EECB Changes Price Tag To Fix Zune From $160 To $0
Brian believes a firmware update made his 80gb Zune give up the ghost, so he called customer service asking for a repair. The CSR's idea was for Brian to send the Zune and $160 so Microsoft — new 80gb Zunes are going for $217 on Amazon — but Brian had a different idea: call in an EECB airstrike.
This is the letter he sent to addresses for Steve Balmer and Bill Gates he found on Google searches:
Dear Microsoft Executives,
On Sunday September 20th at 11 AM CST I updated my 80 Gigabyte Zune to the latest firmware that you offer via the Zune software. Needless to say after the update was finished my Zune has completely stopped working. So after letting it sit for a few hours hoping that maybe the battery needed to be charged I tried to get my Zune to work again. No luck so at 3 PM CST I felt an call to Zune customer support was in order.
The first representative I talked to was named Icee. He has me do all the tricks that are on the Zune support pages that I have already done to no luck. Icee then puts me on hold for several minutes before finally getting back to me saying that I would have to pay $160 to send my Zune to them to fix it. I explain that their software is liable for causing the problem and you should fix it on your dime. Icee tells me that they can't do anything since my account is "locked" and that its expecting an credit card number in order to advance with the repair.
I then ask for an manager. Icee puts me on hold for several minutes again before I get transfered to the manager Lee. I explain the issue to Lee who then tells me to "keep an eye on Zune.net" since they are investigating problems with the firmware update. I get the case number [redacted]. I made it clear to him that I am very unhappy with even the idea that I should have to pay out of my pocket for their software issues making my Zune no longer work. He simply tells me to watch the website and has no idea on when to expect an fix if any. Call at the end was 30 minutes or so.
I have spent most of today trying various methods to get my Zune working again. As of right now its refusing to work. I am at the point of where I am very unhappy with the idea of having to pay $160 out of my pocket to fix what your software messed up. This is not the first Zune that has stopped working on me as my previous 80 gigabyte model
also stopped working.
Zune support responded the next day, asking for an address to send his prepaid Zune coffin. Brian now awaits the return of the spoils of his EECB direct hit.
(Photo: organic nyc)
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Comments:
This doesn't necessarily mean that Microsoft is going to repair his Zune for free though. They've just stopped demanding $160 up front.
After seeing what happened with the PS3 and their latest firmware update crushing the soul out of their old systems, I'm starting to think the firmware writing business is the quickest way to thousandaire status. Sony said the same thing to their customers as well, "Just send us money and we will fix the problem that we caused".
Can a good round of EECB penetrate this powerfully shielded business acumen? Only Batman knows.
an call
an credit card number
an manager
an fix
Just curious: is this a writing tic, a spell-checker glitch, a strange gap in an English-as-a-second-language source, or what?
@rdclark: I think is a combination of a poor educational system and a writing tic. Some people regularly do things like this, as well as hear/here, there/their, where/wear, etc. It drives me insane. And a lot of times, the people who do it never caught on that it was wrong, and to them, it looks perfectly correct despite anyone telling them otherwise.
When I used to be a section editor of my college newspaper, the articles were supplied by English or journalism students getting academic credit for their articles. I would have to grade their work. If I spotted anything like that, they would immediately get points off their grade.
I've always been terrible with the use of "a" vs "an" as far as proper English.
Yeah I can't believe the guy's name was Icee either. I had to ask him for his spelling at least twice just to make sure I wasn't hearing it wrong.
The $160 is what they charge for out of warranty repair regardless of what the issue is.
I know this guy who always says "i goes..." I cringe every time! I'm not sure why the use of ain't and don't are so widespread everywhere too
i hope the apple fanboys dont come in and start bashing the zune. is it the zune hd hes having problems with? i have the newer version of the old zune (red 80gb) and just updated mine and have had 0 problems. actually the software runs loads better now. its the 2nd best mp3 player ive had right behind creatives Zen vision M.
The fact is many (even official) firmware updates officially void warranty, if you do it by yourself. The correct way to update your gadget is to find a certified service person or mail it to the service center and ask them to do it for free (but usually the shipping cost is still on you).
Or do what I did after having the exact same thing happen: Throw my Zune in the garbage and vow to never pay for another M$ product again...
@Demolition Man: If you want to use an "a" before a noun that begins with a vowel, or sounds like a vowel (some h- words apply), use "an" instead.
Easy! :)
@sixseeds: *to clarify, I'm asking about firmware updates voiding warranties, not service centers updating firmware.
@rdclark: Well, given that the latest ex-President used terms such as "bomb a buildings"...who knows?
@holytrainwreck: He wasn't the smartest guy either. ;)
Thanks Trai for the tip. Its more of my mind always goofs up on the "a" vs "an" no matter how many times I try to correct myself.
@sixseeds: If I used unofficial hacked firmware then yes I can understand what Bob Lu is saying. On the other hand the firmware update is directly from Microsoft as I did the update via the Zune 4.0 software. Henceforth to me Microsoft is liable for the damages their software caused.
Let me put it in simpler terms. Would you pay out of your pocket if Jiffy Lube damaged your car while doing a simple oil change?
