So my 360 died. Again. 3 Times Now.

desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
edited November 2007 in Games and Technology
You might remember me from such threads as 'So my 360 died'.

Well, I thought I'd update you all on my excellent run of luck with my 360.

This weekend I decided to go all out and buy a HDTV. 32" of glorious Samsung electronics. A few grand in the hole (on finance, of course, since I don't have that kind of money lying around). A few hours after watching LOST on my 360 and my sexy new screen, I turned it off, and on again, and the loading screen fucked-out a little. Paused and the video got all distorted. Weird.

Oh. A restart fixed it. LOLZ. Nothing to worry about. Happened again. Restart. Fine. Again. Restart. Fine. Some gaming, some media-extending. All fine.

Until this morning. Had the house to myself. Plopped myself merrily on the couch to go explore Oblivion in HD, but when I went to put the disc in, what do I see?

3 fucking red lights. Same as last time. Although this time, I'm about a week out of warranty. One week.

Of course, what I should have done at this point, and I would recommend everyone else to do, is immediately call Microsoft/XBOX support and buy a 2 year extended warranty. Why's that? Because it's actually cheaper than a single repair which gives you only a 1 year warranty. Unfortunately I only thought of this loophole when I was butting heads with an incomprehensible indian brick wall call-centre 'supervisor'.

I spent an hour and a half on the phone asking, nay, demanding that I be given some consideration given that my 360 has already been repaired once, that this repair obviously wasn't sufficient, that I was a single week outside of warranty.

So hey guys what do you reckon. I'm looking for the cheapest way to get a new and/or repaired 360. They told me if I could get a receipt showing I bought the console after april 8, I'd get another free repair. Anyone? Heh. I hate to beat a dead horse, but it's horseshit that a supposedly 'repaired' console which has broken a second time should wind up costing me more than a 2-year extended warranty. I mean, what the fuck! So here I am, on a long weekend, with a new HDTV, and nothing to do but play my 360, and I've wound up with a two-hundred dollar slap in the face with a dripping corporate phallus.

Fuck.

UPDATE: Wangled another free repair. 360 returned. Games would freeze after 5 minutes. Same with DVDs. 2 days after getting the console back, I got another 3-red-light error, persistently. So I've sent it back for its third repair, along with a note explaining all the problems I've been having. I'm expecting to receive the console back and the same happening again, and I'm concerned that I will never, ever have a functional piece of hardware ever again.

desperaterobots on
«13456755

Posts

  • Ziac45Ziac45 Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I got the same thing going on with mine, still in warranty though really don't want to have to ship it out. But Ebays always a decent place to look.

    Ziac45 on
  • gunwarriorgunwarrior Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I'd say to get a new 360, there is definently something wrong with it if it's screwing up again after its been "repaired". But if you can get them to give you another repair, take it and see what happens.

    Even though I keep hearing about these breakdowns, nothing has happened to my 360.

    gunwarrior on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Do EB trade broken 360s? :|

    desperaterobots on
  • WoodroezWoodroez Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    D: I just got my 360 back from the 'Care Center' and I really hope I don't have to ever go through that again. I mean, it wasn't a terrible experience, I payed $20usd for shipping and that was it, but fuck, any system that has the awesome library that it has shouldn't be allowed to cut you off from gaming. I will really consider getting a ps3 should mine give me the red ring again. As far as I know, ps3s don't fucking explode.

    In the meantime, I'm going to invest in one of those laptop cooling things that apparently works as well or better than anything officially supported by Microsoft.

    EDIT: My advice for you? Unless you can coerce them to give you the benefit of the doubt, I'd suggest looking for a new 360. You're either spending $300usd on a new Core system (since you have a HDD) or spending, what, 200aus on fixing one that apparently has something inherently wrong with it? After that, consider getting one of those cooling units.

    While you consider the possibilites, just dust off an old system and make due. Sorry about your system.

    2nd Edit: Didn't realize we were mixing dollars. pshaw!

    Woodroez on
    858213-butcher-2.jpg
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Well thats what I mean. A 360 is $650 here. It's $850 when you factor in this SECOND repair. Why didn't I just buy a fucking PS3? I've been paying for xbox live for over a year; if I'd bought a PS3 I would have been fiscally better off!



