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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?"

9 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. Re:hate to say it... by GrimSean · · Score: 3, Insightful
    $80 is really not an unreasonable amount of money to pay for a repair on a high-tech electronic device, regardless of the simplicity of the repair or how much the device costs new. you can expect to pay more than that to have a crappy VHS deck adjusted.

    Yeah, sounds unreasonable, but maybe you should RTFA - it's $80 American plus shipping. Have you ever picked up an XBOX? They're the heaviest console ever made, which means it costs more to ship the damn things. Microsoft needs to do something about this - Nintendo has authorized repair shops across the country (and they give a 1 year warranty on all new systems), and Sony will fix Playstations for $120 CAN, including shipping, which is expensive, but guarantees you a working system even if yours can't be fixed.

    --
    I don't need to be made to look evil. I can do that on my own. - Christopher Walken
  2. 2 pronged attack by BortQ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Wouldn't it be cool if sony offered a competitive xbox upgrade? "Send us your broken XBOX and we'll send you a PS2 for the same price Microsoft wants to charge you to fix it!"

    --

    A Multiplayer Strategy Game for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux
  3. 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...

  4. 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.

  5. Microsoft is Reasonable by Tina+Russell · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A class-action suit is unreasonable, as Microsoft has quite a history listening to consumer demands.

    Also, the common swine has special, winged appendages to assist in aviation.

    (I'm not saying the polite request isn't a good idea; I'm just not saying it's worth taking the class-action suit off the table as the author advises.)

  6. polite, respectful way is the future! by tasinet · · Score: 2, Funny

    Who's in to start polite, respectful requests for everything Microsoft has done wrong?
    Visit my polite, respectful requests for Microsoft web list:
    http://www.couldyoupleasemakewindowsopensou rceandu ndergpl.com
    http://www.pleasedontovertakethemusic marketandkill theipodforbulkyshittyplayersthatcrash.com
    http:// www.maywehavesomestabilityonourcomputerskin dsir.com
    http://www.......
    this is like a christmas list.

    Well, get real. There are more chances that Santa Claus is answering this one than Santa Billy.

  7. 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.

  8. fixed my gamecube by madygoosey · · Score: 2, Interesting

    When I bought f-zero, the game kept randomly crashing, so I called nintendo and they said it was a known problem with a certain batch of systems. It was like a year after I bought it too, but they fixed it for free, I don't even know if it was under warranty. They just fixed it, fed-ex shipping and everything, it was awesome.

  9. Re:hate to say it... by Curtman · · Score: 2, Funny

    never argue with the guy who sells the stuff for a living

    Hahahaha! Thats the funniest thing I've read in a long time. Take a trip down to Best Buy, have a chat with a salesman there and then say that with a straight face. Bet you can't.