![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-4147-100x100.png\")
Not buy a banned X-box, that's for sure. My suggestion: If Money's not too big of an issue, Pay the $99 bucks. (or $140, although the literature I read said $99). It beats trying to argue with what Microsoft considers \"support\" nowadays.
If it is an issue, consider calling support (you'll have to, to schedule the repair anyway) and if that doesn't go your way send an EECB to the games division (not sure if Balmer cares about the 360 as much)
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-2502-100x100.png\")
If the card was redeemed, then I don't see where Target has an obligation to refund his money. It's Microsoft's problem, but he might get lucky with a generous manager. As for the 360, that thing has to be the most chronically defective device ever.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1523117-100x100.png\")
I love how everyone rips on the 360 over the RRoD, but no one seems to forget that last-gen's uber-popular PS2 was somewhere in the range of just a little better to even worse than the 360 in quality. The original, non-slim models were horribly plagued by the DRE issue. The system released in 2000, and the slim, which generally fixed the DRE issue, wasn't made available until four years later. MS has improved build quality and lowered failure rates on every new chipset all along, with the newest chipsets thought to have the problem completely fixed.
Sony was sued in a class-action suit over the DREs in 2002, which wasn't settled until 3-4 years later. The result of the settlement was a mere $25, a free game, or reduced cost or repair of the unit, and required the customer to have kept proof of purchase for up to 4-5 years. MS doesn't require proof of purchase (I just popped the serial on my unregistered XBox into xbox.com and it pulled up my system with warranty info), and replace the unit fully free of charge with added one year warranty, a much better deal than anything Sony ever did for the DRE-effected PS2 owners.
The 360 may be pretty badly affected by the RRoD, but it's hardly the worst-made console ever. Even if it were, they've handled the situation a lot better than Sony ever did when their poorly-made console failed left and right.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-413611-100x100.png\")
You do realize that the XBox 360 has the \"honor\" of being the most defective console in history, right. The title was previously held by the Playstation 2.
Depending on whom you believe, the average 360 has a 16%-34% rate of failure. Mind you, prior to the PS2, the average failure rate of big name consoles was 1%-5%! Even the PS2's dreaded failure rate (which MS Xbox fans mocked mercilessly) was the talk of the techies. You're surprised that MS' POS console is getting raked over the coals? Oh and the new ones aren't much better, they still RRoD with alarming regularity.
Skip fanboi stuff. The PS2's failure rate was unacceptable. Then again the fact that it was sh*t at first, doesn't make up for the fact that MS designed a POS this time.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/css/images/default.gif\")
Phil, why would target refund the money? He's used the gift card, his complaint is with Microsoft, not target. If I fill my car with gas, and then the car is stolen, do I go to the gas station and ask for my money back?
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-4587-100x100.png\")
What does being stolen have to do with this?
If you fill your car with gas and it breaks down, you can siphon the gas back out of it and use it in your new car if you wanted.
His 360 broke down, he can siphon the Xbox Live membership into another console. I don't think Target is in the picture anymore.
Check your CraigsList for a local shop that does repair. I took my Xbox with a broken ethernet port (not covered by 3 year RRoD warranty) into a local shop. They are a licensed MS shop, and they just replaced the entire board with a new one sent from MS, it is even a better model than the one I took in, for $55. Took all of 10 minutes for the actual replacement, not 3 weeks as MS quoted.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-375741-100x100.png\")
I would get a new 360 versus getting a new one. In addition to the number of banned systems out there, the newer iterations of the 360 have had most of the issues that caused the RRoD resolved.
As for the XBox Live card, once you get the machine you can use the membership on that machine.
To clarify. Xbox live accounts are for the user account. Not the machine. You can use your xbox live account on any xbox.
I'd fix it myself. Seriously, it's not that hard to do and you can find tutorials on how to do it everywhere, even on youtube.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1471334-100x100.png\")
Some people, including myself, do not have this \"fix it\" gene. I can look at something, watch someone do it, and still not be able to fix something. My brain is not wired this way.