    ...who am I kidding I don't want a ps3. Heh.

    desperaterobots on
  • Radioactive HamsterRadioactive Hamster Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I'm in a similar situation as the OP. I just checked today and EB does a $50 trade in on broken 360s :| I love the 360's interface and their software but the hardware and support is just so terrible I can't put up with it anymore, I've got my Wii to play for the moment and as soon as I eBay my HD DVD I'll be buying a PS3, never thought I'd say that since I've been a hardcore Xbox fanboy for far too long but Microsoft needs to address these issues and soon if they hope to keep their customer base.

    Radioactive Hamster on
  • TM2 RampageTM2 Rampage Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Towel fix:
    DID YOU TRY TURNING YOUR 360 ON AND COVERING IT WITH A TOWEL FOR AN HOUR AND THEN RESTARTING IT OR SOMETHING???

    TM2 Rampage on
  • WoodroezWoodroez Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Woodroez on
    858213-butcher-2.jpg
  • Death of RatsDeath of Rats Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Towel fix:
    DID YOU TRY TURNING YOUR 360 ON AND COVERING IT WITH A TOWEL FOR AN HOUR AND THEN RESTARTING IT OR SOMETHING???

    HWAA!?

    o_O

    HAAAWW???

    o_O

    WHAAT?

    Death of Rats on
    No I don't.
  • bigwillchbigwillch Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    In terms of any complaint with a big company, where they're just refusing to be reasonable, you need to keep bombarding them with polite but angry letters of complaint, taking it higher and higher each time you receive an unsatisfactory reply until eventually you're writing to Mr. Gates himself. At the same time contact any consumer rights organisations you have over in America, and let the MS complaints department know you are doing so. Don't back down over it, that's what they want you to do as it makes life easy for them. Keep complaining, until the day you die if necessary, and eventually they'll get sick of you and bend the rules.

    That's what I reckon anyway.

    bigwillch on
    fss.png
    xbox GT: Big Will C H
  • El VientoEl Viento Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    The towel fix overheats your 360 just enough for the solder to soften and flow, bridging the cracks and effectively re-soldering everything back into place.

    The soldering in the 360 cracks because they used some kind of environmentally-friendly solder which didn't work quite right.

    El Viento on
    vf5bannerok6.jpg
  • randombattlerandombattle Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    dont_panic_small.jpg

    It's a tough universe out there. If you're going to survive, you really gotta know where your towel is.

    randombattle on
    itsstupidbutidontcare2.gif
    I never asked for this!
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I'm going to try the towel thing. I'm highly skeptical.

    desperaterobots on
  • WoodroezWoodroez Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    One of the posters on 1up's blog-ish story kind of thing said that it's actually the cooling paste on the CPU. It gets so hot it melts and reseats, which allows it to start, once again, cooling all of the CPU properly. He assumed that you could probably just crack the system open, remove the old paste, and apply fresh paste instead. This is even more of an option for you, desperate, since you're out of warranty anyway.

    Woodroez on
    858213-butcher-2.jpg
  • ArugulaZArugulaZ Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    El Viento wrote: »
    The towel fix overheats your 360 just enough for the solder to soften and flow, bridging the cracks and effectively re-soldering everything back into place.

    The soldering in the 360 cracks because they used some kind of environmentally-friendly solder which didn't work quite right.

    Really? I thought it was because the system just ran too damn hot for its own good. I say fuck the environment... just give me a system that'll work for more than an hour at a time. Trust me, one working system with a little lead in it is a lot healthier for mother nature than four systems in the landfill.

    ArugulaZ on
    JR

    Same old site, great new look! Check out The Gameroom Blitz at:
    http://www.lakupo.com/grblitz
  • ben0207ben0207 Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Err, how about buying a new one, sticking yuour old one in it's box and taking it back demanding a refund.

    Bam, one new 360 under your TV and you're not 300 quid in the hole.

    ben0207 on
  • DeusfauxDeusfaux Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    ben0207 wrote: »
    Err, how about buying a new one, sticking yuour old one in it's box and taking it back demanding a refund.

    Bam, one new 360 under your TV and you're not 300 quid in the hole.


    thats fraud - and additionally any place worth a damn will have recorded the serial # of the unit sold and comapre to the unit being returned

    Deusfaux on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Serial numbers.

    edit: beatd.

    desperaterobots on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Woah dudes.

