Its users have barely had time to wear butt grooves in the couch and already Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 is facing a class action lawsuit from a group of upset consumers who claim the company knowingly released a product fraught with design flaws.
The suit was initiated by Robert Byers of Chicago, who says that the power supply and CPU of the 360 are prone to overheating, burning out the chips and causing the game console to seize up.
Reps for Microsoft say the company has received a few calls but deny that it’s a widespread issue.
CNET News has more.
Wow its great to see everyone else is experienceing the same issues as i am, not that i really thought id be alone here on this one. Had my Xbox 360 since march 2006 and it went to red lights last week, then to one red light error code E79 then back to three rings. I am still waiting on my box to ship it out (for free thankfully) and have been told by xbox live that I am SOL on my month without my console and they cant reimburse it for me. I am in for any forth coming lawsuit, this is getting out of hand!
I just got the red rings and they are going to repair it, they said it will take over 2-5 days and then said 8-10 days for shipping so I’m looking at a month w/o a console that I paid over 500 bucks for…
What a joke, hard drive manufacturers let you pre-order a device and then ship it to you with the drive in the box why do I have to send this thing in and then wait a month? Ludicrous.
I’ll never buy any piece of hardware from them again.
Where do I sign up for the lawsuit?
Just got the “three rings of death on my xbox 360. Bought it last march and don’t have th receipt so I am kinda SOL. HAven’t called Icrosoft yet but it looks like i am not going to bother. Hopefully the newer versions of the 360 will be better than the beta versions. Thanks Microsoft, you suck.
I recently got the 3 rings of death, on 2/6/07, my unit was a launch unit, and even bought the extended warranty. Called Microsuck up and they said it would be 129.00 dollars to repair then a 90 day warranty. I have heard many people saying there systems are coming back for only a short period of time before they have to send it back again for repair- I’m bracing for the worst.Some of the searches I have been doing on the problem say it is cold soldered joints that are causing the problem. Sounds like a factory defect and we should not be liable for any repair charges.Thanks microsuck for the 500.00 dollar, soon to be 629.00 dollar plastic brick.
Also let me know were to sign up for this lawsuit, Thanks, dave1014@alltel.net
I am now on my 7th xbox which is also broken. Broken on arrival. First DVD trouble, then after 3 days a flashing red light. I have had supervisors speak down at me like a child, I have had call operaters shout at me. I have threterned legal action unless they meet my demands, they are a BRAND NEW console, (had 6 refurbished, most broke on arrival) a 12 month warranty, 12 months xbox live, and 2 games. I have already had 3 games and a wireless pad, but I didnt ask. I was offered these. Last night I was going to make a deal. Instead I got another cheeky operator that said I had had a new power cable, component cable, control and games for compensation. Firstly, the wires were replacements. They broke. The rest was offered to me back in September. I didnt ask for them. Last night they also offered me a deal where I have to pay £30 for a years warranty or £60 for 2 years. Because I was once again spoke to like a criminal, and not someone who has paid well over £1000 for faulty goods, they have until the end of today to accept what I have asked for, or I will write to the legal department in their HQ asking for ALL my money back or I will take them to court. For people out there that say this is childish, you must have a lot of money to buy a paper weight! My email is up there. I want anyone and everyone whos xbox has broken to email me with your experience. I will take this as far as I can and would love to have your consent to give them more examples. Dont let them get away with this. It is wrong. It is illegal. I dont know about you fella’s in the states but here in the UK we have protection with the Faulty Goods Act. At the very least get compensation. You have paid good money! Look forward to hearing from you. Mark
Thats me above. I did click remember me but couldnt have! Email is macoochoe@hotmail.com
i had a launch unit. It has worked perfectly until yesterday, when i got the rings of death. Funny how its right after the warrenty goes out. I had just dropped $200 on the HDDVD drive, plus i have purchased probably 20 games over the past year and 3 months. I didnt call in for a warrenty, i have had most every console every made and never had one break on me or had to call in to make sure i got an extended warrenty. I still have a playable Coleco !!! so, i take care of my stuff. I called Xbox and wanted to charge me $140 to fix my machine. I told them its in a ventalated, open space, i havnt mistreated it since i have put in over a grand into the system, so why after giving microsoft all this money should i have to pay an additional $140. This is bullcrap. I love the system, but faulty machines. Microsoft is making a killing, cut people a break that have owned the machine over a year. Like i said, i have never ever had to purchase an extended warrenty on any console i have owned since Atari 5200 days, so it didnt “dawn” on me that i had to call in for this POS !!! Someone needs to do something about this
Mine quit last week, only had it about 4 months.