However, if I could fix things, I totally would. Thankfully I know enough people who can fix things that it's usually not a problem.
Well that works just as well. :)
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-2604-100x100.png\")
It's not completely clear from the story whether he's actually going to replace the console. If he chooses to do so, his subscription will still be valid - it's bound to your gamertag, not the machine.
Of course if he's decided he doesn't want the console, then the sub is a write-off.
Ah, that's good information that wasn't in article. I thought the subscription was tied to the console. (/me is not an xbox owner)
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-113647-100x100.png\")
The real issue is the DLC. That is tied to the console and the gamertag. It'll function on any console with the gamertag that bought it logged in. However if you have more than one person in your household with a gamertag swapping consoles will cause it not to work for them. Or just if you are offline. (net or live down for example) If you goto the xbox website you can transfer the DLC to a new console, but only once per year.
Nope. Well, technically yes. But no. While it is tied to both the gamtertag and to the system (You can use downloaded content on the system it was originally downloaded on with any gamertag on that system or you can use it on any system with the gamtertag that downloaded it), MS has the license transfer tool, which allows you to migrate all of your licenses (once per year to prevent you from migrating them back and forth, effectively sharing your DLC with others...if needed more than that due to repair, you must contact MS customer service) to a new console, making it the new owner console of the DLC. This then allows you to play the DLC on that console with any gamertag, online or off.
I doubt Target will refund his money. There's no way they're getting THEIR money back, and he has no complaint with them - his beef is with Microsoft.
You can get the RRoD fixed by people on Craigslist; it'll be cheaper than getting it fixed by MS, and it'll probably last longer.
I've owned two Xbox 360s. First one I gave away to a friend as a gift after three years, and it's still running into its fourth. Bought another one a bit over a year ago, no trouble yet (knock on wood).
Sooo, it *is* possible to have the machine with a RROD. At least, *I* have been lucky with them.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-429538-100x100.png\")
My launch day console is still working just fine, too.
Subject yourself to the mercy of Target to see if they'll take the loss on the subscription card. Otherwise, just buy another XBox. It's not like you are going to get out of the XBox game anyway. What are you going to do with all those hours you've budgeted for online game play? :)
I had hoped MS would do the right thing when the 3 year warranties started to run out and people were still getting faulty refurbs back, and I'm pretty disappointed that they haven't. The latest revisions seem to be more reliable, but if you get an older revision replaced or repaired under warranty it's still going to break again. MS needs to give people 360s that are going to last if they want to have any credibility next generation.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1524831-100x100.png\")
You are out of warranty it's your problem. It's one thing if it were one or two months but 6 months AFTER a 3 year warranty? Come on now it seems like the OP is trying to get something for free. (I've already dealt with MS's CS of death and since I originally reported the problem while under warranty and they did nothing, I entered a very long entry in the 360 website and they decided to fix it) I believe the OP should either repair it themselves (except I don't know but won't this get them banned?) or just pay the fee and get it over with. I'm pretty sure they will give you another 3 year warranty after a repair anyway so what's the issue?
You would be right in most cases, but this is a common defect with the system. It's not really his fault that it red-ringed. MS should fix it for free, no mater how far past warranty it is.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-335366-100x100.png\")
And for how long should the company be on the hook for a system ceasing to function? Everything has a natural lifespan.
Wear and tear is natural, and will occur in everything.
Yes, but three years? A $400 piece of electronics should last longer than that.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-630279-100x100.png\")
my phone was well over $400 (retail) and it will have a lifespan of about 2 years.
\"Yes, but three years? A $400 piece of electronics should last longer than that. \"
You're on the mickey, you are.
What percent of people that you know have iPods or smartphones that are 4 years old, or older? And are they over 60 years old?
/My grandfather's 1952 Frigidaire still runs, but seriously...
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1512428-100x100.png\")
You say that, but shitloads of other electronics only have 1, 3, 6 and month or 1 year limited warranties and have these tendencies to break within 3 years despite having a price tag of hundreds of dollars when they were initially purchased. Quality products have gone strait into the shitter this decade because people would rather have low cost over long life.