    30 minutes towelled.

    30 minutes cool-down.

    Initially some more video fuck ups, but Oblivion is running good as gold right now.

    Fucking wow.

    desperaterobots on
  • klokklok Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Wow so the towel thing really works?

    klok on
  • LeztaLezta Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    It's crazy. So crazy I'll try it when my current 360 breaks.

    Lezta on
  • KevarKevar regular
    edited April 2007
    Towel fix is a temporary fix. You're gonna wanna find a replacement somehow. Go buy that extended warranty and wait for it to bust down again, maybe?

    Kevar on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Apparently I can't buy an extended warranty as I've complained of 3 red lights, even if it DOES work again. :| completely stoopid.

    Although it *is* a working system now, as far as I'm concerned. And, as far as EB is concerned. hopefully. trade in/upgrade to elite for me, i foresee.

    desperaterobots on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    klok wrote: »
    Wow so the towel thing really works?

    I'm struggling to believe it myself man. When I boot the thing up it takes a longer time for the intro screen to appear, but hey. it works!

    desperaterobots on
  • WoodroezWoodroez Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Awesome stuff. I do elect that since you're out of warranty, you do try replacing the coolant stuff. Of course, breaking the seal on the system might make the system unsellable to a store like EB, so take that under consideration.

    Woodroez on
    858213-butcher-2.jpg
  • AtheraalAtheraal Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Hah.. This makes me wish the Interwebs were as commonplace back in the NES days. Someone posts one of these threads about how that new Super Mario Brothers game continually glitches out at the start menu, and the responses:
    "did u try blowing on the cart??"
    "Give the system a love tap, just behind the cartridge slot!"
    "JUST THROW THE THING ACROSS THE ROOM, IT FIXED MINE SOMEHOW I DUNNO MAN"

    Atheraal on
  • SulSul Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Atheraal wrote: »
    "Give the system a love tap, just behind the cartridge slot!"

    Truth.


    but sometimes those taps would get very loving.

    Sul on
    Who is the mortal I see every morning with more than a little bit he must be important
    Nintendo Friend Code: SW-0689-9921-0006
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    A little... too loving?

    desperaterobots on
  • SulSul Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    "he beats me because he loves me"

    Sul on
    Who is the mortal I see every morning with more than a little bit he must be important
    Nintendo Friend Code: SW-0689-9921-0006
  • EndomaticEndomatic Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I used to have to extensively blow into my NES just to get Mike Tyson's Punchout to load up back in the day.

    I'm talking like 5-10 minutes of blowing... every time.

    I don't think it was dust.... cause how can it get dusty that often?

    Endomatic on
  • Sir CarcassSir Carcass I have been shown the end of my world Round Rock, TXRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I always found seating the cart and then wiggling it side to side would work for me whenever I got the flashing screen. People thought I had some kind of super powers.

    And this thread scares me because I plan on buying a 360 around Christmas this year.

    Sir Carcass on
  • SulSul Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    yeah, this thread coupled with the complaints about leveling in oblivion may defeat my budding desire to own a 360

    Sul on
    Who is the mortal I see every morning with more than a little bit he must be important
    Nintendo Friend Code: SW-0689-9921-0006
  • TetraNitroCubaneTetraNitroCubane The Djinnerator At the bottom of a bottleRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    One of the reasons that so many people with broken 360s wind up getting multiple broken 360s is that the 'repair' process isn't a repair process. You send them your busted console, and they ship you a refurbished unit that's been jerry-rigged back together. What's the manufacture date printed on your console, near the serial number on the back? If it's before about May 2006, chances are you've got a junker that'll kick off on you at some point in the future. I got a console at launch (Nov 2005 Manufactured date) that died after a year and two weeks (out of warranty LOL). When I got it 'fixed' they shipped me a Nov 2005 machine, instead of a newer one, so I'm waiting for this next one to die a terrible death pretty soon.

    On the other hand, Microsoft recently upped their service program from what I understand. They claim free shipping and a quicker turn around, but who knows? We're talking about the same people who gave out personal information to anyone who could call up with a gamertag, so chances are they're not the most informed call center around.

