Microsoft ignores loyal supporter

[jpoon]

Time to switch sides to PS3!!! It's better and cheaper (online) over here! Surely you'd agree that PS3 has a better game selection anyways.

 

[mikev7.0]

I am a loyal Microsoft customer. While I may not like all of their products, I was exited about the Xbox 360 back when I was 14 and worked long hours all summer long for 450 dollars, just enough to buy my own. As soon as I had the money, I rushed to the store and bought my Xbox 360, Kameo, and Oblivion.

I was overjoyed. I had never owned a console before, and I became a die-hard Xbox fan. I withstood red-rings of death, bugs, countless updates, and even the jeers of my anti-microsoft friends. When the Wii came out with its motion controls, I stuck with Xbox. When the PS3 showed up with better graphics and a blu-ray player, I stuck with Xbox. I bought over 40 games for the Xbox, and most recently a Kinect. I trusted Microsoft.

However, my trust was betrayed today.

Today, when I tried to get onto Xbox Live, I had to download a new update. An update that my Xbox refused to allow. I immediately called Tech Support and told them of my problem. 45 minutes and three operators later, I was told that my Xbox was too old to play the new games, and that I would have to buy a new one to access Xbox Live.

I was speechless. I tried negotiating. No, she said, Microsoft won't refurbish your Xbox so you can play the new game. No, she said, not even if you pay them too. No, she said, you can't access Xbox Live anymore. Ever. Not even to redeem the DLC that you paid for.

"How could they have done this to me?" I thought. I've been loyal to their company for over 5 years now. I never once tried to hack the system, or get games illegally. I bought games new whenever I had the chance, and I bought a lot of games. I'd spent hundreds of hours using their products, keeping it in good condition. I'd supported them when the Xbox 360 was just coming out. People like me MADE the Xbox.

And now, we were being cast aside. Forced to buy the same product again, because ours was too old, too crude. Not up to the task. Well you know what? I'm keeping my Xbox. I'm going to play the games I bought, fair and square, and someday, maybe after I've worked all summer long, I'll go out and buy a new console.

But it still won't make it any less unjust, or any less painful.

C

I feel your pain. No, literally, I feel it I mean. A month ago, I decided to rejoin XBL and so far that means that I paid $120 total to have to waste four hours on the phone, have XBL delete my profile (yup, that means no access to saves), set up 4 phone appointments and then not call for any of them (since I really don't have the hours to spend on the phone with them while they correct their own mistake.) and most recently "have to take command" (their words) of my windowslive ID and my e-mail. My "case" has gone from Tier one, to Two and is now at Tier three. Apparently I'll have to fight a boss at some point to get my e-mail and profile back I guess.

As gamers we really should gather en mase and petition not Microsoft but it's shareholders to start hiring people who actually know about games and gamers and heck why not throw some actual computer knowledge in there too, y'know, just for yuks.

I even had a sympathic ear at gool ol One Microsoft Way confirm what I believe about "Tiers".

Tier One: An employee (with a questionable knowledge base of the subject matter that consumers will be discussing with them.) turning to the "appropriate" page in a book and following instructions. Is this an effective customer support method?

If it were you wouldn't have.....

Tier Two: Most likely a former member of Tier One their job is to call customers who have been completely hosed by a Tier One reps instructions and try to smooth things over which might work if they weren't simulaneously telling you do do everything you've already done with Tier one and trying to get information that Tier one also already collected. It is also their job to inform you gravely that you may have a "Tier three" issue. This could be much more effective if Microsoft used that great office program that specifically keeps track of customer data across different departments and even locations, what was that called? Oh. Right. MICROSOFT Access!! *enter atomic facepalm here* Oh well, maybe that means they'll get a discount....and START USING ACCESS!! What company makes the perfect program for just what they need and then DOESN'T USE IT! It's just more fuel for my discussions with shareholders that when I say that Micorsoft is literally incompetent I can prove it.

Tier Three: Or God help you if you've gotten here. (because Moneysoft sure won't be.) This apparently is the employee who actually has knowledge about and can investigate and fix the issue. (provided you give up your e-mail as well as your gamer profile) In other words it's who many of us think we're talking to and should be talking to when we first call. Simply put by my friend at corporate "Someone who actually is trained and knows what's up."

So as I said I feel your pain (and mine) quite directly but if we're to do something about it we will need to band together and confront Microsoft in a way that they can actually HEAR us screaming. Through their shareholders. That's what I'm doing. Thanks to me there is so far $24,000 that will not be invested in Microsoft, and I'm just getting started. When the shareholders see how MS treats it's customers (I had one potential investor call and pretend to have an issue. That settled that.) they will see why they are not a wise investment. Yes Microsoft you have a big, BIG wallet. So have other companies that have still allowed their hubris combined with Neolythic incompetence (See Tier one and two....) to be their downfall.

So all I'm saying is USE that pain... you could just end up making things a little easier in the future for other people just like you (and me.)

One thing you can do is STOP talking to XBL and start talking to corporate, if enough people are bugging them because the "XBL grunts" (again, their words.) can't handle it, likely the usual corporate response will be applied, i.e. whatever it takes to have the unwashed masses stop bugging THEM. After all, they're busy trying to pretend to work here....

 

[ZeZZZZevy]

Yea that customer service person was an idiot

You're supposed to get a free slim if your xbox was killed, I don't know why she was so nasty

But i guess that's customer service for you

 

[barbzilla]

I am a loyal Microsoft customer. While I may not like all of their products, I was exited about the Xbox 360 back when I was 14 and worked long hours all summer long for 450 dollars, just enough to buy my own. As soon as I had the money, I rushed to the store and bought my Xbox 360, Kameo, and Oblivion.