Same as everybody else even though its 3 -4 percent yea right this is a bunch of bull someone needs to be held accountable for this I got mine and was manfu. in 2005 christmas and yes the 3 red lights and yes i could get a refurbished one for 150 plus sounds just like everyone elses.
March 27, 2007 – I am the latest of the “red flashing lights” victims. I couldn’t find the website for the lawsuit and I am in the beginning stages of a class-action against Microsoft for these problems. I am NOT some sony guy trying to hurt microsoft – just trying to do what is RIGHT. A new website is being created within the next week where you will all be able to log your system serial numbers and names in order to take part (no costs at all). Yes, the lawyer may make out here, but this is for justice…nobody else should have to buy a console that is sold with a defect that microsoft is in the know about. I will post the website on this blog page within the next week. PLEASE look back here to visit our new lawsuit website soon!!! It will only work if we all are in it together – Josh from Jacksonville, Fl.
my xbox has the three red lines
Just wondering how the new website is progressing. I recieved a refurbished 360 after 6 months. The refurbished worked until today, another 6 months. I can get it “fixed” for a lousy discounted price of $100. I’m anxious to see if the new class-action goes through. Jason from Houghton, MI.
I also have the three flashing red lights issue after buying it new one year ago. I called Microsoft and they advised that I would have to pay for the repairs since it was out of warranty. Please email with information on the class action lawsuit so that I may participate as well.
I am so pissed off with my XBOX 360, and I’ve HAD it!!!!! Please ADD me to that law suit!!!!!! I HATE MICROSOFT now!!!!!!!!!
I just bought Oblivion and when i put it in to play it doesn’t work. Not only does it no t work but it also caused my 360 to read all my games as dvd. I cleared my cache and still it doesn’t work. Now I’m mad not only because i spent $60 on a game but because i spent $60 to brake my xbox.
My xbox360 has just died..displaying the red ring of death…red lights.The unit in question was december 2005 and pre-ordered..and one of the first.I understand that early American versions were repaired free of charge as microsoft acknowledged that they were faulty..British models however do not get the same WARRENTY and microsoft uk support pretends that it has never heard of the current situation.I have been informed that I must pay to have the console repaired!!! I am reluctent to have the console repaired as how long before it breaks down again…and what warrenty do they give on the actual repair 3 hours???but as other people I am tied to this product because of all accessories/games etc.I am writing to SONY to ask if they might offer to take the faulty xbox360 consoles as part exchange.. say give you £100 trade in AGAINST THEIR SUPERIOR QUALITY PLAYSTATION3 and then as publicity STUNT SMASH the TRADE IN xbox360 in the store with hammer….and throw it in the dustbin…Then proceed to hand over a new superior Playstation3 with extended warranty….mICOSOFT would be Finished in the games console market for good and if you ask me…THAT is exactly what they deserve….
I’ve just had my third 360 crap out on me. How does a company get away with this?! Just look at the length of this list of complaints and you’ll see that microsnot has gotten more than a few calls in regards to another burnt out xbox. The problem is so big they have entire buildings full of operators dedicated to answering all the calls from us! I guess the money made on each xbox by far excedes the wages of all the operators that have been employed. When it worked, it kicked ass, but now its just another brick in my wall.
