I have been receiving quite a few calls asking for XBOX 360 repair. There are two problems that seem to plague the 360. The RROD (Red Ring of Death) and Dirty Disk/Disk Unreadable/Insert this Disk in a Xbox360 to Play errors. Both are due to internal hardware issues. The Disk Errors tend to affect the Samsung Drives the most and are due to slow spin up speeds making the DVD Double Density Disk hard to read properly, generating the error. The RROD is contributed to heat problems causing chips to unseat themselves.
Microsoft has extended the Warranty on ALL XBOX 360′s to three (3) years for HARDWARE errors!
Quoted from Wikipedia
“Initially, Microsoft repaired consoles under the 90 day warranty for free, and charged $140 to repair out-of-warranty consoles. In December, 2006, Microsoft extended the warranty of all Xbox 360 consoles to 1 year, and in July, 2007, as a result of “an unacceptable number of repairs to Xbox 360 consoles,” extended it to 3 years for consoles experiencing general hardware failures, a warranty length covering all Xbox 360s sold.Additionally, customers who paid to have their out-of-warranty consoles repaired would be reimbursed. Microsoft stated that they reserved US$ 1.15 Billion for fixing malfunctioning consoles, enough money to fix 2.5 million consoles.”Coverage is offered for those who bought and live in countries where the Xbox 360 was officially released; depending on the country, the customers will either have their consoles repaired or replaced. This policy will be transferred to a new console if one is exchanged through the Microsoft Service Center. All repairs come with a 90 day warranty starting at the date the repair is finished, or the original warranty, whichever is longer. Once past this date, the customers can pay around $140 (£80) to receive a repair or replacement. This charge covers shipping and handling, as well as a one year warranty on the repaired or refurbished console. There is also a service contract available through Microsoft (in select countries) to extend this warranty by up to 2 years at a time. The cost is $29.95 US per year and can be expanded by up to two additional years.
What does this mean for you?
Some websites on the internet are trying to sell “quick fix” guides or services, claiming Microsoft will charge you $150 or more to repair the issue. This simply is not true. Microsoft has set aside 1.5 Billion Dollars (Yes, Billion, with a B!) to repair broken Xbox 360′s. While the turn around time is currently 4-6 weeks, you will receive either a refurbished or new Xbox 360 with the latest Hardware updates. Currently they have added additional cooling heatsyncs and are also slowly moving towards smaller die chipsets to help reduce heat, which seems to be the primary culprit.
Please Note: You will not be required to show proof of purchase! All Xbox 360s are covered under this extended 3yr warranty. The warranty period is determined by the manufactured date!
What to do if you have a Xbox 360 Problem
Option A) If you bought an extended instore warranty – take it back for a new one! Just request that you be able to keep your current harddrive! Most stores will honor this request, but they don’t have to.
Option B) Microsoft has added a Support Page for common Xbox 360 Problems. Visit http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/?WT.svl=nav and select from the list to see trouble shooting tips you can do to make sure the problem is truly one that needs to be sent for repair. You can register and then request repairs online via the https://service.xbox.com/servicehome.aspx link. Once verified, Microsoft will ship you an empty box, or “coffin” as it is called. Once you receive it, simply follow their directions and ship it back for repair. Average wait time is 4-6 weeks.
Option C) Call 1-800-4MYXBOX to talk directly to a representative that will assist you. Please be prepared to follow some standard troubleshooting instructions. Once it is verified that you have a problem, your information will be taken and a “coffin” will be shipped to you!
Option D) Some people simply buy a second console, swap the Hard Drive and then send in the first one for repair. That is certainly an option and if you have more than one player in your family, System linking them over the network once you get it back is a great way to have more fun! If you do purchase a second unit, with the 3year warranty I think the extended warranty is a waste of money, but only you can determine if being able to walk into Best Buy etc. and exchange your unit is worth the additional monies.
It is unfortunate such a great console has been plagued with these problems, some people are on their 6th repaired console! But Microsoft seems to have determined the main culprits and continues to update their repairs to incorporate the latest fixes. So do the best thing for your Xbox 360 and send it in… there is no quick fix for the major problems and hopefully once you get it back you will enjoy many years of gaming goodness!
Regards,
Memphis PC Guy
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