Gaming
Yesterday I decided it was time to start the process of getting my old system sent off to support, before the warranty expired. I purchased the system on 23 July 2007, and the disc drive has been funny (to say the least) when it comes to playing games for about a month or two. It would read them perfectly sometimes, and pretend they were DVDs at other times. And it wasn’t just bad discs, sometimes it would read an old disc correctly one moment, followed by not reading a brand new disc the next.

Since I bought a new Elite last week (which I still have no regrets whatsoever about!) I thought I’d give Microsoft a call to see what they could do about my old console. The first thing that surprised was it was a free-phone number, and that pleased me to no end! =D So after dialling the number, and pressing a few numbers to a recorded message, I was put on hold for around 10/15 minutes. After that a pleasant man with a broken American/Indian accent answered my call, and off we went. I was surprised at how easy the process was, and how laid back the guy on the other end was. He completely understood my problem and talked me through the basic troubleshooting steps (all of which I had previously tried and I’m sure he knew we weren’t going to get a resolution there!) after which he informed me that the console needed to come in. Yay!

So, after coming to that conclusion he informed me that my warranty had expired! I claimed that was impossible, as I still had the receipt saying I bought it in July. He said that was OK, and that they just estimated when the warranty should expire, based on the information from the retailer, but that his system would not let him enter my details for a repair for free. He gave me an e-mail address, and said if I could send it a digital copy of my receipt (scan, e-mail or picture) then it would update the system, and I could call back in 5 days to start the process, after the system had been updated. I was pleased with that result and before I hung up, I decided to register my new Elite…in case anything happens to it!

So today, I got into worked, scanned my receipt and sent it off just before 10am. I received a phone call at 2pm telling me that they had received my e-mail, and had sent me one back detailing the status of my repair. Confused (as I was told it would take a couple of days, and I would have to phone them, not them phone me), I checked my e-mail and it said:

Hello Mr Campbell,

Thank You for contacting Xbox Customer Support.

I have received the proof of purchase you sent us. The warranty information for your console has now been updated in our system and I took the liberty to create a repair order for you.

I’m sending you a UPS or a DHL label through regular mail. Once you receive it (1-3 business days). Find packaging for your console (not the original box). Please do not include any accessories or cables with the console also please remove HDD and make sure no disc’s are in the disc tray, any accessories sent in will not be returned. If you are not home when the labels arrive please contact the courier company to arrange a convenient collection. The turn around time for repair at the moment is 2-3 weeks from when the courier collects the console.

Best Wishes,
Paul
Xbox Support

So there you have it! I didn’t need to call back, and it didn’t take more than 24 hours from my first call to have them send out the sticker! Hopefully it goes well from here on in! I’m still not sure of the exact details of the pick-up and return of the console, hopefully when I receive the sticker I’ll know better.

One secret I will let you in on is that I’m hoping to make the most of this. See, my dilemma is that my home (and my address registered with MS) is in Northern Ireland. The console with the problem is actually located in England. Now, as you can see here, they’re not exactly side-by-side, let alone on the same piece of land! They’ve sent the sticker to Northern Ireland (where I’ll be this weekend) and then I intend to bring it with me to England, slap it on the box, have it picked up…and I’m hoping they’ll deliver it to Northern Ireland. Why you ask? Well, I bought the Elite in England and intend to leave it there. I’d rather have 2 consoles at home (I already have my very first console (a Premium) there), than have 2 consoles in England, because I hope to not be there much longer. Also, it would save me having to bring 2 consoles home, instead of one, when I eventually have to move back permanently.

I’ve heard many reports of other people in this position. Some pleasant, others not so. I’m hoping it goes well for me but it will be interesting to experience it first hand, and compare my experience with other’s. I’ll keep updating the blog with any progress or revelations as they come.