Class Action Lawsuit against Microsoft for Xbox 360
November 29, 2007 by Jason Bean
Filed under Computers
Jim Goldman, correspondent for CNBC, has this article now available on the CNBC website regarding the specifics of the class action lawsuit against Microsoft and their Xbox 360 woes.
I’m not sure how Bungie Studios is tied into this lawsuit. I don’t think it’s anything directly related to a combination of Halo3 and Xbox 360 together, do you?
Goldman doesn’t think there’s much merit behind the lawsuit at all:
One note on the class-action status of the Halo case. I’m not attorney, but wow, good luck. It’s not as if Halo 3 is a drug where customers MUST take it for health reasons, yet if they do, they risk some kind of injury.
This is a game. Customers who aren’t satisfied can exchange it for another copy, and if that one doesn’t work, they can demand their money back. Pretty simple. The attorneys are the ones who will bank the cash. I don’t know: seems like a long shot to me.
He does think though that regardless of the legal merits of the case, the public relations backlash and cost to recover from the further hit on the Microsoft public image will have serious financial consequences as well.
IceRocket Tags: Microsoft, class action lawsuit, Xbox 360 class action, Xbox 360, Jim Goldman, CNBC
I have had many dealings with “Max”, the automated Xbox voice. Microsoft is selling defective units and I have proof. I bought a brand new core unit in January, 2007. The manufacture date on the back of the machine is November 2005!!! This unit was sold to me as a brand new machine in 2007!!! Microsoft sold it to the retailer “New”!!!
I’m not sure how much proof that is really. I don’t think it would be out of the realm of possibility that the machine you purchased new was manufactured a year previous and just now made it to retail. But, probably about as likely as a refurbished Xbox being sold as new. However, even there, who’s to say it wasn’t the retailer that put a returned machine back on the shelf?
Ok I actually do have proof. I have purchased in the last year, 3 brand new xbox 360s. The first one lasted about 4-5 months and then the problems began which I sent back, still had problems, which I ended up selling it for 1/4th of what I paid and put that towards a brand new one from Dell.com which in less then 1 month, it began to freeze and actually scratch my discs. I sent that back and figured if I spent an extra $100-$150 and got the elite that I wouldnt have any issues……WRONG….within 50 days it began freezing within minutes after starting any game and I now am playing the waiting game again waiting to receive my xbox back. I wouldnt recommend anyone to buy one because no product should be so faulty…..maybe having this happen once, ok…..but 3 times? That is wrong to me and I should be compensated for the money I’ve had to dish out for the piece of crap!!!
I too went through 3 Xbox machines. I now have a new PS3 and am very happy so far. Microsofts anwer was to send them $99.00 and the would send me another replacement. The second two were replacements in a 12 month period. After tha you get to pay $1oo every 3-4 months to play Xbox.
I had 3. All 3 red lighted. Took back to Wal Mart. They gave me my money back. But many people have over a year and can’t take them back and are stuck with a 400 piece of junk. Get this. I went to Wal-Mart to take mine back the 3rd time and there display model had the red ring of death also. These units have a bad design or something. Maybe motherboard or just not cooled right. This is what happends when you put a untested system out for sale. I agree that they should bring a lawsuit against Microsoft for this system.
I have a good one for you. I too had an a red light issue. I was told that microsoft was recalling the xbox. I called them and was sent a box to return the unit. After 3-4 weeks I received the same BROKEN unit and a note from microsoft stating that I tampored with the unit. The unit was tampored with at microsoft, not only did they do nothing to fix my issues, but they also scratched the console and broke the disc tray. The disc tray worked perfectly before I sent it in, now it doesnt open at all. I called them to resolve the issue and of course they will do nothing. So I agree.. we should all file a class action suit against them. Just tell me when and where?
I bought the Elite brand new in Oct. 2007 ($458.) now in Feb. 2008 the disk reader fails, I can no longer play any game disks. This is outright fraud-M$ knows full well that the 360 is junk, yet continues to sell them to unsuspecting consumers. I suggest to all…write your states attorney general office of consumer fraud. Also sign the recall xbox on line petition. Help stop others from being rooked by M$.
I will gladly participate in any lawsuit, it is needed.
Jeff, at what point do you think Microsoft “knew” the 360 is junk? Nothing’s been very hidden from the media or consumers. Why would you buy a product from a manufacturer that knows it’s selling junk?
Well… the 1 billion dollar warranty extension is the first, M$ admitted to a 33% failure rate was the second and thirdly the current 16.4% failure rate are the points that M$ knew the system was flawed. It wasn’t until my $458 Elite failed after 4 months that I started to do some research and saw the massive amounts of consumer complaints, on line petition (6700 sigs) and various articles/blogs of the 360’s many defects… the E74 error, disk drive failures, RROD and power brick failures to name a few. You’d expect some “bugs” on the launch consoles, thats normal, we are 3 years into production and still many (too many) units are experiencing failures. Wait until Nov. 08 when the extended warranty (3 yrs) is no longer valid for launch consoles, thats when the truth of M$’s deception will finally float to the top. BUYER BEWARE!! do some research and you will see this console is not worth the money, don’t be fooled like I was. Check the xbox live forums in the hardware section and you will see pages of issues, check the “recall the 360″ on line petition and you will see pages of issues, check consumer affairs website and you will see pages of issues, Even if the current 16.4% is correct (which is low) that is literally millions of defective systems sold to unsuspecting consumers. These units should have been recalled 2 yrs ago and should be recalled today. I stand by what I said, outright fraud!
I needed to jump in on the Microsoft Money Machine blogs. I had my credit card on file and 3 people in my home have 2 gamertags. Long story short, I cancelled one of the tags in 2003. Microsoft was renewing it automatically in 2008,five years later! They reactivated a gamertag that wasn’t active for 5 years!!! Then they had the nerve to tell me that one of my other gamer tags renewed automatically, but was never paid for. This was an account that renewed last year, automatically, on the same valid credit card that was not in arrears. Microsoft is crazy..Watch your credit cards. I had to cancel my card to get my info out of their system. P.S. They broke down and gave me a $50.00 credit.
I’m on my 3rd Xbox 360 in 4 months. Just signed up for the disc scratching class action suit. This is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t expect $5 million in damages. Just replace my console and any damaged discs without charging me more and without a 2 hour phone call with their support line.
The first 360 I bought got the red ring of death in about a year or a year and a half. I sent it in for repair using the free box/shipping Microsoft provides through customer service. They sent me back a 360 with a broken wireless sensor, so it wouldn’t work with my wireless controller and I wasn’t going to just buy a wire controller to make up for their mistake. I asked to send this second 360 in for repair and they required that I send in my perfectly functioning power cords along with the broken console, even though they had nothing to do with it. I received a third 360 and broken power cords in return. I called customer service to send in the broken power cords for repair and they told me (after an hour on hold) that I had to pay for my own shipping/box because it was an ‘accessory’ and they only had console-shaped boxes. So basically I have to pay for Microsoft’s poor product! I wrote a letter to the Washington State Attorney General and I’m hoping this resolves the problem for me and that something changes in Microsoft’s policy.