LaslowNET

During my time at Zune support, there was one piece of advice I always gave to my customers who had to send their devices in.

Before you send your device in for repair, please take a few pictures of it with a digital camera, if possible. This way, if the courier accidentally damages the device while in transit, you can easily prove the device was fine when you shipped it. Also, make sure the serial number is visible in at least one picture.

And I wasn’t joking. I can’t go in to specifics due to the contract I signed, however having pictures taken just before shipping greatly increased the chance of a customer getting a replacement device in the event of a disagreement.

As such, it makes sense to follow the same advice when dealing with another segment of Microsoft’s Entertainment division. Take pictures, and high quality ones, before sending in your device! Have them ready, because if you get a call saying your device was received damaged and won’t be repaired, immediately ask to speak to a Tier 2 agent and state that you have pictures proving you didn’t damage the device.

Make sure to remove the Hard Drive and any customer decals/face plates, too. You won’t be getting the same console back, and they won’t return anything you put in the box. This goes for cables, too.

Also important is how to pack the device. Don’t skimp on packing material. Go to a UPS Store, Staples, where ever, and get an appropriately sized box and some bubble wrap. Securely wrap the console in the bubble wrap, and then place it in the box. If you have any, place foam packing material in the larger voids in the box to prevent it from sliding around during shipping. This will decrease the chances of the console being damaged during shipping.

Finally, make sure to keep a copy of the tracking number. This will let you follow the devices progress as it makes its way to the repair depot.

If you’ve read this far, look after the break for pictures of my console, ready for shipping.

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I’ve had my Xbox 360 for about two years now. I got it several months prior to the release of Halo 3, which was the reason I got it in the first place. I’ve read the blog posts, and see the forum trolls scream in anger and frustration as consoles have turned in to expensive paperweights, and all the while my little 360 has chugged away without a complaint. Until tonight, that is.

Lately I’ve been using the 360 more than usual. I discovered the 1v100 beta, which my wife and I play together, and I’ve been replaying the Penny Arcade games, both of which are amazingly well written and very funny. I even signed up for the preview of the new update (which went live to everyone the other day) and decked out my avatar with a steam punk outfit and an RC Warthog.

This evening, I decided I’d play some more of the first Penny Arcade game, ‘On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness – Episode 1′. I grabbed the controller and hit the guide button as I had so many times before, and listened for the familiar whir of the fans. When I switched my monitor to the VGA input, though, blackness greeted me.  Glancing at the console, I swore quite loudly.

>Blink< >Blink< >Blink<

Three red rings flashed before me, and I knew my console’s time was up.

First stop, xbox.com/support for a warranty check. Status? Out-of-warranty. But wait! There’s a three-year extension for red-ring issues! Following the instructions, I clicked the button to create a repair, and was prompted with a form to fill out. However, there was one small but glaring problem. Please enter a U.S. address. The country box, pre-selected with U.S.A., was grayed out. Unable to continue, I called the Xbox support number (1-800-4MY-XBOX, or 1-800-469-9269 for the text-to-number challenged).

On the phone, I was greeted with an IVR system that repeatedly instructed me to use the website for the repair. Unfortunately, voice recognition has only come so far, and my attempts to tell it to sod off were not understood. Instead, after choosing the repair options and being told to go to the website, and then not being understood when I repeatedly shouted AGENT! in to the phone, I hammered 2 and eventually got through to a person.

The agent was very nice and understanding, did not ask for repeat information, and quickly determined that the Xbox was in need of repair. After confirming my information (my email address was an old one I no longer use, and therefore needed to be updated), he created the repair order, gave me my Service Request number, and informed me I’d receive a pre-paid shipping label in my email within two-to-three hours.

So now the waiting begins. Will I have a trouble-free experience? Will everything work out in the end? Myself, I’m not so sure. You see, I spent the better (and worse) part of two-and-a-half years working for Microsoft Product Support for Windows XP, Vista, and the Zune MP3 player. I know Microsoft’s tools and processes, and I know things about their repair centres that I don’t dare post for fear of legal retribution. Suffice to say, I expect to have to go through several phone calls and quite possibly a few escalations before this gets resolved.

But things may work out. You never know.

Edit: Part 2 is now live.