I'll agree that MS should have put more effort into building a quality product, but having a 3 year warranty that's pretty much no questions asked as long as a certain error pops up which is triggered by any number of different failures of different components is pretty generous for consumer electronics if you ask me.
But most of those products has a fail rate of under 5%. Most major publications put the 360 fail rate at over 75%!!! I'm sure the 360 has set a new record for faulty products with the 360, so yes, they certainly should fix the error past the three year warranty, it's their fault.
53%, not 75%.
/110% of statistics are made up
umm... what about cars, computers, and televisions (these are just some of my favorite things)? How long should something be under warranty? Personally I DO believe that anything over $5 should be built to last. I'm tired of being in a throw-away economy. I try and make sure I take of my sheeet so that they will last longer than their warranty. Truthfully I've only had a few things that waited just over the warranty period to explode on me. So far only laptops have fallen victim (don't get me started on the used car I bought because that is/was BS). Anyway when do take the burden off the OEM and start realizing that nothing lasts forever?
Ok fine. Lets say you buy a car, and it turns out that that particular car has an over 75% breakdown rate because of a very specific problem. So, the manufacturer decides that, because this is such a common problem, they'll extend the warranty by three years. If your car broke down because of that well known problem only six months outside that warranty, you'd happily pay for the repair?
It's called a TSB, technical service bulletin. Car manufacturers issue them all the time.
Geez, it's rare I get this worked up over a smart-mouthed kid on the Internet.
They extend the warranty for that time BECAUSE the amount of use within that time period should be enough time for it to fail because of that known issue. Meaning: if the car breaks down because of an that particular issue outside the warranty than yes it is your issue because there might be other reasons for the breakdown in conjunction with that known issue. I think 3 years for a hardware failure it pretty generous especially given the rate of failure for other hardware like computers and car engines. If MS really cared about their customers they wouldn't have releases Vista of the 360 until the kinks were worked out... I know that was a shot at Vista but still come on we all know that was built by interns so that MS could bank pure profit from that...
So you think it's reasonable for a car to break after three years? Wow. I bet they can see you coming a mile away.
Wow... that's just rude and adds no value to the discussion. And after three years I've already put over 75,000 miles on my car. The first car went over 200,000 (which I bought at 30,000 and drove for four years) and the last one I had went over 197,000 (bought at 45,000 and drove for 3 years). So yeah after three years of heavy use I can see it breaking down and it not being covered under warranty. Age and use is a HUGE factor when it comes to failure rates.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-336548-100x100.png\")
If there is a 75% failure rate for a particular issue in a car they will do a recall no matter how old it is. If the car breaks down to a known issue then people could die.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-384699-100x100.png\")
we like to compare stories? How about this. My launch console red ringed. I called and got it fixed for free within a week. My girlfriends 360 had the E74 error. She said when they last called it wasn't covered. I told them it should be and got a repair in order within 5 minutes via the website, it's being repaired right now. Worst customer service ever!
/yes sarcasm.
Sorry to hear abouit the E74 issue. Per usual its too late, but they might have a sympathetic ear.
http://support.xbox.com/support/en/us/xbox360/kb.aspx?id=969905&lcid=1033&category=hardware
you missed the sarcasm tag, I wasn't made about the E74 dealy, I was commenting with the intention of saying MS tends to do well in most situation related to the general HW failures. Thanks for teh concern though.
It astounds me how much punishment some people are willing to put up with. I've heard of people who have gone through 6,8, even 10 RROD's; how much is enough? The console may have great games, but the unit itself is apparently garbage; stop throwing away you money already!
I've gone through 6 myself. I'd tell Joseph there to cut his losses and buy a PS3.
I'm not \"throwing money away.\" I'm getting more utility out of the money spent on my 360 than I would on other things. I've been fortunate enough to not have experienced RROD, but even if I had, my time spent on the 360 is a lot of fun.
Money, in and of itself, has no value. It's what we get in exchange for it that has value.
