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Microsoft Extends Xbox 360 Warranty Due to E74 Error
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Microsoft, Xbox 360
Microsoft has put a warranty extension on Xbox 360s in the U.S. that received E74 errors, which they estimate to have occurred in about 30% of the units. Referred to as the new Red Rings of Death (RRoD), the problem has been attributed to either the AV cable, a burnt out scaler chip or perhaps the GPU. In addition, the company has said that within the next 4 to 12 weeks, it will automatically refund those who previously paid for an E74 repair. If you don’t get one by July 1, head to Customer Support before November for more info and to place a claim.
Read More 
| Gamezine
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Office Depot Deceptive Sales?
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Editorial, PC / Laptop
Laptop Magazine reported that there may have been deceptive sales practices at some Office Depots. It started when they went to buy a Gateway laptop and the salesperson first tried to convince them not to purchase it, then tried to get them to buy tech services to go with it. Some comments came in that seemingly verified that behavior in others. The comments drew so much attention that the company issued a statement saying that they don’t condone the practice and are reviewing the situation.
If you have ever been subject to high pressure from associates trying to get you to purchase something in addition to the product, like an extended warranty, you have to know that in certain retail outlets this is where a commission comes in. It us sort of like a McDonald’s employee being forced to ask if you want fries with your Big Mac, but without the extra pay.
Read More | Laptop Magazine
Fujitsu LIFEBOOK’4'Life
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Hot Deals, PC / Laptop
Fujitsu is offering a very kewl deal, at least after the initial expense. Buy a LIFEBOOK and a 3 years warranty upgrade within 3 weeks of purchase and you get a new one every three years for life. Choose from any of the their models and remember to register after purchase. If you already own a LIFEBOOK you can also sign up for the program. Insurance for accident/theft is available for those ‘just in case’ times. Prices start around £1,321.06 (~$1966.00.)
Read More | Fujitsu-Siemens
Apple Spill Detection Waterproofs Your MacBook Warranty
Posted by Patrick Phelps Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop
Spill your morning coffee on your MacBook and then take it in for covered warranty service? Those days are ending; water damage is obviously a violation of the AppleCare warranty, and the new MacBook and MacBook Pro computers, introduced last week, include what cellphones have had for years: Liquid Submersion Indicators, which alert technicians to water damage. Located under the keyboard and near the trackpad, the sensors change color when exposed to a liquid. Once these sensors are activated, there is no way to undo the process, so you’re just gonna have to fess up next time, so please - no more Shirley Temples near the hardware, okay?
Read More | Los Angeles Times
Vibe Duo review followup (or V-Moda customer service sucks)
Posted by Sparky Categories: Accessories, Cell Phones, Music, Portable Audio / Video
Previously, we’ve raved about the iPhone Vibe Duo headset/earbuds and the 2nd generation Duos with the answer/hangup button. Unfortunately at this time I’m are dismayed to report that I can no longer so highly recommend the Vibe Duos or any other product manufactured by V-Moda.
In the 9 months I’ve owned a set of the Vibe Duos, they have required repair once, and failed outright 3 times. While the Duos sound incredible and are super comfortable, it’s hard to continue to recommend a product with such an astonishingly high failure rate. It’s actually surprising that the Duos have such a high failure rate given their cloth cables and metal construction - initially we would have guessed them to be among the most sturdy earbuds available.
To top things off, V-Moda’s customer service sucks. Returns take weeks on end, and the most recent attempt to get a replacement pair of earbuds has ended in stony silence from V-Moda and a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. Hit the link below for the full gory details over on my personal blog, and a copy of the BBB complaint.
Update: V-Moda has officially responded - check out the V-Moda responds post for details.
Read More | Code For Food
AppleCare Now Available for iPhone for $69
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Portable Audio / Video
It’s taken Apple almost a month to get their iPhone extended warranty plan out there, but in this case, better late than never definitely fits. The AppleCare for iPhone package lengthens “hardware repair coverage” by twelve months, resulting in a two year warranty when added on to the one-year of coverage you get with the purchase of an iPhone. Even better, if you happen to own an iPhone Bluetooth Headset, the AppleCare plan covers that as well. You can buy AppleCare for iPhone now for $69 USD.
Read More | AppleCare for iPhone
Hallelujah, Microsoft To Further Expand Xbox 360 Warranty
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Corporate News, Microsoft, Xbox 360
Microsoft has announced that if you suffer the ever-dreaded red rings of death (indicated by three flashing red lights), you’ll be covered for up to three years following the date of purchase. This is terrific news, but at the same time it was a necessity with the rate of Xbox 360 hardware failures appearing to be extremely high. It was only a matter of time before Microsoft was facing a class action lawsuit from pissed-off consumers. Anyone who has had to pay for repairs that would have been covered by the new warranty will qualify for reimbursement.
