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Visa Extended Warranty Protection Replaces Infamous "Dusty Playstation"

Reid, the guy with the Playstation that Sony said was too dusty to repair, is getting his system replaced through his Visa card's extended warranty protection.

For those of you who are not familiar, many credit cards carry a benefit that doubles your manufacturer's warranty and helps you out of these sorts of sticky situations. When last we saw Reid, he was battling Sony Computer Entertainment for warranty repair because his system was having trouble reading discs. He lost, and Sony shipped the unit back to him. For the record, Reid says that the PS3 arrived much dustier than when he originally sent it. Not knowing what else to do, he bought a dust buster and cleaned the unit up, determined to fix it himself. Then he tried upgrading the PS3's firmware and the system completely bricked.

Thankfully, his Visa has extended warranty coverage and he'll be getting a new PS3.

Reid writes:

I just got off the phone with Visa for the third time and they are sending me a claim form to start the repair/replacement process of my system.

They at first said that they would need to attempt to have it repaired in my local video game repair shop, but I let them know that i had already contacted them and the firmware in combination with the blu-ray lens made it impossible to repair economically and it would have to be replaced. They said as long as I had a repair receipt stating that it wasn't economical to repair, I could walk into a Best Buy, charge a new PS3 to my credit card and they would credit that charge.

Thanks A LOT, for all your help, you guys have more helpful than i would ever imagine. Lets just hope I never need to email you guys again shall we?

Thanks again,

Reid

PS, This was possible because (some?) Visa Signature cards carry a "warranty manager" feature that effectively doubles the warranty on any product purchased on the card up to one year. Because the problem that bricked the system occurred after I was legally out of warranty, Visa is taking care of it. Again, I can't thank you guys enough, you really put the power in the customers hands in an industry where its customers are generally ignored due to their demographic. I owe you guys.

If you buy a lot of expensive electronics, make sure your card has extended warranty protection. In fact, we reminded a reader yesterday that his broken out-of-warranty TV was probably covered by his MasterCard. It was!

We love happy endings.

PREVIOUSLY: Dust Voids PS3 Warranty
Sony CSR: What? No! Dust Doesn't Void Your PS3 Warranty!
Is This Playstation 3 Too Dusty To Be Repaired Under Warranty?
TV Breaks Right After The Warranty Expired? Call Your Credit Card Company

8:04 AM on Thu Jan 17 2008
By Meg Marco
15,326 views
125 comments

Comments

  • I said it then, and I say it now...he doesn't deserve it

  • Too right, he doesnt deserve it.

    The guy treated it like crap and then lied about pretty much everything when he was trying to get it repaired.

  • I agree. The only time I've ever seen a console with that much dust was an old Atari VCS that was left in a closet for a decade. He neglected it, and should have had to pay for a new one. Hopefully he's learned his lesson, since I doubt he'll get a second free chance.

  • Wow, my ps2 looked better than that and it was in the Hurricane Katrina flood in New Orleans. That thing is in ridiculous shape. I may agree with the people above. He might not deserve it. Did he ever explain how it got so dusty?

  • Image of humphrmi humphrmi at 08:54 AM on 01/17/08 *

    @aayo3: Sure he explained it. "Folding@home". That's what made it so dusty. So there you go.

  • Man that thing is gross. My PS3 doesn't get cleaned as often as it should, I admit. But that should be unacceptable by any person's standards.

  • Yeah, he really treated his system poorly and lied about doing so. Oh well.

  • Does this work for Visa debit cards?

  • Happy Endings?

    He scammed his credit card into getting him a new ps3.

    These things only make it more difficult for honest consumers to get their issues resolved.

  • @mightypen: I agree with you there. He's a scammer (and a very good lier) indeed!

  • Will Visa give me a PS3 for no good reason, too? Cuz that'd be awesome!

  • I'm with the first batch of commenters, I've worked on cleaner computer systems at a high density FEED YARD.

  • Full agreement with the other commenters. Breaking it in half wouldn't do much more damage than covering it in filth.

  • He's an obvious liar. In the first email he claims he doesn't have the receipt because he received it as a gift. Now he's having his credit card's extended warranty program buy him a new one. Maybe he bought it as a gift for himself, after alienating all his friends and family with his habitual dishonesty.

  • nice one! while everyone else is accusing you, i believe you.

    :)

    PS3 are dust magnets.

    Don't see why you have to clean it everyday.

    Things get dusty and it entirely depends on the environment you are.

    you people should be ashamed for accusing him.

    just be glad he got it sorted.

  • @randotheking: Nope.

  • FINALLY!!!

    I've worked on plenty of laptops that were just as dusty as this under warranty. I've pulled out cat hair dog and any other hair that happens to be in someones home (yes even that hair) from fans. This thing should have been repaired months ago there was no reason not to do it. External dust shouldn't even be a factor for repair, secondly a dust repair takes about 2 minutes just blow the crap out of the machine if was overheating now it won't, if a fan or wire needs to be replaced do so. I would never turn away someone for dust, thats just stupid and lazy.

    Anyone and I mean anyone that has a desktop machine knows that when you go behind you desk to plug in something new that it's caked with dust. It happens to everyones stuff, this just bugs the crap out of me I cannot understand why it was not repaired.

  • Hey Reid, thanks for perpetuating the "Ugly American" stereotype by crying and pouting till you got what you wanted! Your carelessness and poor hygiene has helped the world over continue to point and laugh at disgust at the United States. You're a douche and so now do we look like douches. P.S. try not smoking crystal meth so close to your new PS3, and make an effort to clean up your cardboard box of a crack house once in a while, Ass.

  • And THIS is exactly why you and I pay high credit card fees and rates. Because idiots like this don't even remotely try to take care of their stuff.

