Microsoft won't fix xbox 360 as it has been 'tampered' with?

eternal_sunshine

Hiya (warning, this is kinda long)

Just wondering if someone could give me a bit of advice:-

I bought my boyfriend an xbox 360 in January 2008. Because I'd heard of people having problems with the 'ring of death' thing that can happen, I purchased a 3 year protection thing through littlewoods (where I bought it from).

Anyway, a few weeks ago, my boyfriend was playing it and all was going fine and then it froze. We restarted it and the same thing happened. We turned it off and on once more, with a different game in case the game was doing it, and red lights flashed in all but the top right part.

I phoned the claim number I had been given by littlewoods and the woman was going to give me the number to arrange to get an engineer to come out. Firstly she told us to double check it definitely wasn't working, as if an engineer is called out and theres nothing wrong, they can sometimes charge. So, we turned it on to double check and it worked fine, with the lights being green and the game plaging, but then it froze again, and then the red lights started flashing again, and thats how it stayed.

So, we phoned the engineer number and they said they didn't cover northern ireland (not sure if it was just this number that didn't cover, or whether the whole thing doesn't cover northern ireland, meaning I may have been wrongly sold the protection. Anyway, I digress...). My boyfriend then phones littlewoods again and explains the situation and the guy explains to him that the xbox was indeed suffering from the dreaded ring of death, and that Microsoft actually offered an extended warranty because of this problems.

He then gave us the number for Microsoft and my boyfriend phoned them and spent about 20 minutes talking to a girl about it, who told him to disconnect all the wires, take off the hardrive, parcel it up and they would have someone collect it and it would be returned within 2-3 weeks.

So, we carefully parcelled it up, making it very secure, and writiing FRAGILE in large writing on the outside box. Sure enough, the next day it was collected (25th Feb).

We received it back today, in a box with the console wrapped in plastic, and a letter saying that the xbox had been returned unfixed. Forgive me as I don't have the letter with me because my boyfriend left it in his house. The letter was pretty short and said that the xbox had not been fixed because on inspection there had been some tampering or attempted tampering and this voided the extended warranty.

I am so unbelievably angry that they have accused us of this, but I don't want to call microsoft in case I lose the head, which will do no good at all. We definitely did not touch the xbox at all-all we did was take out the wires and take the hard drive off (which clips off from the side, and I wouldn't class as tampering, particularly since the girl on the phone told us to do this.

I'm not sure what the best course of action is-should I call Microsoft? If I did, what could I say-we know it hasn't been tampered with but they're alleging we have, so I'm not sure how successful that would be? And I'm not sure that littlewoods would be much help because surely if microsoft are saying it's been tampered with, then something is broken and littlewoods coudl say the same thing?

Just to reiterate-we definitely didn't tamper with the console at all-there would be no point in us doing that when we had a warranty should anything go wrong, and also we haven't a clue about the inner workings of this sort of thing, so it would just be stupid.

Maybe I sound really dramatic about the whole thing, but it was expensive for me to buy and I'm really angry that they're suggesting it's been tampered with when it hasn't been.

Sorry this is so long, but I'm not sure what to do next.

timbim_2

If they've actually told you to remove the HDD, I can't see how they can refuse servicing because the case has been opened. What you want to prevent another red ring is one of these. That will fix the awful noise they make as well.

gaming_guy

timbim wrote: »

If they've actually told you to remove the HDD, I can't see how they can refuse servicing because the case has been opened. What you want to prevent another red ring is one of these. That will fix the awful noise they make as well.

i thought xbox 360 HDDs were external and plug into the top of the console.

cooki2222

what they mean by tampering is that the seals have been broken on either the back of the xbox or under the hd slot

fergual2

Phone them up again and ask them to explain what exactly has been tampered with. Has anyone else had access to the xbox or has it been modded or banned from xbox live?. Based on this if they don't offer repair/swap say you will take to take to small claims court then follow up with recorded letter stating same and give them 28 days to respond.

jmc160

Best thing to do is phone MS and find out why thye think it was tampered with. They should have a record of it. You can then argue the point or, depending what they say, take the fight back to Littlewoods. Are you absolutely sure your bf hasn't tampered with it in an effort to fix it?

Xbox 360 HDDs are removable, so that's not what the issue is.

timbim_2

My knowledge of 360 consoles is obviously flawed. Still sounds a little suspect though!

Swans1912

You can check the seal.. remove the front face plate.. you are allowed to remove it because they sell all sorts of different ones.. on the front of the console there is either a narrow silver tape or a larger sticker across the seam in the plastic next to the ring of light.. if that is intact you are ok.

http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/newseal/DSCF6758ddd.jpg

http://www.teamxmods.com/images/codes/xbox-360-sticker-seal4.jpg

DCFC79

It wasnt actually neccessary to buy the 3 year protection from littlewoods as microsoft repair it for free, as ikennett says theres stickers which when opened arent where they should be

wolfman

I'd call up Microsoft directly and ask for help. I can't remember the number but we had to do so with mine (got the ring of death too).

They were very good. Someone collected it, and it was sent back to me in about 10 days.

As mentioned I'd check to see if the stickers have been tampered with. Speak to Microsoft and see if they can help. Explain to them what has happened, how you sent it back, and that you've not tampered with it, and ask them for advice. It could be that a tampered one has got into the system and been sold to you somehow. Either way you're an innocent victim.

If they refuse to help, you still have an option. Go to Littlewoods.

Your rights as a consumer, you bought it from them, so the contract is with them (and not with Microsoft). You've had the console just over a year and it's broken, which is under what you'd expect a console to last (3-5 years typically).

You can ask for a direct replacement, and they should do so. If they try to fob you off to Microsoft, that's a wrong. As mentioned, you bought it from them, the contract is with them, not the manufacturer, they have to fulfill that contract as part of consumer law. Many MSE'rs will be able to give you advice on the Sales Of Goods Act 1984 (I think that's it).

gjchester

DCFC79 wrote: »

It wasnt actually neccessary to buy the 3 year protection from littlewoods as microsoft repair it for free, as ikennett says theres stickers which when opened arent where they should be

The extended microoft warranty only covers the 3 red lights issue, which this appears to be, but nothing more. The Littlewoods warranty probably covers far more than jsut that one problem.