This dude is not very bright! Here is the solution:
Dump the crappy Zune and buy an iPod and stick it to Microsoft at the same time!
DOWn, baby, DOWn!
Its not like as if iPods ever has issues either. Then again comments like that are all expected from Apple fanboys.
@parrotuya: Seriously take your biased Apple crap elsewhere. Its people like you who turn me off from the Apple product entirely.
10/6 Update:
Called Zune to get a update since their website is both vague and non functional when it comes to any information. In fact clicking on the "more information" button on the screen that shows the status of my repair goes right into a nice error screen.
Upon dialing the service number I get told that my pre-paid coffin had just been shipped... despite the fact that their service site shows "service in progress." So after hitting the "#" key on my phone several times I get connected with Amber. She put me on hold several times while she investigated the status.
Finally she put me through to Jeff who is "level 2" or whatever that means. Jeff informs me that their service center is "backed up" with many repairs plus they have many new employees. According to him my repair should have been already completed by now. He informs me that it might be another week before its even looked at.
I know at this point I should be just happy they are doing anything at all. On the other hand its very frustrating when it feels like for every step forward on getting my Zune repaired another step backwards goes right along with it.
I'm not ready to say "epic fail" yet... but its getting very close.
@pecan 3.14159265: It always bugs me when people blame the educational system for things like this.
I guarantee you that every time he used the wrong version of a/an, it was marked with a little red X. Some people are just dense.
10/9 Update:
Apparently according to the guy at Zune I talked to today UPS "lost" my Zune. Zune is "investigating" what has happened and will call me back "in the next week" to let me know what is going on. I barely could understand the guy due to his high pitched accent let alone could even get his name.
Okay... now I'm ready to say it...
EPIC FAIL!
10/13 Update:
No word at all from Zune on the status of my player. Meanwhile the service website now shows they are sending me yet another pre-paid coffin under a new repair order. I fired off another EECB to Ballmer/Gates (or at least their secretary) in essence explaining to them the current situation and that nobody at Zune seems to have any idea on what to do other than to tell me to keep waiting.
This is one completely unacceptable way to handle things on their part. I shouldn't have to beg them to fix their screw up let alone now have to wait for them to figure out where my Zune got misplaced.
I won't ever be buying anything Zune ever again after this. That is for sure.
10/14 Update #2:
First of all I should clarify that EECB #2 was sent yesterday. I'm sorry for not making mention of that in the previous update. Also somehow my mind on the previous update thought it was 10/13. That update was meant to be for today (10/14).
Regardless....
I called Zune once again today at 3:15 PM. The first rep I got on the phone was named Tom. According to the information he gave me my new Zune is "ready to be shipped" which is good... but then the bad news is that it will be "up to two weeks before its shipped." He also mentioned that I had a e-mail sent to me telling me this. Somehow I never got that e-mail.
At this point I became very irate. I instantly demanded to speak to a supervisor after I told him that its already been a month since this repair process has began due to their firmware update bricking my Zune. I also reminded him that its been two weeks since they allegedly "lost" my Zune as well.
After being put on hold for almost ten minutes I get bumped to Misty who is part of the "escalation" team. She tells me that they can't do anything outside of wait for UPS to give them the tracking number for my Zune which according to her (again) is "up to two weeks." When I asked her why it takes that long she couldn't even answer me on why. All she did was just repeat to me about it being two weeks like a parrot and that they will call me once they have the tracking number. I simply replied "I've been told that before about getting phone calls from you." She goes back to me that there's been "no updates" on the situation... yet somehow apparently the fact they are sending me a new Zune is suddenly not worthy of informing me at all about?
I ended the call by enforcing that I will never buy another Zune product again. Along with that I told her that I've been a long time Microsoft supporter going back to Windows 3.0 and have owned many Microsoft products over the years and that this ordeal is making me heavily reconsider my loyalty to Microsoft. She simply gave me a cold "oh well I'll note that down" in a way that shows she couldn't care. Phone call ended at around 3:45 PM.
Quite frankly I'm tired of hearing excuses, can't do this, must wait for that, and on and on from Zune on this. Let alone I shouldn't have to be making repeated phone calls and EECB's trying to get them to do anything to escalate the repar/replacement process. Or it taking several weeks just to "investigate" why my Zune went missing only to turn around and make it several more weeks before my replacement is even shipped. Honestly this is a horrible way to run any operations. Seems like from what I've read elsewhere online this isn't out of the normal for Zune's service department.
Yet Microsoft wonders why the Zune isn't doing very well in sales. I thin above all else this explains one of the biggest reasons why is due to outright horrible service. Bummer since the device itself has a nice user interface and overall nice controls to it. Outside of no EQ options on the 80GB its a good device. Too bad this will now be my THIRD Zune in a year... yet I look over at my Creative Labs Zen Microphoto that I have owned since late 2005 that still works to this very day. Sad isn't it?
![[i253.photobucket.com]](http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh72/TeddyPossum/icee.jpg){kind=link}
![[blog.storenvy.com]](http://blog.storenvy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/iceman.jpg){kind=link}
Icee? Seriously? He was served by a frosty drink? Well, there's your problem right there.
There are some interesting turns of phrase in that email.