Microsoft launches new Xbox 360 repair web site

52 Comments by Justin McElroy Aug 4th 2007 9:29AM
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

If your 360 should ever throw up that crimson gang sign of eternal sleep, the red rings of death, you will be very, very angry. But your anger won't stand a chance against the sheer convenience of Microsoft's new online effort at service.xbox.com. That's right, repairing your broken system just got automated. In addition to registering your console, you'll also be able to schedule repairs and keep track of them once you've sent your baby into that long, dark night. Now, how can you still be mad?

This site also gives you a $5 discount for out-of-warranty repairs, a nice perk completely out-shined by the fact that we won't have to wait on hold to deal with Microsoft's crack customer service team.

[Thanks Hansi]

Tags: microsoft, rrod, xbox360

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

swiss591: Aug 4th 2007; 9:36AM

This would of been helpful about a month ago when I had to wait about 2 hours on the phone so I could talk to an "agent". Well atleast next time my 360 dies then I'll be able to use this site.

Colin: Aug 4th 2007; 9:37AM

...Are you serious? Although I just got my 360 in April, that exact site has been up since then, probably longer.

ForceUnleashed: Aug 4th 2007; 9:38AM

Well I'm not going to be "angry" since I know it will get repaired.

In the meantime I've got my Wii, work, and friends to fill the "void".

Seriously gaming is fun and all but its not a lifestyle...there are much more important things to get upset about than a console.

ill trooper: Aug 5th 2007; 4:38AM

An excellent sentiment, but in reality, we are talking about something different here.

The decision to see friends, go outside, play your wii, etc., should be left entirely up to you, and a faulty 360 should not factor in to the decision, forcing other actions with it's failure.

And you're right - there are more serious things to get upset about - like major U.S. corporations shipping out unreliable hardware and getting away with it because people basically say "it's fine with me, they extended their warranty" or "they sent me a coupon for a new one," or many other things. It sets a precedent for faulty merchandise being acceptable. Bad trend.

ForceUnleashed: Aug 5th 2007; 9:47AM

Well in MS case I'm one of those who really isn't that perturbed by the whole hardware issues. They're still pretty new to the gaming industry and things like that do happen to all companies.

I think MS has addressed the issue enough me. Its time for people to move on.

In regards to gaming, etc. I'm totally agree w/ you that the choice to do those things I mentioned above lies with the person. But the way some people on this site act, you'd think that if a console broke they'd lose their mind and go insane due to lack of anything else to do!

All I'm saying is look around....war, famine, poverty, racism, sexism, diseases such as AIDs, etc. There are way more serious matters for gamers to cry about rather than screaming death threats at MS because they're going to be without a gaming console for 2 to 4 weeks.

Robert: Aug 4th 2007; 9:43AM

Being able to set up the repair online is great. I spent about four hours on the phone over the past two weeks just trying to get a repair box sent out to me. Either the phone center people are completely incompetent or their repair system is broken. It would have been nice to do it all online myself.

Russell: Aug 4th 2007; 10:00AM

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I've been having that same problem. I want them to send me a freaking shipping box so that I can get my Xbox back in time for the flood of games coming out this fall.

laserboyjc: Aug 4th 2007; 10:57AM

you don't really need a box from them...I used one I had myself and made sure the system was snug. I didn't get upset when it happened, specially since I sent my system out on a Monday and received a replacement on Thursday that same week...not to mention I won the system through a contest I learned about through Joystiq, I've been coming to this site ever since

Aarron: Aug 4th 2007; 10:11AM

i think joystiq is losing its touch i registered my console on this site months and months ago its been up for ages

Eric: Aug 4th 2007; 1:24PM

That's just what I was thinking. This is nothing new at all.

As a side note, I called for service the day that the warranty extension was announced and I got my 360 back a couple of days ago. It was about a 3 week turn around total and they shipped me a new 360 as a replacement. Manufacture date of September of 2006.

Shmil: Aug 4th 2007; 10:17AM

screw online automated repairs, repair your xbox your self, step one:remove harddrive step two: open up xbox using prodding device on the top and bottom, step 3: using torque wrenches remove circuit board from protective case. step 4: using needle nose pliers remove x-clamps that attach the heatsinks from processor chip and ram, step 5: use isopropyle aka: rubbing alcohol and some toothpicks to remove and scrape off thermal paster on processor and ram, step 6: a new layer of thermal paste onto processor and ram: step 7: be sure to put the x-clamps and heat sinks back on carefully step 8, put xbox back together, step 9, play xbox

ill trooper: Aug 5th 2007; 4:41AM

We shouldn't have to do any of this.

rDr4g0n: Aug 4th 2007; 10:28AM

uh huh, but this isnt the recall that shouldve been done a year ago.

dantebk: Aug 4th 2007; 10:29AM

My first 360 failed, but since Gamestop gave me a free 1-year replacement when I bought it, I just exchanged it there.