I bought the launch system after waiting in line for 8 hours. Since then, I have dropped over $1100 into the system, games, and hardware. She has had intermittent freezing problems ever since the launch. However, they were few and far between until December ’06. (Barely over 1 year after launch. Maybe a coincidence…) Since then, her condition has gotten worse and she has finally passed on… claimed by the XBOX 360 Cancer AKA Three Rings of Death.
RIP MY_SICK_360 11/22/05 – 4/19/2007
Fly with those wings, you angel, fly. May ye find comfort in that ye are ever in the company of multitudes of thou brethren, and … sistren.
Anyway, I treated this thing like delicate China (It was actually made in a place called China, too. Another concidence!). I had read about the 3 rings from the first week of release and have done all I could to prevent it. But, in the end, all my pampering was no match for the poor design and/or manufacturing and/or “remote demolition” of the 360.
I will not pay $130 for a refurbished, soon-to-be-dead 360 when they should be replacing these things with WORKING units FREE. Anyone who replaces thier system by giving this company more money has issues. These companies will continue to run business this way as long as we keep saying, “Duh, OK. Take whatever you want. I just need my system.” Why in the world would you pay them more to be screwed again? Microsoft will NEVER get another penny from me. Same for Sony and their PoS3. Nintendo is far superior quality-wise, but lacking greatly in other areas. So, no replacement system here.
But, I hear Patrick Volkerding has released Slackware 11 and Vista was released with more bugs than an episode of FearFactor. So, there’s at least an easy transition PC-wise. Also, I after being forcibly retired from Guitar Hero II, I now have time for real guitar practice. So, there is life after the death of a 360.
By the way, I am definitely in on a suit against these crooks. Where do I sign up?
Hello. My experience: My 1st Xbox 360 lasted 16 months before the red ring of death. The 2nd one lasted 8 days, however it was disc drive problem not the red ring of death, 3rd one is still working. If there is a class action law suit in the works, I would like to join in. I haven’t met one person that isn’t at least on there 2nd 360. Microsoft should be held accountable for this poor design.
I guess it’s welcome to the club, we bought the 360 for our son for Christmas, worked unitl the end of February, took 30 days for repalcment (refurbished of course) played 3 hours and died again. Customer support is a joke, it is like they are reading from a script and can’t really do anything. Not impressed at all.Hope Bill enjoys his money cause we sure don’t enjoy his product or service.
I just gave my 360 a one way ticket to the middle of Crescent Lake in Waterford, MI. It’s sharing the same watery grave next to my wife’s cell-phone. Obviously MSFT commitment to fixing this problem is at best a very limp effort. I for one have lost complete confidence in MSFT. Consumer Confidence in a fortune 500 CO. will eventually erode the stock price, unless they can effectively drown out the voice of the discontent.
I’m getting so ticked off at microsoft. My first issue with the 360 happened when I took about a two-three week break from playing it. Then one day I figured what the heck why not start it back up again. So I fired it up only to get the message that the disc was a “Unlayable Disc”.. I found this odd, since the disc had no marks on it, but I thought it must have been the disc or something. However not a single Dvd, 360 game, or CD would work, I always got the “Unplayable Disc” message. So after contacting their support line they finally said that they would replace it for me (Thankfully I was still in warrenty). Now that I have had my second console for a while I thought my days of problems would be over….. I was way wrong. Again I had taken a break from playing and again the moment I started up the console it would freeze and the pixles on the screen would be all screwed up. Now i wouldn’t be as mad as I am now, but I only have 5 days to get this thing fixed before the Halo 3 public beta testing begins. This is just getting on my nerves. I’m at least thankful that my two consoles have lasted this long unlike some people who are on their fourth and fifth consoles, but enough is enough.
My xbox 360 quit working after a couple of days, but it had only been used for less then 2 hours. I will happily join your lawsuit against the most greedy company that exists. I am switching my PC to a Mac and of course telling everyone not to buy anything microsoft. I have been a programmer since I was 13, and had my first job as a programmer when I was a teenager. I know how bad Microsoft is, why did I get an xbox 360? I don’t know why I thought it would be more reliable than their PC operating systems. It is actually much less reliable, although it is a hardware issue and not software. I don’t think microsoft can get anything right. When I think of all the children receiving an xbox 360 as a present only to be crying minutes or hours later because their new video game doesn’t work, it makes me wish something horrible would happen to the children of microsoft employees.
