EB and their extended warranty

[brianward81]

My 360 died, have 1 week left on my extended warranty. EB don't give out new consoles anymore (so I was lied to when I originally paid for it) so they give you a refurbished console. What they don't tell you is that if something goes wrong with that console and your warranty expires with EB (like mine will in a week), Microsoft will NOT repair it as it has been tampered with by unauthorized technicians (the EB technicians "fix it").
So they are giving you a machine that is not deemed fit by Microsoft standards. What did they tell me when I told them this? "You can have a refund on your extended warranty ." If I hadn't checked with Microsoft about this, I'd be getting a console that is no better than one that is chipped - unserviceable by Microsoft. Plus, if my console hadn't buggered up then EB would be pocketing my $85 without offering it back to me.

I'll be taking this further.

Anyone with some good input would be greatly appreciated.

[TheAnswer]

Well if you must know, once Microsoft extended the RROD warranty to 3 years from the original 12 months EB Games stopped selling extended warranties on Xbox 360s and some people had managed to get refunds for their extended warranties as a result. As for EB technicians repairing the consoles I believe happens because of a problem EB and MS had over warranty repairs and at one stage there was a rumour that EB would stop stocking the 360. Also EB only offers $30 trade in for a 360 console as I guess they got stung by some people trading in RROD consoles to them.

It is a rip though that they are offering you a refurbished console but if you read their terms and conditions there is probably a cause that states something like "we will repair your console or provide a working console as replacement" and that condition would not state any replacement console would be brand new to allow them to give you a refurbished console.

How long have you owned your console anyway? As really if you purchased an extended warranty but never make a claim in the life of the warranty period they pocket your money anyway
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[ObsoletE]

with only a week on your extended warranty, it'd make no difference if you got a new unit, or a refurbished one anyway.
i mean, if you'd only had a week left on the standard warranty, and sent it back to MS directly, and they sent you a brand new console, your warranty doesn't reset, it expires in a week, just like before.

and iirc, EB put out a statement when the RROD extension came in saying that if you bought an extended warranty from EB, you could go in and get a refund. pretty sure quite a few people here went and got their money back.

as for pocketing your money if you didn't make a claim, well isn't that what warranties and insurances are?
you're placing a bet that something you own will break (or get stolen) and your insurance provider is betting it won't.
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[brianward81]

I bought my console on 31/08/06.

I know that all extended warranties are that; a gamble where if you don't need to make a claim then you lose your money. However, I was not aware that they were offering a refund on the warranty (I don't frequent forums looking at all this stuff) - I only found out by stumbling on it on the net to hear everyone's stories. So if my console wasn't dead when the warranty was up, I'd be none the wiser to the fact that I deserved a refund on that warranty like everyone else was. I know that if I was given a new console the warranty wouldn't reset but at least I'd be able to get it repaired by Microsoft if something did go wrong with it in the future. The refurbished ones from EB won't be accepted by Microsoft for repair.

The fact that EB are giving me a console that won't be repaired by Microsoft is a breach of their agreement. It states that they will repair or replace with a working one. Well what good is a working one if Microsoft don't deem it fit to repair it? And how many people who have taken these refurbished 360's from EB are yet to find out that Microsoft won't touch their console if it screws up? And how many other people haven't gotten the refund on their warranties just because there wasn't a problem with their console?

I've searched for this statement that EB apparently released but can't find it anywhere. Can anyone give me a link for it?

[EvilHayama]

[brianward81]

It's not RROD - it's E74. So I know I'd have to pay Microsoft to get it repaired or refurbished but its better that I do that then have EB give me a console that is as good as if I opened it myself and tried to fix it - unrepairable by Microsoft.

But regardless of that, I really think EB are being dodgy in not informing their customers of the fact that if they accept a refurbished 360 from EB that Microsoft will no longer have anything to do with it. They haven't made it clear to owners of the extended warranty that they are entitled to a refund on their warranty, regardless of whether it needs repairing or not, and they are trying to appease customers by giving them a "fixed" console which, and I quote from an email I received from EB;

"We do replace your old 360 for a refurbished one that has been inspected by our Head Office technicians. They have a device that fixes the ‘Red Ring’ problem. So the chances of having another problem with your console are greatly decreased."

Am I being unreasonable?

[Chopbusted]

No, you aren't being unreasonable, it's a known fact EB suck.

But at least you can come out of this ok .... get your refund from EB and put that towards having your 360 repaired by Microsoft. That way you are no worse off than if you never bought the extended warranty from those bloodsuckers in the first place.
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[Rabscallion]

So cant you just get the refurbished console? if your last 360 lasted nearly two years, chances are your next one will last over a year, so itd be better than the microsoft 3 year RROD offer anyway.

[brianward81]

How does that work? I hope that the EB refurbished one lasts me a year... and if it doesn't then Microsoft won't repair it because it was refurbished by an unauthorized technician (the EB head office technicians).

Yes, I can go to EB and get a refurbished one this afternoon. But if and when that one crashes, Microsoft will NOT repair it. You need to have your machine refurbished by Microsoft, not EB, for it to be eligible for further repairs. So their warranty is giving me a product that Microsoft doesn't deem fit for them to repair - how am I being treated right?

[ObsoletE]

[brianward81]

Refunds are available for everyone who paid for an extended warranty through EB but they haven't informed all their customers who purchased them. Or made the statement available.

