Microsoft has really, really dropped the ball. The Red Rings of Death (RRoD) plaguing Xbox 360’s everywhere is a monumental public relations failure of epic proportions. The hardware failures that cause Red Rings of Death may not have been such a big, big deal, and they may have not shaped people’s already souring opinions of Microsoft in such angry and visceral fashion, had these Red Rings of Death (RRoD) struck customers in, let’s say, the middle of summer, rather than in the middle of November and December. It’s Christmas! Merry Christmas Microsoft! Thanks for the faulty product that the kids want to use but can’t!
My kids were struck by the RRoD during Thanksgiving week. So, now we are all sitting around and waiting for the special cardboard box that Microsoft is shipping over to us. When this special box arrives at our house, we’ll pack up our broken Xbox 360 Elite, according to the very detailed packing instructions included, and send it away for the necessary repairs. We’ll all then just sit around and wait for it to return to us, hopefully before Christmas.
This is seriously inconvenient during the Holidays, to say the least. No, my children do not spend hours upon hours in front of their Xbox, but when they are enjoying their full Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, and when our extended family buys/brings them brand new games for the holidays, they should be able to do more than just stare at them and wish they could play them. They should be able to actually play them on the Xbox we purchased. That’s why we bought an Xbox, less than one year ago. Instead, we, like many, many others who have experienced RRod during this holiday season, will be sitting around looking at games we can’t play together and wondering when our Xbox will be repaired and returned to us. Surely Microsoft’s PR people are working over time this Christmas.
Way to go Microsoft! Merry Christmas! Now, can you overnight that special box please? It might speed up this whole process if you do. It’s already been a week and we’d like to have our Xbox 360 Elite back before Christmas. Seriously.
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I’m sorry that happened. Not sure if Sams Club would be willing to swap a purchase that didn’t happen at their store but it’s worth looking in to …
http://consumerist.com/5095841/sams-club-lets-you-swap-out-redringed-xbox-hassle+free
Maybe take it back to where you got it?
Hey, Justin! How are you guys? Hope your Thanksgiving was awesome, man.
Nope. Can’t take it back to the retail store. We have to deal directly with Microsoft. Sucks. The kids are seriously bummed. I honestly don’t know how this could happen to a company so big. Well, maybe I do…
I’ve been hearing about this happening all over the place.
Mine comes in today… I hope.
BUT, this has happened 2x and both this time of year!
Apparently we have the environment to thank. The new materials make it harder to manage heat so the chip pops away. I am not an expert, but found a repair man locally who knows this stuff.
I’m waiting for mine to return. I love how on the repair tracking site they don’t tell you what was repaired and how, or even if you’ll need to ship it to them again.
The box is really nice they ship to you. It has special foam and everything. Mine broke 3 weeks ago. I don’t think they should be in the hardware business.
Well, at least the box is nice! :)
Why this web site do not have other languages support?
yes this happens to almost everyone and not just once, it’s just sad for you guys that it happened when it did, microsoft don’t care as long as they are making money, as with the useless HD DVD add on i bought for my xbox 360 just before they decided to scrap HD DVD’s, no offer of a refund for a piece of kit i can’t use