. my last 360 was new and lasted 92 days (byby warranty) The dvd drive wold not open and close properly. I had enough. I riged it by leaving a game in the tray and took it to gamestop to trade in. $480 for it and my games. I am now a happy owner of a Wii. Ms can kiss my ass!
makesevenupyours @ Jan 30th 2007 10:52PM
i bought mine at wal-mart and it stopped reading games about an hour later. took it back the next morning, they didnt even question why i wanted to return it. got a new one. havent had ANY problems.
Evan @ Jan 30th 2007 10:55PM
I thought it was funny how Wal-Mart sold me an opened console that someone returned defective.
Paul Gandersman @ Jan 30th 2007 10:57PM
i thought it was pretty much well known that walmart puts everything you return right back on the shelf and stamps it as new, remember that Zune that sold with a 6 man gay orgy on it and the walmart manager said that microsoft put it on there? uh huh, i bet these 360s were brand spankin new