    Oh, and don't be too quick to praise the towel fix. It's not gonna last you very long at all. Trust me, you're riding false hope if you think it's a permanent solution. It wasn't for me. :(

    TetraNitroCubane on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    I know the towel fix ain't permanent, but I'm hoping to convince xbox support that it was actually the power supply that was causing the problem, because on a 2nd 3-light fault they send out free power supply replacements. (yeah. what the?)

    then i can buy an extended warranty for less than the price of a repair, hey presto, cheaper repair.

    alternatively i can trade the 'working' console at EB for an elite! ;D

    desperaterobots on
  • desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Sul wrote: »
    yeah, this thread coupled with the complaints about leveling in oblivion may defeat my budding desire to own a 360

    Just, for christ's sake (it is easter after all), get an extended warranty.

    desperaterobots on
  • Ziac45Ziac45 Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    How much money do you have to pay if you trade in a working x box for an elite?

    Ziac45 on
  • isaacisaac Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    Just wanted to chime in and say I was without a functional 360 from October to December. Bought mine in August with a manufacturing date from July, still broke, and I went through three 360's before I finally got a working one. They made me pay for shipping the first time, but none of the refurbed units they sent back lasted more than a few days before it broke again. Their call centers became worse over that time, too. Urgh. If I have to go through those troubleshooting steps one more time...

    isaac on
  • Gorilla SaladGorilla Salad Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    klok wrote: »
    Wow so the towel thing really works?

    I'm struggling to believe it myself man. When I boot the thing up it takes a longer time for the intro screen to appear, but hey. it works!
    O_o

    Umm...
    o_O

    Ahh....

    Nevermind.

    Gorilla Salad on
  • TerrorbyteTerrorbyte __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2007
    bigwillch wrote: »
    In terms of any complaint with a big company, where they're just refusing to be reasonable, you need to keep bombarding them with polite but angry letters of complaint, taking it higher and higher each time you receive an unsatisfactory reply until eventually you're writing to Mr. Gates himself. At the same time contact any consumer rights organisations you have over in America, and let the MS complaints department know you are doing so. Don't back down over it, that's what they want you to do as it makes life easy for them. Keep complaining, until the day you die if necessary, and eventually they'll get sick of you and bend the rules.

    That's what I reckon anyway.

    You're 100% about being polite and firm. Yelling at some minimum wage schlub in the call office gets you nowhere, despite how good it may feel. If the OP can't find the contact information for executive customer service directly, his goal should be to get escalated up to them. I didn't have any luck finding it, so escalating might be his only option to get help that isn't located in India.

    More advice to the OP:

    The best thing to do is visibly carbon copy your e-mail to said representatives of a company to people like the Attorney General's office, the Better Business Bureau, sites like Consumerist.com and (once it's escalated high enough) to your local Congressional representative(s). The recipient of said e-mail will know that this issue is "hot" and being watched by eyes that could raise a stink a lot larger than one angry customer and will usually act in kind.

    Microsoft knows there is a widespread overheating problem through normal use and their REPAIR under WARRANTY fixed NOTHING allowing the same problem to occur AFTER the warranty. That's just unacceptable and you should attack that angle hard. Be sure to include ALL relevant information that you can track down, like the name/employee #'s of the people you talked to on the help line, all relevant dates and repair numbers of your first repair and a choice selection of one of the many reports of the same Ring of Death problems that are occurring across the board. Basically, set up an impenetrable wall of information that will dissuade them from placing the blame of the broken machine on your head.

    EDIT:

    Oh, I just read the rest of the thread. The towel thing seems like a stop-gap measure. I'd still pursue a fully-functional replacement. Wet towels are fucking ridiculous required components for a $300-$400 machine.

    Terrorbyte on
  • DartboyDartboy Registered User regular
    edited April 2007
    You know, I really want a 360, but the sheer number of problem stories I'm hearing has me really skeptical about the system. I've never had a video game console up and die, and the fact that it's happening at all outside individual freak incidents indicates that the technology just wasn't ready to be mass-produced. And now that I'm hearing that the Elite won't have new, cooler chips it means that the problems are likely to persist.

    Telling people to buy an extended warranty is NOT a solution. Planning for when, not if, the machine breaks isn't something I want to plunk down several hundred dollars for. It's actually sounding like in the long run that the PS3 ends up being the cheaper system, which is just wrong.


    Sorry Microsoft. You had me sold on the games, but you haven't convinced me that your system can actually keep up.

    Dartboy on
This discussion has been closed.