[Monster 2 of 2 (Site Admin)]

Speaker Ender, one of our mods, tells us of his personal experiences with 1-800-4My-Xbox in regards to his issues with Microsoft's restrictive DRM setup on the Xbox 360. Share your thoughts and personal experiences.

Speaker Ender - My Experience with 1-800-4MY-XBOX

[Speaker Ender (Super Mod)]

Jon, thanks so much for posting my article. As you know, I'm a big fan of the Xbox 360--even though I own both a PS3 and a Wii as well. More than anything, I just want a resolution.

If anyone can forward this to someone at Microsoft who can take care of my problem, I'll be back to singing Microsoft's praises in a heartbeat! As it is, it's kind of depressing to be going home to play Heavenly Sword or Wii Sports when all my buddies are going home to Halo 3.

UPDATE 1:
Hi, everyone, I just wanted to give you an update. One of you, who asked not to be named, gave me an email address of someone at Microsoft, and I sent a message last night. Today, I received a phone call from Microsoft Xbox Support, and it seems like things are going to be resolved soon.

He explained, in great detail, how a series of events lead to my service ticket dropping through the cracks. Apparently, my case was the perfect storm (multiple tickets opened by accident, the wrong ones closed, incorrect notes, etc.) and happened during a brief window where it was not caught in the regular audits--and so is unique and in now way typical.

I have been given a date by which I should receive a working console (November 2nd--no later), I have been assigned a Xbox Repair and Replacement specialist who will check the status on a daily basis, I have been given a direct extension that I can call for updates or if I have any questions, and I have also discovered why my content does not work, and that the content on the new console will function properly.

Also, he explained to me the safeguards that are in place to make sure that this does not happen to others--as I said, I fell through the crack as some of these were being implemented and a few policies were being changed.

I will keep you all up do date, but after my conversation today, I am pretty confident that I will finally be taken care of.

ANOTHER UPDATE:
I have just started a new thread for my most recent update: http://www.achieve360points.com/foru...d.php?p=764127

Originally Posted by Speaker Ender

Okay, this is to the point of absolute absurdity! As if this (http://www.achieve360points.com/arti...h-18004myxbox/) wasn't enough, I just had Xbox 360 #6 die.

The fourth Xbox 360 that Major Nelson helped me to get, died shortly after, and I had it repaired (note REPAIRED--not replaced) within a week. A few months later, it started freezing, and he helped me get that one repaired quickly as well. Now today, less than 45 days after getting it back, it freezed while playing Texas Hold 'Em. You know? The graphical XBLA cpu hog that is poker!! When I restarted, the lights come on, but nothing happens--no RRoD or anything.

I cannot even express my frustration at this point! I'll make a video showing what is happening sometime this weekend... I'm just ****ed and want to vent right now.

[Nbag3]

I too have had trouble with getting points refunded. Its been a month since they last called me and every time I call them the put me on hold for over half an hour and then hang up.

[Omega2486]

God damn man! You put up with this bull**** for 2 months? You have patietnce beyond that of mortal men, I would have filed a suit against Microsoft a month ago. I also find it disgusting a Tier 2 agent in a multi-billion dollar company would have the BALLS to hang up on a customer. I have my own fair share of horror stories with Verizon and Microsoft when it comes to customer support issues, but nothing anywhere near what you went through. For example, when I had my account stolen I called 1-800-4-MY-XBOX to cancel teh account. I cancelled it, then called the Credit Card company and had that cancelled. Over the next few days I noticed I've been getting some e-mails saying that 5000 MS points could not have been purchased. After three days, I called 1-800-4-MY-XBOX again, only to find out that the Credit Card was NOT cancelled on the account! The only reason that the points were not charged to the Credit Card was because we reported fraud to the Credit Card company. Basically, if I had relied solely on 1-800-4-MY-XBOX, i would be up to my ass in debt. You have my deepest sympathies Speaker, and I hope that at some point you will get this resolved. If it's advice you want, I'm sorry. You did all you could besides going to India and shooting the place up. You stood firm, but they spat in your face. The reps now ignore you, and I doubt you will ever be able to speak to another Tier 2 agent, let alone a Tier 3. If you want something to do, may I reccommend picking up a copy of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii? It is a great game, parelell to Halo 3 single player wise. In your defense, I will personelly call up 1-800-4-MY-XBOX and see if there's anything that can be done for you, though odds are from what I said to them when my account was stolen, they want to just blow me off too. Again Speaker, good luck man. I'm praying for you!!!!

-Omega

[twan69666]

Wow, wow, wow.