It finally happened to me. Saw it coming for months because it would freeze with certain games. I finally got the crackling screen and then the red ring. Now it wont turn on anymore. What a garbage product, very dissapointing.
My xbox broke after a year of being used, am in the process of deciding what to do but i want in in this lawsuit this is my second and last xbox that i am going to buy.
I am now on my third 360 and my 3rd wireless network adapter. 360 is connected into the surge protected outlet of a UPS system. Even with that, the wireless network adapter gets easily fried during a brownout. 360 itself doesn’t fare much better. I have a poorer UPS system on my main computer, a medium level HP desktop, and it has survived even unprotected power spikes. 360 is just not built very solidly.
Just got off the phone with foreign…I mean customer support. I bought my xbox 360 last year, it gave the dreaded three flashing red lights and I sent it off to be repaired. It came back, I’ve played it for four months and again the same thing. Now they say the xbox is out of warranty and I have to pay for it to be repaired! WTF!?! This is the second time and all they do is ask for my credit card number? This is turning into a big scam!
I bought my xbox 360 just two months ago and I get the three flashing red lights “SYNDROME” like so many others. Microsoft says they have fixed the problem on the newer machines? NOT! They are repairing it free of charge but I found out that this does not mean that they extend the warranty contract! I drove an hour and a half to my brothers house to play and I guess I carried the “syndrome” with me. We played two games…about 30 minutes in all and then his machine locked up, a victim of Microsofts dreaded syndrome. What’s up with this!?!
Ball Control Golf Remote
Just in case golfing isn t frustrating enough, now you can drive this remote control
I’ve had my xbox for 14 months, saw the blinking three lights of death just as we started to watch a movie =| am pretty miffed as don’t know how much it is going to cost to fi it, and if indeed it will be fixed or it will go again after another 12 months or so. After reading some of these i think mine might have lasted quite well tho!!
Mark
I will now be moving on to my Third Xbox 360, I live in Canada and think that we need to get some sort of class action lawsuit going up here as well against Microsoft Canada. General Hardware Failure with the Error Code 0020 (Unknown Error) – Why have error codes if you can’t decipher what the hell they mean.
The almightly Microsoft Corporation – These clowns are turning into nothing more than an organized crime syndicate. It needs to stop, they simply do not have the right to sell crapware to people with the KNOW is guaranteed to fail and then not have the decency to own up to the problem and offer a general recall with a free replacement unit (one that works properly).
Instead they lie about the severity of the problem in order to sleeze there way out of coughing up the money for an obvious and grossly negligent business decision.
There — My rant is finished
My system was purchased on 12-5-06 was crashing (freezing) daily within first 2 months.
Third month I got the 3 red lights of doom.
I had always kept it on top of large desk in airconditioned 65-72 deg. clean environment.
Heck, it still had all plastic protectors over infra red etc.
IT WAS IMPECCABLY CLEAN AND WELL KEPT !!!!!!
Had to send it in for repair. After 3 wks with no response about system status. I had to contact 4myXBox to find out status.
I was told that MYoriginal system had been repaired and was being shipped back to me.
Well, 3 days later I did recieve a console but it was not mine.
So, I guess they will tell you whatever you want to hear jut to get you off the phone.
Any hoo, the system they sent me is scratched up, marked up, noisey and probably over a year old. Not just used, but, abused !!!!
It looks like it had been kicked around by some 8yr old.
Now they say they will ship me my original back if, and when they fix it, but, they want me to ship this POS back now….
sooooo…. I guess I’ll have to do without again.
Seems that they would atleast replace it with a new or comperable system,
especially after I offered to pay for a new one if the would credit my acount upon recieving back this replacement JUNK!!!!!
