By Joseph S. Enoch
ConsumerAffairs.com
August 28, 2006
Ten months after the release of Microsoft's gaming console, the Xbox 360, complaints about the system are widespread and growing.
ConsumerAffairs.com has received about 40 complaints about the console, mostly from agitated gamers whose system crashes, yielding what has been popularly coined "the red rings of death."
"After barely playing the console for 2 months ... the "red rings of death" appeared," wrote Eric of Richmond, VA. "The three red lights on the front of console mean that it had an internal hardware failure."
After the initial release in November 2005, Microsoft admitted that a some systems may have overheating problems related to the power supply and said those customers with those systems would receive a replacement.
After those brief statements, no more mainstream press was generated about Xbox 360 system failures. However, over half of the ConsumerAffairs.com complaints were generated in the last three months and the number of online blogs and forums on the issue seem to grow daily.
Jason Michael of Edelman, a public relations firm representing Microsoft, dismissed the chorus of online complaints: "It only takes a couple of consumers who have had a bad experience to complain and make a lot of noise on the Internet about it."
He said it is only a few consumers plus reporters who are generating the complaints. Edelman, one of the world's largest public relations firms, touts itself as a practitioner of "pioneer thinking."
Many of the Xbox complaints involve replacements that eventually fail in the same manner -- the three rings of death.
Jennifer of Park Forest, Ill. said she exchanged four broken Xboxes before she decided to get her 11-year-old son a different birthday present.
If the system fails after the standard 90-day warranty or an extended warranty, consumers are stuck with either a useless gaming console or a $129 refurbished one from Microsoft.
"In November of 05, I purchased an Xbox 360 for $399.99. My son and I played this console until in January of 06 (when) the system crashed," wrote Scott of Kenton, Ohio. "I contacted this company. In response they stated that they had a bad batch when they first came out, ours included. They proceeded to send us another one after we sent the bad one. Then on August 23, 06 the system crashed. ... Then they proceeded to say we need to send it to them and pay 129.00 for them to look at it."
Michael said he could not confirm or deny that there ever was a bad batch. He repeated three times that, "As far as I know, the great majority of Xbox owners are having a great time."
Michael's pioneering advice for consumers with faulty Xboxes is to call 1-800-4myxbox (469-9269) where if the machine is past warranty, they will be forced to pay $129 plus shipping for a refurbished machine.
Microsoft released the much-awaited online console in November 2005. At the time, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates called it "the hottest product we've ever had" but he also expressed worries about the console's manufacturing process.
