The 30-gig Zunes may have temporarily revolted last week, but Brooke’s limited edition 80-gig Zune has been MIA for over three months now, apparently lost in that magical ever-transitioning Zune world from the commercials. (It just keeps falling through floors and walls and swimming pools.) Maybe someone at Microsoft can take a look at what Brooke’s had to go through so far, and get back to her with a real answer?

Brooke was given the Zune brand new as a gift:

Each one of the 500 Limited Edition Joy Division Zune players are individually numbered and are pre-loaded with the documentary film Joy Division The back of this device is black, and the laser-etched image was created by Joy Division designer Peter Saville. This edition is packaged in a collectible box that, in addition to the 80 GB Zune, includes a Peter Saville-designed leather case and poster card, a pair of Zune Premium Headphones, and a sync cable.

When she plugged it into her computer for the first time, she was greeted with a popup announcing a firmware update. She allowed the update, at which point it erased the custom content and then (when she tried a reinstall) bricked the device.

My Zune now was now only showing the Zune logo display, and then directions like, number 5, go to support.

I was now trying to format it via instructions on the Zune website. I pressed back+left+center. First it came out please wait… then clearing content, then connect to the computer for installing firmware, I was trying to do that but the responce was an error that said I don’t have enough of space on my Zune, error code C00D124F. It suggested to go to the website but on the official website it said that a resolution for this problem is not found yet.

I called Zune zupport at 1.877.GET.ZUNE

Welcome To Zune Support Hell

• Sep 21 – Zune customer support had Brooke go through all the same button mashing routine she’d already tried, then sent her a box to ship the device back for repairs.
• Oct 7 – No box. Brooke calls, is told the “ticket was ‘lost’ en route to service center.”
• Oct 21 – Still no box. “Carlos” at the service center tells her that the “ticket was ‘lost’ en route to service center”—hmm, that sounds kind of familiar…
• Oct 30 – No box. CJ transferred Brooke to Mark in “upper level repair ‘escalation team’.” Brooke received an email the next day saying they’d repair the device within 2 days once the received it—but they still didn’t send a box.
• Nov 30 – Paula tells Brooke the “ticket was ‘lost’ en route to service center.” Theo tells her to wait 3-5 days for the box.
• Dec 8 – Mike and Lindsey try to get a box sent out to Brooke. Lindsey seems to find the magic formula and the box gets a FedEx tracking number and is shown in transit. Hurrah!
• Dec 16 – Box arrives, Brooke ships in her broken Zune. She calls first to make sure she’s following every instruction, and they offer to ship her a disc of the preloaded content for backup. They even give her a tracking number for this disc.

On January 5th, 2009, Brooke called to check on the status of the repair and was told that the Zune isn’t in the system.

Mark couldn’t ‘find’ it in his system after waiting on hold on and off for 30mins I was transfered to Rizza in upper level repair ‘escalation team’.

She escalated the claim to find out the progress of the box which included my Zune. According to Rizza she didn’t know what had happened. They just can’t find it. Since it was broken maybe they tossed it. But don’t worry We will send you a normal 80gb Zune worth 1/2 the value.

I told her no way FIND IT or cut me a check for the $400.

She replied with ‘ I have a meeting later in the day I’ll bring it up and see what we can do, I’ll call you back later’.

I asked her what service center I was calling and where is it? She told me she was not allowed to give that information out. I then asked to speak to a supervisor which she replied there were none.

We’re not surprised Microsoft can’t get this stuff straight. They seem to have a filing system straight out of “Brazil”—look at everything Brooke managed to collect over the past 14 weeks:

• 6 Service Request Numbers
• Zune Customer Support Service Request ID
• FedEx Tracking Number
• Preloaded Content Reference Number
• Internet Claim Number

Hey Microsoft, we have an easy fix for you. Here’s the exact same product on Amazon, and they offer one day shipping. They even offer free messages on gift orders, so you can assign a bunch of different reference numbers to the order before it’s shipped.

Brooke, you might try emailing your story to Steve Ballmer. Obviously he won’t ever see your email, but we hope someone on that end might be watching.

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