I understand what you're saying, but you're kind of the exception, not having had a RROD. I'm just saying if I have blah that I really enjoy, but it breaks down so often, leaving me either without blah for so long, or it costing me so many dollars, it very quickly becomes not fun and I'll look elsewhere for my entertainment.
There's no excuse for the XBox 360 to have such a poor track record, but MicroSoft has no incentive to fix the problem if people keep buying the things.
or 'your' money.
3 years is long enough. Just buy a new one. Sure it would suck and I would be upset but I'd get over it and just buy an arcade unit. Or look up on youtube how to fix it yourself. Its all ready out of warranty. Craigslist in my area has people who fix rrod for 50 bucks also so you might be able to checked yours and try that.
My launch PS2 didn't even last that long before I stopped reading half my disc. I think it was more around 2 years. My first gamecube lasted almost 4 years before it went out.I remember because I got it for christmas and it died on the day after thanksgiving almost 4 years later.
I bought my xbox on release day at the same time as probably a half dozen other guys that worked with me. Since then, all of their systems have had the RROD and some more than once. My system was the last to fail (of my friends and I) and that happened sometime in September. I called support, knowing that my warranty had expired, but determined to get a free repair. The first person I spoke to (I could barely understand her) wasn't cooperative. I was eventually transferred to a supervisor per my request. I told the supervisor that the system has a latent defect that is widely understood and that I should get it repaired for free. He consented, but not before trying to sell me an extended warranty on the repaired unit.
So in the end, I got the unit repaired for free in spite of being out of warranty. I recommend you press the issue.
C'mon now, you got almost 4 years out of a video game console and you want a free replacement?
YOU HAVE COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS!
I've had my Wii for almost 3 years, it gets played regularly and if it died, I'd drive back to the store and pay $200 for another one. The little warranty card clearly stated it had a one year warranty, I had the option to buy a (scam) protection plan or use a credit card with warranty extension benefits, but as the consumer you are obligated to some amount of responsibility here-- Microsoft has gone above and beyond what most companies would do when they release a crummy-quality product.
What's next, someone taking a \"perfectly functional\" Pentium 133MHz back and asking Best Buy for a new one, because \"it's only 13 years old...\"
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-81728-100x100.png\")
YOU HAVE COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS!
My Atari 2600: 28 years and still works
My Intellivision: 25 years and still works
My NES: 20 years and still works
My Dreamcast: 10 years and still works
My Gamecube: 8 years and still works
How is an X-Box that lasts longer than 3 years unrealistic?
I love this site and the information it provides. I love the fact that we can pull together and have a bargaining position to hold companies accountable for their unprofessional, unethical, illegal, and otherwise wrong behavior.
That said, I often wonder where some of us draw the line on \"what the companies OWES us.\" There is a contract made at the time of every purchase. I pay you, you give me a product or service at a specific set of terms. Here, the terms were a game console with a 1 year warranty, that ended up as a 3 year warranty due to poor manufacturing quality.
Now people are marching in here demanding free consoles forever... because they think they're entitled to them. For no other reason than, \"I paid some money for this thing once and I really like it.\" If you like these things and care about them, you will understand why you can't get a free console in a situation like Joseph's: because the company isn't giving away consoles, it's selling them, and it won't do so in perpetuity at a loss.
We have a responsibility to suck it up and move on with our lives if we want good companies to be able to survive. Some companies deserve to be called on the carpet and/or put out of business, but not in a case like this.
You can expect things to work as long as you want them to. Keep in mind, though, that the landfills are brimming with Dreamcasts and NES consoles.
FWIW, I have a BASEMENT full of old equipment that still works after 10, 20, 30 years. That's not the point.
The expectation that the manufacturer should replace a game console at no cost after almost 4 years is unrealistic. Without the gradual death of the previous generations, there is no drive for innovation. If everyone kept getting free replacement NESes whenever one stopped working after the stated warranty period, how could Nintendo afford to develop the SNES. Or the N64. Or the Gamecube.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-405000-100x100.png\")
\"about the same price you can snag a used 360 on Amazon.\" Unless you want to drag out the pain and have a new story next week 'Microsoft won't let me use the Used 360 I bought from Amazon online because it was banned' I would skip the used market altogether. I would drop the $199 for the arcade model at Target slap the old hard drive in and carry on.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-546082-100x100.png\")
The reason that used XBOX's are cheap on Amazon/Ebay/Craigslist? There is a high probability that they have been banned from XBOX Live. Not a big deal if you never want to play games online, but crippling if you do.
