Pretty cool! Microsoft treated me well too with my RROD xbox. Very nice people and I got a free gold membership to xbox live for the trouble.

@downwithmonstercable: everyone gets a month of free XBL Gold when they get their RROD system back. I have a small stack of the cards from Microsoft sitting on my desk (which do me no good as my 360 is out of service more often than it is in).

@djsyndrome: Troll.

Well it's good that she got it back, but damn, 15 weeks?

Regads?

Thanks, Zune Tea!

@processfive: They don't have Kool-Aid.

It's amazing how so many of these things that should be standard customer service don't get taken care of until the Consumerist/local news/newspaper. Sheds light on the problem.

I read a feature in the Chicago Tribune called "Problem Solver", where people write in explaining their issue, then the staff calls up the company (or individual) at fault to get their end of the story. All it takes is that call from the newspaper, and suddenly the situation's all under control.

It's just sad that it has to come to that. Why can't they do the right thing in the first place?

@djsyndrome: I got 3 months, sucka!

@djsyndrome: and to add to that, it's a nice gesture. Sure it costs them nothing, but it was a nice surprise to see that in the box. They don't have to include it by any means.

Well done, Brooke! I wasn't nearly as fortunate when my Joy Division Zune died, and have pretty much given up on the whole business -- and will be doing my best to avoid MS products in the future.

All I was able to get through several channels (phone and email) was a reiteration that if you order a Zune Original that dies, you have been pre-warned that you will only receive a regular Zune of the same capacity in return. So now I have a run-of-the-mill black 80-gig Zune that cost me $447 with tax and shipping (the price for my dead-and-gone Zune Original). Thanks for nuttin', Microsoft!

@stevegoz: Check your consumerist messages. I'll message you that Blarim guys personal phone number. Its a direct line to his office.

@downwithmonstercable: Yeah, i also got the 14day 'FREE' Zune pass trial card. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll torrent my music and keep it.

Yay, congrads, Brooke!
And, (grumble) tip o' the hat to Blarim, of MS Support.

@stevegoz: Given that the Joy Division Zune is a limited edition item and they don't make the them anymore, I'm not sure what you would expect besides a replacement with a non-limited edition.

If they had increased the capacity of your new Zune, would you have been happy?

@Brookeorama: Well, you showed them by stealing.

@Hank Scorpio:

I was just thinking the same thing. It's nice when a company does the right thing, but why do we often have to shame them into it?

I used to work for the Zune Support team until last Jan when they gave our contract to the Philipines and worked directly with Blerim, I can certainly say that he is definitly the kind of guy who would do this for a customer. I will certainly be referring him to this site to see the kind words for his efforts.

@Brookeorama: Oh, hey, check yours as well, when you get the time. I have a very humble suggestion. :)

@krunk4ever: I would've been happy if a unit that I babied didn't die after five months.

Failing that, I would've been happy to have been offered a "like in kind" replacement -- perhaps a full credit toward another Zune Original? Or a JD Zune from Amazon, where they are selling for 250 bucks? Or a remake of my Zune, as Brookeorama got?

I would've been happy with pretty much anything more than what I got, which was weaselly nonsense by a multibillion-dollar company hiding behind an excuse of "our warranty clearly states...."

I emailed Steve B. too, complaining about the JD Zune since I was thinking about buying one. Got an email and call from Balim, who assured me all was good in Zune land and thanked me for the link to this story in my initial email.

@Hank Scorpio: Interesting. Maybe I should just pretend to be a newspaper reported next time I have an issue like this.

@downwithmonstercable: Sorry to disappoint you, but they have to send that to everyone because existing XBL customers would lose the time they have already paid for, and it's all because MS's faulty hardware. It's easier for them to send that to everyone than finding out which users have suscribed to XBL. Plus, it gives people the false believe that they actually care.

So, did Blarim refer to this as a new order?

@Brookeorama:

While I'm pretty sure that The Consumerist dislikes big companies as much as the next one, I'm pretty positive that they don't condone stealing from them.

They must be especially proud that someone they helped in such a big way is boasting about it on her own very positive article.

I'm shocked this got resolved. When my 80gb black zune stopped holding a charge, I decided to send it in for warranty. I asked them specifically if they could send the same Zune back (I had a screen protector on it) and just switch out the battery. A few weeks pass and it turns out they just decided on their own to send me a red zune back in return. I called them to ask what made them think this was a decent or even reasonable decision and they told me what's the difference? I mean if they sell different colors, maybe I bought that specific one for a reason.

I told them I'll send this red zune back and they can just send my old one back to me. He told me the Zune was already gone and he couldn't find it again. When I asked to speak to a supervisor they just blew me off and refused to do anything more for me.

I absolutely loved the Zune but this was the deal breaker.

@Hank Scorpio: The problem likely stems from the fact that the consumer wants it's purchases to come as low as possible, and the companies (who are, indeed, at fault here with providing substandard service) try to shave that money where it hurts the least (or is percieved to), in the "loss-leader" of support and service.

Thank the wal-mart-ization of our consumer culture for this, at least partly.

I too worked for Zune support until they took the boat to Philippines and also worked directly with Blerim. He's an upstanding guy and does his best to make sure his customers are Raving Fans...

McD.

I have also spoken with Blarim, and he has promised me something good. I'll post on the specifics after it comes through, but I am feeling far, far better about the Zune and Microsoft in general after talking to him this evening.

@downwithmonstercable:

Well I got my 4th 360 here and just finished packing it for shipping due to RROD earlier today. So the product I get back will be my 5th 360, and yes I'll probably get another month membership to add to my stack but think about it, when the whole process takes a month and my current membership I paid for is counting down unused what am I really gaining? Nothing actually.

I'm kinda numb to the whole situation now since I've done this so many times and was expecting it.

The last time this happened they promised me a new system, but of course what do I get back but an old system, older than the one I originally bought back in '06. This time again they promise to give me at least a newer system...I don't have much faith.