Microsoft Under Fire from British Watchdog
Gamers in the UK are a poor bunch: first off, they are the ones to get new games and consoles late; second, games cost almost twice as much as in teh U.S., and finally, they are shafted by companies like Microsoft who have different policies regarding their machines. It is a known fact that error rate in the first batch of Xbox 360s was very high, but Microsoft went out of their way to restore the consoles, often refunding previous fixes in the States, while Britons were left to fix their units paying GBP 80-90 each.
BBC’s Watchdog took a look at the situation, and it’s not looking good for Microsoft. The investigative team focused on the ‘ring of death’ problem that was so common during the console’s first days; Microsoft did not have any representative at the show. However, they did respond to the programme once it aired. Apparently, there is “no systemic issue” with the console, and that the “vast majority” of the console’s owners have had an “outstanding experience” with it.
“Anybody having an issue with their Xbox 360 console should call customer service immediately so that we can help. Microsoft voluntarily provides customers with a one year manufacturer’s warranty in the UK which operates over and above the legally required retailer warranty for all consumer goods.”
However, many are still experiencing problems with their Xbox 360, even the latest versions have a high failure rate, so high that some owners are on their third and even fourth console, including editors here at DigitalBattle.