Manufacturer Warranties and Protection Plans

[teddyk15]

Lately I have been having issues with my 360, mainly very frequent disc errors with multiple games and freezing.  This I have learned is because the laser that reads the disc is either defective or dead. I purchased my Xbox not even a year ago on 11/01/08 and along with it I purchased what I was led to believe by the cashier a warranty that would cover an exchange for anything that went wrong with my xbox or RRoD, etc. I have learned from my friends and many others that Xbox 360's have a high failure rate so I was quick to purchase this warranty being led by the cashier that Bestbuy would exchange my Xbox knowing that I also have a 3 year warranty from Microsoft that covers RRoD and such ..but I have been reading over the forums people who have had a similar issues and its not quite clear to me why I purchased this 40$ warranty.   I HAVENT HAD THIS XBOX FOR EVEN A YEAR YET!!! And I have been experiencing issues for about a month or two now assuming that it was just problems with discs. So ultimately what do I do with this warranty? Apparently if I try to return this to the store, all im going to get is a rep to look at my device and tell me that he will send it to Microsoft and I will be mailed a refurbished 360 (ultimately one that was broken or defective already and was replaced with parts by microsoft) These Xbox's have higher failure rates then new ones!!! I DONT WANT A USED ONCE BROKEN XBOX WHEN I HAVENT EVEN HAD MY CONSOLE FOR A YEAR!! I would expect to be exchanged a new 360 but according to this warranty all I get is a refurbished one? Why wasn't I informed that by the cashier who sold me this warranty who instead said that I would get an exchange?? All this is extremely frustrating...I'm also confused on what I have to bring back with my Xbox, everything in the box? Is that all replaced with new parts? I should get an exchange if I'm ultimately paying 40$ for a warranty on a device that im having issues with after much less then a year...Im very frustrated and I hope I get help that is fair for what I purchased

[Nokia]

You are correct, it will be sent out via Rapid Exchange and you'll get a refurb in 7-10 business days. You just have to bring in the console. Everything else stays with you. Since the old PRP was last effective 9-13-08, and your plan (Gadgets & Gizmos) was instituted right after that, there was a lot of confusion regarding the two different plans and what they cover.

[teddyk15]

hmmm well thats just great...I wish the cashier would have told me that instead of saying I would get an exchange (implying an instore exchange), because then I wouldn't have wasted 40$ on a warranty  on a 360 that I could have sent back to microsoft myself. Sounds like im getting ripped off here, I haven't even had this for a year...unbelievable

[Aaron-BBY Community Connector]

Hey teddyk15,

I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been having difficulties with your Xbox 360!  Disc read errors are never fun to experience, so I can imagine how frustrated you must feel to be encountering them so soon after you purchased your console.  Rest assured though that we’d be glad to assist you under both your factory warranty and service plan coverage.

Before going any further it’s important to understand that our service plans do not take the place of Microsoft’s factory warranty – instead, they provide you some additional benefits and a more local option for service and support.  While it is true that immediate in-store exchanges are no longer an option under Geek Squad® Black Tie Protection (GSBTP), GSBTP still offers the same coverage for power surges and damage due to built-up dust, internal overheating, and standard wear-and-tear that our customers have come to expect from our service plans.  They also provide for an exchange under our No Lemon coverage once your console has accrued three previous qualifying hardware repairs and a fourth confirmed hardware failure as briefly explained in this previous thread.

Now, I do not know why there would have been any confusion over your service plan coverage, but I apologize if you found this to be the case.  Best Buy® last offered Product Replacement Plans (PRPs) on 09/13/2008, so all service plans purchased after that date would be GSBTP.  Repairs for Xbox 360 consoles with GSBTP coverage are addressed through our Rapid Exchange program, and like Nokia mentioned, defective consoles can typically be replaced with factory-refurbished models within 5-7 business days.  To seek repairs, customers simply need to bring the defective console to the tech counter at their local Best Buy store – the controller and AC adapter are not necessary.

If you are not satisfied with your service plan coverage, remember that you may always cancel it by speaking with an associate at your local store’s customer service desk.  Alternatively, you may always request that it be cancelled by mailing a copy of your purchase receipt, brochure documentation, and a signed cancellation request to the following address:

AIGWG
Attn: PSP/GSBTP Cancellations
P.O. Box 9312
Minneapolis, MN 55440

I hope this helps you out, but please feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.  You can send me a private message by clicking on either my signature below or the letter icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page.