Microsoft bans the physical console from connecting, regardless of who the owner is. It is impossible to convince Microsoft to unban a console. MS just banned an estimated 1 million consoles a month back, so the used market is flooded with these things.
Just a note to be careful. Prior to buying, make sure that it connects to XBOX Live.
Sidebar: I don't have an Xbox 360 yet, but I'm not 100% convinced I'd even want to connect it to Live. What can you dow ith a standalone unit without using Live?
LOL - I kind of forgot that RRoD is even cheaper locally than replacing the entire board. Go on CraigsList and find someone that fixes RRoD for $30. It takes minutes vs. weeks. Added bonus, your 12 month subscription to XBL (who buys this in store, it's usually 30% online) will still work.
The expectation of a free replacement on a deck 6 months out of warranty is a bit silly.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-26176-100x100.png\")
This is why I gave up on 360 and went back to PC gaming. I can fix it, I can upgrade it, and dashboard updates won't brick it.
You also have to pay considerably more to have a DX11 capable system. If I want to play, say, Dragon Age: Origins I'll spend easily twice as much on a decent gaming box as I would on a 360. Plus, I get to deal with the joys of drivers...
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1180992-100x100.png\")
My 360 also died outside the RROD extended warranty. When on the phone with MS support (in India it sounded) I had my call escalated to a supervisor and merely explained that as far as I was concerned I would not accept their response. Just because my machine \"lasted beyond the expected timeframe for a known manufacturer defect\" I would not be paying out of pocket.
They put me on hold for about 2 minutes and then authorized my repair. All I paid was the cost of shipping the unit to them. I received back a working unit.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-119763-100x100.png\")
My 360 was bought 6 months after the console launch. This was before the 3year RROD coverage so I paid an extra 50$ to get Microsoft's end to end 3 year coverage.
The system had to be replaced twice over that 3 year span, once when Halo 3 came out cause my disk drive was giving some errors, the 2nd time it was the HDD controller that had given up the ghost and was doing all sorts of wonky things.
When this one dies, I'm buying a new arcade 360. The thing is that I really want HDMI on my 360 but mine was bought before HDMI was put in.
This thing is on all the time. We have Windows Media Center as a DVR at home and the 360 acts as an extender for that. My wife and 5yo daughter love it.
How come manufacturers can ship something with a known manufacturing defect, warrant that the item is \"free of defects,\" but then refuse to honor the warranty unless there is a symptom of a defect?
In the case of the Xbox 360, most red rings are caused by bad soldering. The soldering doesn't go bad during use, it shipped from the factory with bad solder. The defect isn't that three red lights are blinking, the defect is that the solder was bad. But so long as that solder managed to hold together for three years, Microsoft gets away with being able to claim it was \"free of defects?\"
An excellent point. +1 to you.
Because the soldering isn't universally defective, and RRODs aren't universally caused by bad solder. If you blow a head gasket at 125,000 miles on your Chevy, is it GM's fault because they did not engineer or manufacture the head gasket to last... forever? What's the cutoff?
Agreed Microsoft made some huge durability mistakes on the first couple generations of hardware, but where do you draw the line?
If the product says \"1 year warranty,\" turns out to be a piece of junk, so they extend it to a \"3 year warranty,\" how do you justify showing up at 3.5 years saying, \"This is the first trouble I have had. Please give me another one.\" ???
It's not a matter of the head gasket not being designed to last forever, but of the head gasket shipping with large cracks in it. The bad gasket is not \"guaranteed\" to fail within a hard-and-fast timeframe, it may still manage to hold out if the car is used gently enough, but that doesn't mean the gasket wasn't bad, or that it even met with GM's specs.