Well It Happened to me today. I got not 1, not 2, but 3 red lights of death. I know cant stand the word microsoft. I got my console last christmas. You think microsoft could have recalled the ebox 360 and fixed the problem, but, no, not eve 5 months aafter getting this piece of Junk does it crap out on me. Also I had not played it in nearly 2 weeks. I pop in a movie today and 10 min. later, frozen. I think every one should stop refubishing their xbox 360, because it obviously does not fix the problem. It is just a waste of money. I feel like smashing my 360 over the head of Bill Gates. I will never recomend this system again.
Same 3 ring problem here, I sure would like to know
what the percentage of xbox360′s have lasted a year.
I would have never purchased in the first place if I had known of all the troubles xbox has had.
My Sony has never had any issues.
Sure would like to have the money that I’ve spent on the xbox and live subscriptions back to buy a PS3.
I would love to join in a CALS to retain this.
Mine is being sent back as I speak.
I purchased my 1st Xbox 360 console sometime in 2006 and within 1year my console generated the 3 red rings of death. the console was sent for repair and as luck would have it, a few months later, the 3 red rings were generated on the refurbished unit I received as a replacement. I average approx 3 hours of gameplay per month and am extremely frustrated with this product. I know of at least 10 close friends that have experienced the same issues with thier consoles. What is Microsoft doing to compensate thier customers and rectify this issue?
7 months to the day. Red Ring of Death. Code 0102. Bought it at Costco, just because I knew it was going to happen. So back for a quick return and back online. I love their policy.
The problem seems to be the X Clamps warping the board with heat/time. It causes soldering to break and chips to loosen.
Read more here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=717200&page=13&pp=30
I bought mine at launch, if anyone knows of any legal action against them because my console died, had plenty of ventilation, and they want me to pay $139 to fix it…bullshit!
My e-mail is bjensen4@gmail.com
Rings of Death – 6/20/2007 Launch System, called Customer Service…I needed to be versed in the ‘Indian language’ to understand the ‘help’, its a total shame the service is this bad and unforgiving on those who were dedicated to stand in long lines and cold weather to get launch systems. I know I wont buy another MS product without a longer warranty or extended warranty now. $140.00 to repair their issues? I’d gladly pay shipping but not their crappy engineering flaws. By the way, I called 5 times, email 4 times and still no email response to ‘help’, last CSR directed me to Joe after I asked for a supervisor, another dot head got on the phone and basically told me how to play cricket, what a shame Microsoft trusts oversea’s assistance to present their company.
GEO
freezing up randomly, after about a week wouldnt work at all and red lights are flashing – after being on hold and listening to some bullshit classic music for 15 minutes they told me they want 80 pounds to fix it! i wish i waited a little and spent my money on the ps3, then i might have got more than 50 hours of playing out of it…
100% agree….I have been through three Xbox 360 so far…I have gone to extremes to keep it clean and safe but it still fails me. I have sent it in for a third time last week, and my warranty is going to end soon. I want to know how to get my money back for everything, so i can buy Playstation 3
Seems i have been lucky as i managed to get 13 months out of my system before it packed up,pity i only get a 12 month warranty though
My 360 Failed finally…. I paid $550.00 for it and it was modified, I have to admit… With 5 LED lights…. Tuned down to use a few thousandths of 1 volt off off of the bottom usb port…. although I am always wireless anyway….. never wired. Microsoft refuses to touch it and there is no way in all of eienstein could say that caused the problem…… It didnt the wiring is perfect….. I may be 14, but hell, can I get in on this lawsuit too.