Does anyone know if I have to re-register the new 360 or if I'm still covered from when I registered the first one? Gamestop scanned both serial numbers when I did the exchange, but I assume that's for their records, not for Microsoft...

Colin: Aug 4th 2007; 10:35AM

Also, what is the problem people have been having with calling in? I mean, I only called in once, but when I did, everything went fine. It took less than half an hour, mostly cause she had me do the tips online to try and fix it, which I had already done, but whatever.

Yoshi: Aug 4th 2007; 10:40AM

Yeah so this new site is teh suck, I tried registering my 360 to just get it out of the way so that if/when I got a RROD, I would be ready, but it keeps saying my product registration failed.

Autopsy15: Aug 4th 2007; 10:52AM

I wonder why Sony doesn't have a PS3 repair site...

BruceLeroy: Aug 4th 2007; 12:14PM

Because PS3's do not overheat and break down.

Autopsy15: Aug 4th 2007; 2:28PM

That's what I was alluding to.

phattie: Aug 4th 2007; 10:58AM

They should have called it: http://www.rrod.com/ ... the url is still for sale.

Sesur: Aug 4th 2007; 11:16AM

I've been checking this site out for the past month since I got the RROD early July. I only had to make one call and waited on hold maybe 25 minutes. Maybe I was just lucky, but my only complaint about MS's warranty was how long they had my 360 (about 3 weeks). Hell, they even gave me a month of Live for the wait!

Mad: Aug 4th 2007; 11:19AM

How convinient for me, ahem.

My 5th Xbox just red ringed on me last night. Mind you, this was the first time the console red ringed on me, every other time it was something else, but still.

norbit: Aug 4th 2007; 2:01PM

So what happened to the other 4?

Marasai: Aug 4th 2007; 11:40AM

So does this mean we never have to deal with Max again? because I just wanna kill that stupid phone bot.

Adam: Aug 4th 2007; 11:41AM

My problem with Microsoft isn't so much their customer service over the phone. The first time, I was able to talk to someone within 5 minutes. The big problem was that it took 4 weeks to get it back, and the replacement one they sent me didn't even work. I then spent only 30 minutes on hold to repeat the month-long process again. Still waiting...

Adam: Aug 4th 2007; 12:07PM

Do you know what would be even better?

An Xbox360 that simply didn't break, everyone else seems to be able to do it.

I'm still waiting for mine to come back. I hope it gets here before bioshock does.

Tukulito-Zakayama: Aug 4th 2007; 12:20PM

Do you one a good advise..? sell that piece of crap on
E-Bay........

horngreen: Aug 4th 2007; 1:12PM

"Do you one a good advise...?
Not from somebody with the exceptional command of the english language such as yourself.

Mike: Aug 4th 2007; 12:41PM

"crimson gang sign"
I'm loving that new title for the "Red Ring of Death"

LOL :-D

pete: Aug 4th 2007; 1:15PM

Still on my launch '360...guess I'm just lucky, but maybe I should register this bad boy just to be safe, eh?

Jeff: Aug 4th 2007; 1:38PM

I'm getting even closer to buying a 360... now if they just came out with a new version...

Spongie: Aug 4th 2007; 2:04PM

Still on my launch 360 no problems so far...

Lucky: Aug 4th 2007; 2:43PM

I was acculy on the phone with there support just a few minutes ago (becaues of problems with my wireless controller.) I love the 260 starting noies when you get one there, the 'hip' soundingvoice machien and the voice reconition feature were you say what the problem is.

XD

Curmeo: Aug 4th 2007; 3:31PM

when for the first time in the video game industry, a company extends its standard 1 year warranty to 3 years and launches a dedicated repair site, you know there's something terribly wrong with the system's engineering.

MS how about including scratched/damaged disc repairs/reimbursements (even when the console is stationary) as part of the 3 year warranty?

the simple fact of the matter is, if MS was confident in their current hardware revisions, they would *only* apply the 3 year warranty to existing customers, and not to new customers with the newer improved 360s.

i'll prolly get attacked by Xbots like crazy: i know the truth hurts for you guys. 360 is a good system but it more unstable than Ken Kutaragi's career.