    So in closing Reid, you're welcome, all us other paying customers just paid your bill for your ineptitude. And Reid, you sir are a douche.

  • I was just thinking maybe Reid should go to the doctor just in case.

    What if his home has a serious problem and the inside of his lungs looks like the inside of the PS3?

    Maybe I'm just paranoid? That reminds me my house is probably due for a air duct cleaning...

  • @-EDGE-: I hate to say it, but isn't calling someone a name kind of...

    But it is very strange that his ps3 was in such poor condition. Maybe he lives close to those wildfires or something. Or there was a flood and it got silt in it. I don't have a PS3 so I just don't know.

  • @girly:
    I see what you did there, and that's not bad, clever even.

    Alas, Reid is a douche just the same.


  • How does his PS3 look that old already?

    Did he take it outside and play it in a dust storm?

    Looks like he dumped his vacuum cleaner bag on top of it.

    How nasty is this guy?

  • Guys, this "Dusty Ps3 Kid" is a Fake!!!!

    [www.playthree.net]

  • @-EDGE-: I know you aren't the only one to have that opinion.

    It's just that is a pretty harsh word to me especially since we don't know anything for sure.

  • this guy is a FAKE he's an actor

    [www.imdb.com]

  • Some things, just void standard warranties... and letting your equipment get like this, is one of them!

  • @humphrmi: I used folding@home and mine isn't anywhere as dusty as that. Maybe someone should call the health department on him, since he obviously has a major dust problem, maybe black mold.

  • I don't really think he treated it poorly. I'm regulary cleaning here and my computer is still getting very dusty inside. Luckily I can open it up and clean it, something that's not really possible with a PS3 (I'm guessing opening it would void the warranty).

  • I've had several different gaming consoles and they've never been that dirty. I've also never had a computer get that dirty even with not cleaning it for over a year and a half. Gross and undeserving.

  • @WordMan: He off-roads with it.

  • THIS is precisely the reason CC companies & banks are having such a hard time distinguishing between truly wronged consumers and frauds.

    Congratulations Reid on another successful scam! You're a douchebag and that's readily apparent by the negligence you show your own possessions and your willingness to scam, cheat, and lie to get your way.

  • Regardless of the dust... HE BRICKED HIS PLAYSTATION with a botched firmware upgrade. He screwed it up of his own negligence so... this is lame.

  • Image of Buran Buran at 11:30 AM on 01/17/08 *

    Wow, way to blame the victim. How is he a douche for wanting an in-warranty piece of electronics repaired that is no longer reading media like it should? Optical drives fail like this pretty often compared to other ways they can fail... and you're all calling him names. Yes, computers can get very dusty on the insides because the circ fans draw dust in the air into the case. I've seen it happen -- but that does NOT cause the optical drive to stop working.

    I'd say the douche around here is the BTV crowd.

  • @Onizuka-GTO:

    Are you serious? I've had my PS3 for 6 months and I have two cats and it looks like it's new. Why? Because I keep my home clean. Reid is a douche, and it's people like him that make credit card rates go up...
    It is fraud, any way you cut it.


  • @Buran:

    Because the warranty doesn't cover NEGLECT AND ABUSE, that's why.

  • hmm it's been how long? I think with all the time and money he wasted, he should have just bought a new one.

  • @Buran: What RvLeshrac said, also "Reid" made a firmware upgrade to the PS3. It isn't a BTV, more like Blame The Scammer

  • I have to say, I've had troubles with my PS3 BluRay laser and Sony's customer service was fantastic. They replaced the machine hassle-free. I've also never dusted the machine and it still looks like the day i got it. I cannot see how his PS3 got so filthy. Then again, I vacuum my apartment.

  • If his PS3 could get that dirty, just imagine what the rest of his house looks like. For all we know this guy could be living in his own filth from 10 years ago. No PS3 could ever get that dirty unless you didnt bother wiping it off or vacuuming for over 3 months.

  • Yeah, that PS3 is WAY too filthy. It's an electronic device, not a air filter. That thing looks worse than the the Apple IIE that's been left in my parents attic for 20 years.

    I'm going to have to agree with the others here who point out that people like the owner of this PS3 cause the rest of us more problems with this kind of crap.

    I am for consumer rights 110%, but only if they aren't morons.

  • @crapsh00t: Really? I think that even if they are "morons" they should get what they're entitled to.

  • Before you 'spout off' and proclaim your righteousness and denounce Reid's unworthiness to receive his 'Member Benefit' that is extended to Credit Card users I say 'They amongst you that has never returned something you have broken claiming it to be defective cast the first stone'. Piety is for the Holy. This benefit was not gifted to Credit Card subscribers without a fight, many consumers demanded this benefit and so now we all have it. Like it or not.

  • P.S. Remember and don't forget. Reid was 'entitled' to this benefit as are those of you that use VISA.

  • @girly: Ummm, no, not how warranties work. You aren't "entitled" to anything if you treat your possessions like shit. The sense of entitlement and lack of personal responsibility in this country makes me sick. Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you want to own nice things, you have to take care of them?

    As others have pointed out, a normally clean home would NEVER cause an electronics device to get that dirty unless you left it undusted for months or years. In EVERY Playstation console instruction booklet I've owned, it clearly states that you need to keep your Playstation dusted, clean, and free of debris to make sure it runs properly. You can't come back whining that it doesn't work because you were negligent about cleaning it every so often.

  • i, as many others are probably wondering, want to know how in the world it got that way?!?!

  • *Casts Stone*

    Nope, As I general rule I try not to commit fraud.

  • @girly: Yeah, but not when they obviously didn't bother taking proper care of the expensive product they purchased... And while I support consumer rights I don't like it when people whine and whine to get what they want even though it's likely their fault the product failed in the first place.