I wish that there was something that I could do for you because after readin that I just feel bad. Hopefully someone from MS reads this and his able to help you. Im going to see about getting this posted at doom9.org because they are a HUGE anti DRM site and there are a few MS employees that read it often. I dont think they work on the xbox team, but they may be able to help.

Speaking of that, DRM is one of the worst things ever for consumers and this is a prime example why. Good luck.....you absolutely need it!

[Speaker Ender (Super Mod)]

Omega, I actually just picked up Zelda for DS, so I have something decent to play over the next month while I wait for Xbox 360 #4.

When Xbox 360 #2 died, I spent the month finishing Jade Empire X-Men Legends 2, since I'd only gotten both of those a couple weeks before the 360 came out and I'd never gotten around to finishing them. I guess that's sort of a silver lining...

[Shadow Kisuragi]

I've spent my good share of time on the phone with them. I've never received a callback, my record of replacing my Xbox 360 does not exist in the database whenever they look it up (no account info tied to the ref#), my information on my record is not accurate (seeing as they spelled my last name wrong - it was wrong on the refund check I got), and I'm having the same DRM issues without a refund (except mine's over $500 worth).

I was going to call them up tonight to keep hammering away on the DRM issue and saw this post, so I certainly feel for you and know what you're going through. My console also doesn't stream music, and they told me to contact Windows technical support about it when it's an issue with the console! Just keep calling until you find someone who speaks without a heavy Asian accent, as they are typically 3rd party handlers who just transfer you to someone else.

[StealthyNemesis]

I haven't really had a lot of weird experiences with Microsfot over the phone. Except once I told this guy where I lived and he was babbling on and on about how he went here on vacation and it was extremely boring. Lasted a good 15 minutes, too.

Also the fact that I am on Xbox 360 #6

[DR3WB1XCUB3]

the whole thing with XBL games and the such just sux. i myself have had 2 boxes now, one that was sent in for repair and the other i bought from gamestop refurbished, and i encounter the same problem with games when i switch the hard drive from one box to another. i understand to an extent that they are tying to keep people from stealing games, dl content etc, but seriously isn't there some way you could tie the liscence to just the name? any time i swap the hard drive to the other box i have to be connected to the internet to play my games which i think is a load of crap. it's like the microsoft way of keeping me bought into XBL gold. also when i sent my box in for repairs i whent through another kind of nightmare which a few people i'm sure have run into themselves. i live in an apartment and aparently microsoft looks at all apartments as p.o.boxes which as i'm sure many of you know you can't have your box shiped to a p.o.box. not that it matters it's where i live and that it is my physical adress they still can't ship it. the guy i spoke to was helpfull but hard to understand, not to hate on outsourcing but seriously if you can't understand the person your trying to get an issue resolved with then there is no point what so ever. i was told several times that i needed to give him my physical adress, then once we came to the understanding that microsoft is the devil and that they can't even ship it to my adress i then am informed to give him another adress i can send it to. so they can't send it to a random p.o.box but they can send it to an adress thats not registered to my acc??? that makes as much sense as slamming my own junk in a sliding glass door. my feelings on microsoft are a bit in the middle now. i didn't like them to much aside from the marvelous windows that they droped on us, i started to sing the praise a bit more once i got my 360, now i'm kind of in the area of grey. while they do provide good games, a somewhat reliable system, the customer service and user end functionality are fairly jacked. in closing i hurt for SE very much and hope for everything that his issue is resolved and that something of the same likeness never happens to me.

[evilknight]

I feel for you on the content man, that really sucks. Im on my 8th system all returned to MS. I had 6 in the first year alone. Ive only had, for the most part, minor (and 1 major) problem(s) with MS, usually involves some idiot that hasnt even seen a 360 much less played one. I've called them so much I pretty much know how to deal with them.

1. If you have called more than once or twice for the same issue immediately ask for a supervisor, if you have talked to several supervisors in a short time period ask to talk to the next supervisor up.

2. The store replacement system WILL NOT solve your problem in the long run, it will only amplify it. As it didwith this guy. Here a tid bit of info it take 6 months or more for MS to get those machines back, there for extending the amount of time until that problem is identified and fixed. Which means that the system you just got in the store exchange will have the same problems.

3. Anytime MS does something for you IE cancels an account or something of that nature, call them back in the next few days to double check. Also call back two or more times to verify you get the same answer, like if you need to send a product back to get it replaced.

4. lastly if worse comes to worse and they are blowing you off talk to a supervisor and tell him you'll not only sue but you'll take your story to the media who is more than willing to go after MS for any reason. I dont recommend this except in extreme cases. The only Major Issue I had with MS was when they lost my replacement order and I was told to send in my system (which I had already done) and had been given the run around. I did threaten to sue and take my story to the media, by some mircle the issue was resolved in a 2 day time frame.