Today, I wrote this letter to Xbox Support as an attempt to call some attention to the somewhat lacking quality control that has been exercised with the Xbox 360, not only in the original manufacturing process, but in the refurbishing and replacement program that's part of the product's warranty.

Hello,

I'm writing because of my recent experience with my console and having to send it in due to a hardware failure. I don't necessarily expect that you'll be able to answer or address everything here, but I do hope you can at least forward this to someone that can.

The fact that my Xbox 360 simply "died" (three red lights) beyond any attempts to restore or revive it is a separate (and probably larger) concern, but my real frustration came when I recently received my replacement unit.

My original service call (#XXXXXXXXXX) required that I send in my Xbox 360 for repair/replacement, as it was still covered by the one-year warranty through April. The product failure aside, I was pleased with the response and service and fairly confident that my product would be repaired or replaced quickly and completely. It was explained to me that I would most likely receive a replacement console, and that it would be a refurbished unit, which undergo a full certification process to ensure quality.

However, when I recieved my replacement unit, after setting it up and turning it on, the console froze while starting up. After checking all my connections and powering it up again, I then received the same three red lights indicator. So, apparently, my replacement unit also had a similar hardware failure? Right out of the box? How can this be?

So, now I've made a second call (#XXXXXXXXXX) and am awaiting a prepaid box to send in my replacement unit. And this time, given the circumstance, I'm very disappointed with my experience. I can't think of any other industry or market where shipping a customer a replacement unit that does not work is acceptable. With this, I can't, in good faith, assume that refurbished Xbox consoles are actually tested or examined at all.

After some searching online and reading others' experiences, specifically Chris Szarek ( http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2006/05/the_unluckiest_.html) and Matt Casamassima ( http://blogs.ign.com/Matt-IGN/2007/01/19/44024/ ), I have to wonder how widespread this problem is, considering that a number of people are also receiving refurbished units, only to have them fail as well.

My understanding is that many of the Xbox 360 consoles in early production runs are suffering from these failures, and since Microsoft shown its commitment to satisfying customers by extending the warranty to a full year, why not send new units to those customers? What possible good comes from sending paying customers less-than-new equivalents? I've seen people I know have to either go through this process and/or have to buy a new console altogether--something I am certainly not willing or able to do.

I suppose it'd be silly to expect Xbox Support to change its policy (no matter how much sense it might make), but I'm sure there are other ways of taking action against this, whether it's addressing it through the press, the Better Business Bureau or even through class-action litigation. Surely, Xbox and Microsoft must know that helping customers protect and enjoy their $400 investment (or more, considering peripherals and software) is in their best interest and more importantly, something worth getting right the first time.

That said, I DO NOT expect to receive a replacement unit that will have the same problem. That would simply indicate to me that there is something fundamentally wrong with the Xbox 360 design or manufacturing process.

I DO expect to receive a fully working (if not entirely new) console, to ensure that I am getting a product that works and is worth the money I have already spent. I understand the Xbox 360 is a sophisticated piece of equipment and there are many variables that could cause the console to fail, but I'm not looking to get something for nothing. I simply want what I paid for, and what Microsoft has promised to provide me under warranty.

On a side matter, I also have to question why I was asked to pack and cover the cost of shipping to the Xbox repair center, when others have clearly been sent prepaid boxes for the same reason. I had assumed that this was a practice that Xbox Support no longer allows, but when I called about sending in my replacement unit, I was told I would receive a prepaid box within 3-5 days. So why did I need to pay in the first place? It was a minimal cost (approx. $10USD), but it seemed unnecessary, especially now that I am being sent a prepaid box.

From my perspective, the Xbox team has done a wonderful job of keeping in touch with its customers and has built a foundation of trust and confidence with the gaming community about its products and software. However, it's matters like this that can damage a company's reputation and instill doubt in it's service and quality procedures. I've been a loyal Xbox customer for years now and would hate to abandon the Xbox product line because of this.

Please respond at your earliest convenience and thank you for any help you can provide,

Robert Cortez