Tukulito-Zakayama: Aug 4th 2007; 6:18PM

ha,ha,ha you are right and funny man.....

Eric: Aug 4th 2007; 3:37PM

Thank god, why didn't they do that in the first place? Yeah, no more dealing with people whos third or fourth language is English. Now if my system would have the decency to give me a RROD. The GPU is shot, but still no RROD.

Witbyt: Aug 4th 2007; 4:53PM

I keep on getting a "problem occurred" page
I've checked all my settings, SN and everything, yet this keeps coming up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/witbyt/Error.jpg

Brandon: Aug 4th 2007; 9:26PM

I keep getting that as well. I called MS about it and they told me they didn't what I was talking about and to not worry that I can just call and they couldn't do anything for me.

Dando: Aug 4th 2007; 8:08PM

Urgh... I can't believe hardly anyone has condemned Microsoft for this. If this were Sony, oh you Xbots would be over it like dirty old men are to children.

Garrett: Aug 4th 2007; 9:52PM

I haven't gotten rrod'd yet, but I know the day is inevitable. The problem seems to buy all the XBLA games I've bought and xblm content I've bought will be killed if they change rather than repair my console. Apparently some people have convinced MS to create a dummy live silver accounted credited with enough ms points to repurchase everything, does this site mention that?

tobin92: Aug 4th 2007; 11:24PM

Can people that ordered thei repair via phone support track their repair on the internet?

inspectre: Aug 5th 2007; 1:54AM

I can still be upset because when I send it my defective console with the "red ring of death" M$ will send me another "refurbished" defective console without the new hardware configuration.

fester: Aug 5th 2007; 2:28AM

I just turned my launch 360 over to my son-in-law;never a prob. with it, runs well. I then bought a new 360 Elite [svelte and very nice] now, question is in all the mumbo-jumbo written about it little if no mention was made about improved fan system [hence, runs cooler].Anybody know if any improvs made as far as better cooling....cus duh, you would think MS would give it some attention owing to all the bs with the overheating probs-anybody know??

DUG E. FRESH: Aug 5th 2007; 8:30AM

GOOD JOB MICROSOFT

hotnutz: Aug 6th 2007; 7:17AM

I can't even believe that people are accepting of this business practice ... I don't think I've ever seen such people who don't care that they got screwed by a corporation - now I understand how Bush got voted in a second time. Complacency. Well I hope you enjoy laying there and taking it.

I choose to vote with my dollars and have decided not to buy a 360 because I like to spend my money on hardware that is well designed and isn't guaranteed to break down. Guess I'm going against the trend but too bad. You guys should be ashamed at yourself for not making a bigger stink about this.

crazyblackman: Aug 6th 2007; 1:45PM

you people spent 400 dollars on a console and readily accept incompetent service, as well as KNOWN
faulty hardware RIGHT AT LAUNCH and say things like "oh well" and "these things happen"?! you people are the type of consumers who deserve to get ripped off. what if you bought a brand new car and the same things happened? you people set the bar for companies like microsucker do continue to sell overpriced crap like this and get away with it. you disgust me. this crappy console was launched as quickly as possible to avoid having to compete with the ps3. you all know it but refuse to admit and continue to allow microsucker to put more sand in the vaseline before they stick it to you. oh but...they got the best games, right? whatever. idiots with money are soon parted...again and again.

crazyblackman: Aug 6th 2007; 1:54PM

and furthermore, I can see why microsucker and ea sports are in bed together. thats a match made in heaven. they can now rip all you "brand new refurbished xbox 360", microsucker lovers off together while they laugh all the way to the bank. glad i bought a "quality" ps3. and only one. i will wait for good games. but i wont have to wait for a refurbished console thats older than the one i shipped for repairs. again and again.

Kamakazie: Aug 12th 2007; 4:16PM

Uh... this site has been up for at least a year now...

Juan Baez: Sep 10th 2007; 5:34PM

Xbox360 Fault-Design
If you are a Fan player you xbox360 will fail, is just a matter of time.
1.- Regular use cause overheating and mealt GPU Compund over components.
2.- Xbox360 overheating cause cracks in ball contacts under the GPU (GPU and Mother Board both has diferent thermal characteristics).
Facts: All Xbox 360 are defectives (who don't know sombody whit "The three rings of the death".)