I was overjoyed. I had never owned a console before, and I became a die-hard Xbox fan. I withstood red-rings of death, bugs, countless updates, and even the jeers of my anti-microsoft friends. When the Wii came out with its motion controls, I stuck with Xbox. When the PS3 showed up with better graphics and a blu-ray player, I stuck with Xbox. I bought over 40 games for the Xbox, and most recently a Kinect. I trusted Microsoft.

However, my trust was betrayed today.

Today, when I tried to get onto Xbox Live, I had to download a new update. An update that my Xbox refused to allow. I immediately called Tech Support and told them of my problem. 45 minutes and three operators later, I was told that my Xbox was too old to play the new games, and that I would have to buy a new one to access Xbox Live.

I was speechless. I tried negotiating. No, she said, Microsoft won't refurbish your Xbox so you can play the new game. No, she said, not even if you pay them too. No, she said, you can't access Xbox Live anymore. Ever. Not even to redeem the DLC that you paid for.

"How could they have done this to me?" I thought. I've been loyal to their company for over 5 years now. I never once tried to hack the system, or get games illegally. I bought games new whenever I had the chance, and I bought a lot of games. I'd spent hundreds of hours using their products, keeping it in good condition. I'd supported them when the Xbox 360 was just coming out. People like me MADE the Xbox.

And now, we were being cast aside. Forced to buy the same product again, because ours was too old, too crude. Not up to the task. Well you know what? I'm keeping my Xbox. I'm going to play the games I bought, fair and square, and someday, maybe after I've worked all summer long, I'll go out and buy a new console.

But it still won't make it any less unjust, or any less painful.

C

You need to call back, they do repair consoles that are bricked because of updates. The only time they do not is if the console has been modded. When you call back make sure to report that agent you spoke to as well.

 

[barbzilla]

I spoke with Edward, a representative of Microsoft, and he told me to mail my Xbox to them so that he can send me the same model with the updates installed. It will be able to use Xbox Live and play the new games, but it will not be an Xbox Slim or have any other features. Also, I'm probably going to lose all my Gamer Tag info unless they transfer it to the new system.

I'm glad that a compromise was found, but I'm not happy about losing my console for 3 weeks because I wanted to download a DLC. I would have preferred that they send me a newer console, or that they have a tech guy come to my house and fix it.

I still think that Microsoft betrayed my trust, and I don't think I'll buy any more Xbox games or products from now on, but at least I can get what I fairly paid for.

Your gamertag info can be recovered to the new xbox either by recovering gamertag, or by using a transfer kit to transfer from your old console.

 

[bam13302]

ok, so microsoft is screwing its fans and sony is getting screwed by its enemies (which screws its fans secondarily)
YAY im a PC fan and dont own the xbox 360 or ps3 (though i do own a ps2, and it is still a good console)
sorry, it had to be said (again)

Yeah, thankfully being a PC fan means you don't have to cope with Microsoft...oh wait.

fair enough, but im not bound to microsoft (really looking forward to the steam for linux, and hoping they have a good launch lineup)
and i have alot more control over what windows 7 does then xbl or psn, admittedly, everything i dont know about can be used against me, but isnt that always true
*stops talking before this become more of a flame*
OT: i do feel sorry for the poor bloke
im just glad when something in my computer is obsolete i can upgrade it instead of buying a whole new computer (some times i can even do a proper upgrade that doesnt require the removal of anything, like SLI, or more ram) *stops again*
either way, i am trying to get away from microsoft as well, because if sony/psn do get properly screwed by this wave of hackers, microsoft will probably be next

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

Yea that customer service person was an idiot

You're supposed to get a free slim if your xbox was killed, I don't know why she was so nasty

But i guess that's customer service for you

This.

Call them back and tell them you know about it.

 

[Cenequus]

It's not if Steam decides it's if Microsoft decides to come up with new software. I've lived the hard transition of win98 to win XP and the fact I couldn't even install games or programs for win98. The PC was fine but the whole system was obsolote. I'm not asking Microsoft that newer games or programs have win98 support since I've paid 200 dollars for that license and it was lifetime.

The problem so isn't the software update but the console beeing to ld to be compatible with,just an older Pnetium couldn't run win xp.Having the same name doesn't mean it's the same console.

To my opinion the OP has the usual US buyer syndrome that feels entitled just because he bought something.

Well thats all good and irrelevent as everything you said has nothing to do with what I was talking about.

That being said microsoft clearly dissagrees with you and as soon as they realised that their update was breaking older consoles they started offering out brand new slims to those people.

I have no problem with them supporting consoles,so I won't expect them to buy me a new PC for windows 8. I do have a problem with entitled and arrogant people, really "loyal supporter?" I paid more only for my windows XP Pro license than you for your console,what makes me lol?.

 

[Trishbot]

Don't listen to one tech support person.

Microsoft has been replacing incompatible Xbox 360s free of charge for many individuals. There have been stories and reports all over for this. Follow the links in this thread or the news stories. Call again. If tech support gives you trouble again, have the links and stories and Microsoft's OWN policy ready (it's on their site, stating they'll replace obsolete Xboxes incompatible with their new update).

Their own words:
"Following a recent update to our system software, we have become aware of an issue that is preventing a very small number of Xbox 360 owners from playing retail game discs. This issue manifests itself as a unique 'disc unreadable' or 'disc unsupported' error on the screen and is unrelated to our recent public beta. We are also able to detect this issue over Xbox LIVE and are proactively reaching out to customers that may be impacted to replace their console. Any Xbox 360 owners receiving this error are encouraged to contact us at www.xbox.com/support/contact so we can verify if the console has been impacted."