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Xbox Users Too Impatient for Class Action

Posted by Zonk on from the website-with-a-message dept.

Danilo Campos writes "I got a little irritated when Microsoft wanted me to pony up $80 to repair my out-of-warranty Xbox for a hardware failure that is very, very well-known. Slashdot recently reported a class action aimed at solving this very problem. That will take too long and cost everyone too much. The only ones who'll be better off are the lawyers. I have instead organized a polite, respectful request by Xbox owners that Microsoft repair or replace any afflicted systems at their own expense. Join the call, won't you?"

4 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. Sony WILL repair your PS2s free of charge... by Kelmenson · · Score: 5, Informative
    I'm not sure if you were trying to be ironic or funny, but Sony will actually repair broken DVD drives free of charge, as the result of a class action lawsuit.

    Check out GameFaqs for how to get yours repaired...

  2. This is different. by Omni+Magnus · · Score: 5, Informative

    The original XBOX DVD drives have a very short lifespan. This is because M$ wanted them to ONLY read DVD-ROMs and CD-ROMs (probably to stop piracy with the system). That just wasnt possible, but they were able to suceed in not getting them to read almost all CD-R's and most DVD-R's. Now, because this laser is so finely tuned to read ONLY those types of media, when it goes through a few months of normal use that wouldn't phase a normal drive, the XBOX drive is no longer able to read data. I think this decision will cost Microsoft dearly. All those XBOX owners with faulty drives arent going to want an XBOX2 as unreliable as the first one.

  3. Re:hate to say it... by GrimSean · · Score: 1, Informative
    No, sorry, Nintendo offers a one year warranty on new systems - it's the best in the industry, and their customer service reps are really good. The games only get 90 days, but that's still better than the thirty days given by Sony and Microsoft.

    Want some proof? Go here. As I tell the kids that come into where I work, never argue with the guy who sells the stuff for a living.

    --
    I don't need to be made to look evil. I can do that on my own. - Christopher Walken
  4. Don't Knock the Class Action Suit by buxton2k · · Score: 2, Informative

    I don't want to knock your plan, but I had a comment regarding your view of class action lawsuits.

    The real function of a class action suit in our society is less to get specific remedies or compensation for the class of people wronged, than it is to increase the cost of harming people for the company.

    In other words, yes, the lawyers will be the biggest winner out of the trial itself. But the overall cost to Microsoft will be very large - that is, legal fees, bad publicity, and the cost of whatever the punishment (assuming they lose). Since they have to bear a big cost, they will be less likely to engage in similar practices in the future (theoretically), and thus consumers overall will be better off (even though you, specifically, may not be fully compensated).

    I know it's popular to bash attorneys (I am not a lawyer, nor a law student, nor employed in the legal field), and they will make out like bandits - but overall, they will increase the cost of treating customers badly, thus serving the public in the long run.