Is that not dodgy? All the people who don't have a problem with their 360 within the 2 years are still eligible for their money back but they won't find out about it unless they search internet forums or complain to a manager to only then have it offered back to them. Sorry, I find that dodgy.

In regards to the refurbished console being an acceptable option. Say it wasn't an Xbox - it was a Toyota. The dealership you buy it from does repairs on it. It works fine for a year. Then the repairs that were done crap themselves. You need to pay for repairs, so you go to your local Toyota dealership but they won't repair it because they didn't do the initial repairs. Yes, Microsoft are crap for monopolizing the repair system but it's EB's problem, not mine. They may be giving me what their warranty states but I'm sure the ACCC, who I've contacted, won't think that as appropriate conduct.

Maybe I'm overreacting. I could just take my refund and forget it but I don't like getting screwed. I especially don't like getting screwed when I believe I can prevent it.

[harness]

Seems to me like EB might be reneging on their obligations. When you bought it, they promised you a new console, isn't that right? So regardless as to whether that policy has changed, your original warranty says you should get a new one.

You could go to the Department of Fair Trading in your state for more advice.

[TheAnswer]

[brianward81]

[ObsoletE]

^ regardless of what was said, it's what's written down that counts.

again, "let the buyer beware".
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[Marka]

Extended console warranties are useless. Often the the repairer the policy prodiver uses can't fix you console properly.

[THEMAN]

I have to say the OP is really naive about what he thinks he'll get from EB from their "extended warranty". stop complaining and take a working console. Ask for your console warranty money back if you must but then you'll have to go through MS which is even worse.

plus if its not a red ring - you only have a 1 year warranty from MS. so just take the EB working console.
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[brianward81]

Even though I was told I'd get a new console at the time I bought it, I don't expect to get a new console from the extended warranty. What I do expect to get is a replacement that will not be worthless to me if it happens to die too. What good is a console that might be working now but cannot be repaired if the need to arises?

As it stands, the replacement EB have offered me will not be repaired by Microsoft. So my only option if this refurbished one dies would be to go back to EB for another refurbished one - however my warranty will have finished in a week. So then I don't have the option of getting it replaced or repaired by EB anymore (of course not, my warranty is over) but I can't even send it to the manufacturer to get fixed. If EB gave me a refurbished console that could still be repaired in the future, I wouldn't care. But they're not.

Maybe you haven't read all the posts I made over this - if you have, the fact that you think I'm just "complaining" is surprising to me.

[THEMAN]

your warranty is over in a week. you have no more warranty with EB or MS either way. deal with it. things break. Obsolete already covered this so I'm done here.

btw the working refurbed console can be repaired when it dies. You just gotta pay for it. BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. Same policy will apply with any other piece of consumer electronic.
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[brianward81]

It's funny that you refuse to read. I know my warranty is over in a week (I've stated that several times) and therefore I'll have to pay for any further repairs.

I asked the manager from EB if Microsoft would repair a console refurbished by them and he said, "No they won't."

Want more proof? This is from Microsoft in regards to them repairing the console from EB;

Hi Brian!

Thank you for writing Xbox Customer Support!

I apologize for the inconvenience and as I understand, you would like to exchange your console to the store where you bought it so that they may replace your broken console. However, you have mentioned that they told you that you will only receive a refurbished console that has been fixed by one of their technicians.

As an end-user, you should not service the Xbox 360 console. Do not try to open or modify the Xbox 360 console.

If you open or modify the Xbox 360 console, you will void the warranty. The following excerpt is from the Xbox 360 User Manual:

Do not attempt to take apart, open, service, or modify the Xbox 360 console, power supply, or peripherals. Doing so could present the risk of electric shock, fire, or damage to your Xbox 360 console.

Any evidence of any attempt to open and/or modify the Xbox 360 console, including any peeling, puncturing, or removal of any of the labels, will void the Limited Warranty and render the Xbox 360 console ineligible for authorized repair.

If the Xbox 360 console requires service or repair, call Xbox Customer Support to arrange to have Microsoft service the Xbox 360 console.

Note: The Xbox 360 console features customizable and replaceable faceplates. Replacing the faceplates is not considered tampering or modifying the console.

If you send your console for repair and your console was found to have been modified or tampered with, it will be returned to you unrepaired.


Maybe I should start writing in capital letters too - is that supposed to make your argument more valid?

[G3ck0]

Or maybe you could sell the refurbished console on eBay and then nearly have enough to buy an arcade console? Or something like that,

[brianward81]

There's an idea I can work with.

Thanks mate.

[Snixtor]

I think its Microsoft you should be frustrated with, not EB. MS has put retailers in an incredibly difficult position with regards to the huge number of faulty units produced. MS offered a truly sub-standard warranty and service, to the point that retailers had no choice but to at least try and fix the damn things themselves. They've offered some compensation in terms of extending the RROD warranty to 3 years, but they've still shafted everyone.

[brianward81]

Of course I'm frustrated with Microsoft. I completely understand that had they done right by the retailers (or even just spent a little more time making the 360's work better) that EB and other companies wouldn't have to resort to fixing the consoles themselves.

I spoke to the ACCC at length yesterday and they said for me to pursue it so I am. If they had told me that what EB were doing was an acceptable option for me I would have dropped the issue.

[Marky Mark]

I stopped reading at the post where you say it's not an RROD issue so you can't send it back to Microsoft. You can, all you need to do is tell them it's RROD and they'll go ahead and fix it.
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