In the case of the bad soldering, it's quite simple to tell: if the warranty seal is still intact and there is no scorching/melting on the plastic enclosure, and yet the solder holding a chip to the board still manages to separate, it was a bad solder. If it were a good solder, one up to Microsoft's own specs, you would need to either get the solder to a temperature well above the boiling point of water, or be able to beat on the chip in question with a very large hammer to get the molecular(!) bonds of a proper solder joint to break down.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1222988-100x100.png\")
I'm not sure if the suggestion of a used 360 on Amazon was meant as just a price comparison or what, but you would think that with the reporting this site did on all the bans for modded consoles they wouldn't suggest that. Don't buy used. Don't get it fixed by a random person. Don't fix it yourself. Either pay for MS to have it fixed or buy a new one. I think it's BS that these are your only options, but if you don't want to risk getting a banned console, they are all you can do.
That's a ridiculous statement. Fixing it yourself or having someone else do it is definitely a viable option.
That depends, if you get it fixed via MS, they give you a whole new warranty. As far as I'm aware it's the whole shebang, 1 year general, 3 year RROD again. If you DIY repair you break the security seals and MS won't touch the thing anymore, and you aren't guaranteed to be able to fix whatever the problem is, especially if it's a multi-component failure.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1280471-100x100.png\")
This scares the hell out of me right now. Damn! We are going through this right now in our household.
At first, Microsoft tried to tell me that it was out of Warranty and that I would be out the money for repairs. I told them that they we're crazy with all the documented complaints about the product. The changed the tune of the Canary a bit. Right now, we are going on 1 week since they have had it for repairs. My son saved his money for the damn thing, THIS IS WHAT MAKES ME SICK!
You know, 1 week isn't that bad, it normally take a month from the time you ship it out to them to the time the new one arrives at your doorstep. Also, their trace system isn't the best, sometimes it will say they still have it, but the new system will have already been delivered to your house and the status won't reflect that for a while.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1523289-100x100.png\")
I'm on my third console, I recently had a RROD, and even through it's out of warranty, the RROD is covered under an extended warranty that last until next month.
Read these the RRod is still covered under the extended warranty, so it would cost anything to get the RROD fixed.
http://web.archive.org/web/20071015043853/www.xbox.com/en-CA/support/systemsetup/xbox360/resources/warrantyupdate.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/20071015030818/www.xbox.com/en-CA/support/warrantyfaq.htm
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-697072-100x100.png\")
I red-ringed 4 times. The last one stayed for a year and a half. I was finally out of warranty when it went last month, so I went out and bought a new Arcade. Took the hard drive I had and put it on it, and I was good to go. Sold my broken 360 on Craigslist for 50 bucks. 150 out of pocket, but at least I had a brand new one.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-17534-100x100.png\")
I can't recommend buying a used 360 with the possibility that you may pick up a banned/hacked box and thus be unable to play online. So. Pay for repairs or get an \"arcade\" console on sale.
I've had my Xbox in for repairs three times since launch. Each time, it lasted about six months or so. My last repair, however, was over a year ago and we're still going strong. At this point, if it breaks, I don't have a huge problem picking up a new one.
Given microsoft's recent banhammer escapades, the OP should be very wary of used consoles and/or repairs not done by MS.
Whether MS is in the wrong or not, it would stink to get a working 360 and then have the console banned.
Wrapping it in a towel and leaving it on for a bit will sometimes reflow the solder joints and resurrect the console. Its not a long term fix, but long enough to trade it in a gamestop and use the money towards a new trouble free console.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-52273-100x100.png\")
I feel bad for him but he got 3 years of warranty. It's bad luck he made it that long and then it broke down.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-456323-100x100.png\")
purchase a new arcade system and move the hard drive over. amazon is giving out force unleashed, and transformers free with the purchase of an arcade system today.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1524268-100x100.png\")
I bought a first gen 360 about a year after they came out. No RROD yet. That being said...I've seen XBOX arcades for with a $100-$50 gift card. I'd try to snag one of those.
Just sent off my 360 for the E74 error... after 2 years of use.