The press release stated:
As a result of what Microsoft views as an unacceptable number of repairs to Xbox 360 consoles, the company conducted extensive investigations into potential sources of general hardware failures. Having identified a number of factors which can cause general hardware failures indicated by three red flashing lights on the console, Microsoft has made improvements to the console and is enhancing its Xbox 360 warranty policy for existing and new customers.
Microsoft stands behind its products and is taking responsibility to repair or replace any Xbox 360 console that experiences the ‘three flashing red lights’ error message within three years from time of purchase free of charge, including shipping costs.
Microsoft execs have chimed in, with an open letter from Peter Moore being posted on Xbox.com and a statement from Robbie Bach appearing in the press release.
“The majority of Xbox 360 owners are having a great experience with their console and have from day one. But, this problem has caused frustration for some of our customers and for that, we sincerely apologize,” said Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division. “We value our community tremendously and look at this as an investment in our customer base. We look forward to great things to come.”
Big knock on wood – I’m probably one of the three lucky individuals who have a launch console that hasn’t failed. Aside from an unfortunate glitch in Oblivion which wrecked a save file of mine, I’ve had nothing but good times with my Xbox 360.
Microsoft Announces Improved Xbox 360 Warranty Process
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Xbox 360
Reports of people having issues with the Xbox 360 have been widespread, with some Xbox 360 users requiring multiple replacements of their hardware. It is hard to gauge the actual level of defective units in the wild, but from a purely anecdotal perspective, it appears that the Xbox 360 is much less reliable than its competition. Microsoft, though, is standing behind the console, having recently extended the default warranty to one year and now enhancing the warranty process.
First, Microsoft is now paying for return shipping for all consoles returned for repair. In addition, consoles repaired under warranty will have the work guaranteed for a minimum of 90 days, longer if the original warranty is still in effect, those out of warranty will have a one year repair guarantee. Microsoft also is apparently moving away from sending refurbished consoles to users, instead returning the original console to the user when possible. This also has the added benefit of not invalidating any of the user’s downloaded content, a problem in the past. Other benefits promised include faster service, and better support staff.
One could certainly frame these improvements in a number of ways. On the one hand, it is great that Microsoft is stepping up to the plate to ensure that the end user has as good an experience as possible when their console breaks. On the other hand, a lot of these fixes should have been built into the process from day one, particularly turn around times, console repair, and support. Nintendo has been lauded online for a couple of particularly good examples of support; perhaps Microsoft is now realizing that a good warranty experience will help reduce online complaints.
Read More | Xbox.com
Using Unlicensed Cables, Controllers Voids Your PS3 Warranty (!!)
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories:
PS3 owners dealing with broken units have had some problems getting their consoles fixed. The reason? Well, it’s all plain as day for everyone to see in the PS3 Warranty Text:
(2) THE PRODUCT IS USED WITH PRODUCTS NOT SOLD OR LICENSED BY SCEA (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NON-LICENSED GAME ENHANCEMENT DEVICES, CONTROLLERS, ADAPTORS AND POWER SUPPLY DEVICES). YOU ASSUME ALL RISKS AND LIABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH USE OF THIRD PARTY PRODUCTS.
In other words: if you didn’t use a PS3-branded or Sony-licensed HDMI cable when connecting up your PS3, you’ve just voided your warranty. This problem was first found be a user over in the AVS Forums who called Sony with a broken PS3. When he told them that he hooked up his console with generic component cables, they told him that his formerly-under-warranty repair would cost him $150. (Fortunately, Target was nicer to him and accepted it as a 90-day return). If you’ve connected your PS3 to your TV with something other than a Sony-branded or licensed cable, and you want to get anywhere with Sony customer service, we can only offer one piece of advice: LIE.
I can understand Sony not offering to repair consoles that are damaged by mod chips or hacks. But “controllers, adaptors, and power supply devices”? That just sounds like Sony is looking for any way it can to wriggle out of liability. Guess it’s time to start looking for the Sony seal of approval on every controller and cable you buy for the console…
Read More 
| Official Playstation Warranty Text
Read More | AVS Forums Post via Consumerist
Xbox 360 Gets Warranty Extension
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Xbox 360
While the Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii both had one year warranties (15 months for the Wii when registered), the Xbox 360 had trailed with a mere 90 day warranty. Now, Microsoft has extended the warranty on all Xbox 360 consoles, past and present, to one full year. Those users who have had to have their consoles repaired in the past will qualify for reimbursement of those fees.
The early Xbox 360 consoles were somewhat notorious for their failure rate. While Microsoft initially downplayed this issue, eventually they owned up to the problems and offered free repairs and a warranty extension for those users. Some complaints on the Internet indicate there are still problems with some Xbox 360 consoles shipped.
Microsoft’s press release announces the warranty extension as a customer satisfaction measure. This may be in response to Xbox 360 issues, but also as a way to address implied reliability issues by the gap in warranty length compared to the other consoles. For whatever the reason, this a good thing for Xbox 360 owners.
The full press release continues after the jump.
Click to continue reading Xbox 360 Gets Warranty Extension
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