My original box lasted 4 months. The replacement box lasted two months and that box has been in the Microsoft repair shop waiting on repairs for three weeks. Still no box…………
I recently got the same scratches and the exact same sound from a disk I was playing as seen at http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/news/Xbox-360-Game-Disc-Scratched.htm and the xbox was not moved It is the third disk that this happens to and i called xbox 360 support for the replacement of my system which is under warranty and they refused to give me a new one. By new one i do not want a refurbished one i really mean a new one. I didn’t even ask for the reimbursement of the disk’s that were damaged just the system being a new system. A New System After all the law suits being faught by microsoft a request such as mine should not be ignored !!! All it would take to avoid a third lawsuit in regards to this reccuring problem is a little bit of common courtsey to our problem and decent customer service. Anyone who would like to add themselves to my future lawsuit or inform me of their issues e-mail me at sizla69@hotmail.com
1st Xbox lasted 13 months, nice timing eh, second one has just gone the same way, ring of death, only six month old, so gonna try and get my money back. Console looks great, graphics great etc, but build quality is crap. Microsoft are ripping us all off and it needs to be stopped !!!! Mr Gates, dont know if you know much about British history, but at least Dick Turpin wore a mask when he robbed people. How do yo explain to your 9 year old son that one of the richest companies in the world realy doesnt give a s**t ?????
Hi Guys i just thought i’d post this comment as i must be the only person that is not completely annoyed with MS for the ring of death as i have been researching the problem and its not MS fault because i have had my 360 for about a year and a half now with no problems at all until i started using xbox live and updating my games and downloading content it seems to be the automatic games updates that are causing all these problems as there are small faults in the patches that the game designers are putting on live witch cause conflict with the hardware, also i have a friend that had 4 360′s in a matter of 3 days and as he is not the smatest person in the world i put it down to not plugging in the cables properly on his 4th console the guy in the shop plugged it all in for him and told him never to rmove the cables and true to for he has now had his the same amount of time as i have with no more problems. To all the people that have lost content and the achevment points MS do tell you when you phone them that you should remove all add ons like hard-drive faceplate memory cards so if you sent your in with your harddrive still on its your own fault that you lost it all really. I am annoyed at the fact that i’m without my 360 for 2 weeks maybe 3 but i’m not going to sue anyone for a problem that no-one has any control over.
just another small comment MS have also now extended the warranty for 3 years for the red light problem and all people that have had to pay for repairs are going to get the money they paid back so everyone wins really.
Here’s one for you.My xbox died 3 days before the extended warranty. So silly me knowing that it’s an over heating problem on the GPU as it’s all over the internet, say what do I have to loose and take it apart to blow the dust out of the box. No warranty at this time — then I have a warranty again, great. Call a lovely young hardly speaking english girl who tells me if it’s three rings we will fix it even if you opened the box. Send it in gets returned as tampered with. Call support speak to three englishcaped people then at last some cube dwelling, role playing,nerd type who tells me I am in no uncertain terms a tamperer no xbox for me.I tell the troll at the time I opened the xbox I had no warranty. He tells me I had other options before I tampered. What options? pay 150.00 to get it repaired is the answer.Why would I do that and not just go buy a new xbox I ask. Then you would not have tampered with your xbox is the repley. So I say your right because I would have bought a new xbox and the old one would be landfill. He says have good day I can’t help you with this matter any longer. I say RIGHT!!!
I had camped out overnight at the local game store to be one of the first to own the Xbox 360′s. I had loved the original Xbox so much and could not wait to get my hands on the new one. Morning came and those of us who had braved the cold night were rewarded with the knowledge that an individual had stolen the shipment of Xbox 360′s headed to that store. I went home empty handed and had to wait two weeks till his next shipment came in. After enjoying the 360 briefly, I had to send it in for repairs due to the ring of death. They had sent me another 360 in about three weeks. This one lasted longer until I had to send that one in for repairs due to the machine freezing up my games and eject tray not working. Three weeks later, I tracked the UPS guy down and met with him to get my package. I was excited to get back to my gaming. When I got home I plugged it in and to my surprise, no video. Did the whole thing with tech support. They had advised me they would be sending me a shipping box. When the video would work, I would play a game and fell victim to two ruined discs with heavy circular scratches. Talked to customer service again. They refused to do anything to help with my damaged discs in which their machine was responsible for ruining. A week after calling I still had not received my shipping box. Called customer service and they advised me that it had not been sent out. They will send it out immediately and it will be another week for me to get the shipping box. Thank you Microshaft!