At this point, I can only hope the process is painless and I will get back a working 360 before Christmas.
I would agree with most here that asking for a free repair when you're 6 months out of your courtesy 3 year warranty is kind of taking the piss. Just move on and buy a new one. Things have to break sometime and if my Xbox died after nearly 4 years, I'd just sigh, move on and replace it.
1. Don't buy used. Console may be banned from the network.
2. Red-ring warranty does NOT refresh with every replacement. Only NEW systems (original retail purchaser)
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I think any repair MS does on a 360 comes with a 1-year warranty from Microsoft. Don't think it extends the original 3-year RRoD/E74 warranty, just replaces it.
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3 years, and that's an unusually long time for it to last. I have an Intellivision that still works. -.-
Just get a new machine w/ a new RROD/E74 warranty if you can afford it. Many places have different offers for buying new systems (although you missed the best promotion Walmart had of buy an Arcade get a $100 gift card.)
The new machines also have HDMI out (even the Arcade's) and have a much cooler chip set that should last longer (although it's still not perfect.) If you need help paying for the Arcade, you can trade in your system to Gamestop to make up some of the cost. They'll even give you credit for broken systems, only not as much (or you can be a little scummy and towel trick the system to get it to run for a few minutes before you take it to trade in.)
If you don't have a lot of games purchased for the system and don't mind starting over with trophies instead of achievement points, the PS3 has the most bang for your buck out of all the consoles on the market and has a lot of great exclusive games, and access to most of the best third-party games. Also you have free online play (not as good as Live's system, but free is free.) I read a lot of stores on CAG of people fed up with MS customer service and switch just because of that, and I wouldn't blame you if you did.
I have both the 360 and the PS3 and either one is perfect for your gaming needs.
Just beware that Sony's warranty is only for 1 year on anything, and any warranty repair requires a copy of your original receipt from the store you purchased it at, or it's $150 for the repair.
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My husband has purchased two 360s. One he camped by the store for, and the other when get got done with boot camp and all that in 2008. The first is working fine and is with my father now, and we're still abusing the one he more recently bought. The red ring of death is a frightening thing, but for some reason we've been in the minority that doesn't have problems.
I remember being told by a GameStop employee that you can get a deal there that they'll replace your 360 you buy from them every time it breaks. I'm betting the deal is expensive, but if you're concerned, that might work. One employee said he's gone through 7 using the deal thing. You'd have to ask them, though, because I wasn't really paying attention.
Do be careful to not get one that has been banned.
Go to the XBOX 360 repair site and fill out their repair request form. It will tell you at the bottom of the screen it is $99 to repair. There is a drop down box......pick the RROD as your problem. Now look at the price. It should say $0. I have an XBOX just as old and just did this......it will say your warrenty is expired but they will cover the RROD for free.
As an owner of an XBox and a powerful desktop PC (Intel Quad, 4 gig ram, one gig graphics card) I would suggest simply building a powerful desktop PC and use that instead. I own some of the same games on both, and the graphics are actually better on my PC, which is much more powerful than the XBox. GTA IV is way better on the PC than the Xbox, for example. And Modern Warfare is identical. Of course you might end up needing to upgrade the computer as often as an Xbox gives up the ghost, but the cost would be comparable once you have your system set up.
It's funny how I've gone through 3 xbox 360's, yet my old nintendo still plays kung fu with same old 8 bit zest. what happened to quality?
Sadly nothing lasts forever. 3 years is a bit short, still. I'd try to beg a little, but wouldn't burn too many calories before getting a used 360. Remember though, used 360s are a bad idea right now as a lot of them are banned from Xbox Live.
Biggest lesson everyone needs to learn: Learn how much your time is worth per hour, include stress and frusteration as overtime pay, and never exceed that amount in trying to get anything free.
If you get a used 360 from a reputable seller (with a warranty / return policy) then I don't think you have much to worry about buying 360's online.
I just bought one a week or two for cheap on ebay and it works perfectly fine (and isn't banned).
I plan on modding my old one (and never connecting it to live again).