Xbox 360 repairs

quinnd6

I was wondering how much does it cost to get an xbox 360 repaired by Microsoft through the xbox website?
The problem I have with mine is it freezes a lot requiring me to turn off the console via the power switch to get it back working and sometimes the sound cuts out while I'm playing and I have to either reset it to get it back or else turn it off if that doesn't work.
So what would that cost for Microsoft to fix including VAT?
Also for anyone who has had their xbox 360 repaired by Microsoft is it reliable or did it break down again a few months later making the repair pointless?

CMARTY10

is your console still in warranty?

quinnd6

No its 2006 20gb model.

quinnd6

My freezing has gotten worse since.
Its still working but freezes a lot more often now.
I couldn't play through the trial version of I am Alive without it freezing so thats about 5 to 10 minutes of play.
I'm using my pc mainly for playing games at the moment.
Anyway I was wondering again is it worth fixing?
I calculated the price of fixing it to be about 96 euros.
I'm guessing you have to pay for postage to Microsoft aswell.
Then when they do finally fix it theres only a 3 month warranty.
I'm a bit conflicted about it because I think it probably isn't worth fixing but I don't like the idea of having it lying there useless unable to play games on it.
What do you guys think?
Have you had your 360 repaired only for it to screw up again?

Meesared

Buy a new one, youre better off TBH

Myrddin

Meesared wrote: »

Buy a new one, youre better off TBH

There's people on their third & fourth xbox 360. I'd price a reball for it, it may work out cheaper than replacing the console every few years

Meesared

Yeah I meant a new new on, like a 360 S which seem to be more reliable, plus you have a 2 year warranty with it.

Myrddin

Meesared wrote: »

Yeah I meant a new new on, like a 360 S which seem to be more reliable, plus you have a 2 year warranty with it.

The warranty is the real incentive to get a new one agreed. But there's people who have bought new ones only for them to fail down the line too. This generation of consoles is appalling in terms of build quality/reliability

The_B_Man

I got a reball and it failed within a week!

Not sure if it was done improperly or what, but reballs dont seem to be the solution to all the problems!

Myrddin

The_B_Man wrote: »

I got a reball and it failed within a week!

Not sure if it was done improperly or what, but reballs dont seem to be the solution to all the problems!

Did you get a reball, or a reflow? As theres a world of difference. And your correct, a reball isn't a universal solution to al rrods, it depends on the nature of the fault. It is, in most cases though, the recommended solution.

A reflow can last anything from an hour to a day, to a month onwards. It is usually done incorrectly, giving the repair type a bad name. If done correctly, it can last quite some time.

If you got a reball done & it failed, it either wasn't done correctly or wasn't done at all. A reball simply doesn't fail, unless something else went wrong with your console. The CPU & GPU can fail, but often not together

The_B_Man

Ye I know what you mean.

FYI, I got the "good one" done. The reball, where the solder balls are replaced on the bottom of the chip. Not the "heat it up til it melts and seals the cracks" one.

Jimbobjoeyman

The_B_Man wrote: »

Ye I know what you mean.

FYI, I got the "good one" done. The reball, where the solder balls are replaced on the bottom of the chip. Not the "heat it up til it melts and seals the cracks" one.

are you sure it was done correctly by a reputable person,
A reball shouldn't fail like that hell a reflow done properly shouldn't fail like that.

You should have a warranty if it was done correctly.
I've herd of many places doing "permanent" repairs where in fact they were just doing cowboy jobs.

A reflow gets a very bad name because very few places do it properly,
most people doing "reflows" just get a €15 paint stripper/heat gun and wave it on the xbox gpu for a few seconds. That dosent cut it.

To do a relfow or a reball properly a person needs something called a BGA rework station that are very expensive and incredibly difficult to get the hang of, Hence why many places don't do the job properly in the first place.

To give you the timeframe you would expect from a reflow done properly -
The first four consoles that I successfully reflowed on my BGA rework station when I was doing repairs were given away to my friends for free.
Each of these consoles is given a regular beating on xbox live and fourteen months later they are still working and I dont expect them to fail anytime soon.

And from 8 months of doing repairs for people I only had one of my reflows on sealed consoles come back - I kid you not.
I only ever did reballing as a last resort.

quinnd6

The new black model xbox 360 s only has a one year warranty and not a 2 year warranty though hasn't it?

Jimbobjoeyman

Im no expert on the matter but,
Microsoft only give a one year warranty on the slim in the US and other areas but in europe all electronics have a two year warranty under eu law.

I might be completely wrong but thats my grasp of it

quinnd6

The thing is in Ireland though we usually get shafted when it comes to consumer rights so that EU law might not apply to Ireland at all even though we're in the EU.
I just don't know.
I know on gamestop.ie (where they don't have any left in stock) it says 1 year warranty so that's probably it.

Meesared

quinnd6 wrote: »

The thing is in Ireland though we usually get shafted when it comes to consumer rights so that EU law might not apply to Ireland at all even though we're in the EU.
I just don't know.
I know on gamestop.ie (where they don't have any left in stock) it says 1 year warranty so that's probably it.

Its definately 2 years, call Xbox support and ask

quinnd6

I rang Xbox support and had to sit through an annoying american accent answering machine only to be hung up on and probably charged 2 Euro for the fuking call. I'm fed up of their crap.

Meesared

quinnd6 wrote: »

I rang Xbox support and had to sit through an annoying american accent answering machine only to be hung up on and probably charged 2 Euro for the fuking call. I'm fed up of their crap.

Its a freephone number

quinnd6

I made the call on my mobile.
Anyway I checked it since with an xbox ambassador online and its 1 year warranty not 2.

Meesared

Youre taking the word of an ambassador? lol

I'm 100% sure the warranty here is 2 years

And ringing off a mobile was your own fault.

quinnd6

I'm still curious so I might try a proper Microsoft person tomorrow.
If that ambassador is wrong though I really don't see the point in there being ambassadors.
Gamestop told me one year aswell.
It also says one year on the xbox Ireland site aswell so I'd be really surprised if they said 2 years.
I don't see this generation lasting another 2 years anyway.
Only reason I'll buy a new xbox is for halo 4 and gears of war judgement and to replay some of the games I bought over the years.
I think I can hold off my purchase for another while anyway as I've got a few games on my pc to play but it's just nice to know.

Meesared

Its definately 2 years, regardless of what Gamestop or the Ambassadors say (90% don't have a clue of what they're on about)

I have a 2 year warranty on my Xbox, expiring in 2014 from March this year.

quinnd6

You were right it is 2 years I just checked with proper xbox support there now.
I think they should drop the ambassadors.
They're hopeless.

Meesared

Yep, they should IMO, or at least have an "entrance exam" of sorts rather than letting in anyone who wants to go in.

quinnd6

I bought a new xbox today from a Gamestop shop and I registered it and found out that the warranty only lasts until January 2013 which as you know is only a few months away.
Anyway I called up Microsoft and they will hopefully sort it out.
I'm glad I didn't leave it until later to register it or if the console had needed repair at a later date I could have been screwed.
And us talking about 2 year warranties earlier could you imagine only having a 4 month warranty on a brand new console.
Anyway hopefully Microsoft will sort this out or I'll just have to bring the console back to Gamestop.

Meesared

They will, once you have the receipt to show to them they will adjust the warranty date for you

quinnd6

That's great it shouldn't be any problem so as I have the receipt.