Well, they are ofcourse saying it indirectly. The simple reason for this is, they do not have any service center in India and for their Indian customers, and they simply replace problematic Xbox system with new one. But they do not replace the console if it has been bought from countries other than India, They ask you to send it to their Australian service center.
I had purchased my XBOX 360 from US in November 2006. It worked well without any problems until it started flashing 3 red lights on my console. I think the problem is with some dust or moisture on the console board or RAM. So, now according to MS, I will have to send it to their Australian service center. And it is going to cost me around Rs. 6,000 for the shipment and customs. (Though my repairs will be under warranty and MS will pay for the return shipment too)
So, in short, MS is trying to say is: Pay Rs. 9,000 for the console in India and buy it. Don’t bother us if you have purchased console from out of India.
I am leaving for Heera Panna (shopping complex kinda thing in Mumbai) to get it repaired. I have decided to give it a shot with local guys as it is not any big issue. I would have surely visited MS service center if they had it in Mumbai. Infact I never would have said no to any extra cost for repairs too. But sending it to Australia just does not make any sense to me.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: IF YOUR XBOX 360 STOPS WORKING AND IS UNDER WARRANTY, THEN PLEASE DO NOT SHOW IT TO LOCAL DEALER AT ANY COST. WARRANTY WILL BE VOID ONCE OPENED, MICROSOFT WILL NEVER ENTERTAIN YOU AGAIN AND YOUR XBOX WILL BECOME PAPERWEIGHT LIKE MINE.
01-Feb-2007 at 7:43 pm
This is bogus… Whether you buy the product from US or India, it is the same.. So what is the problem in replacing it ?
01-Feb-2007 at 10:01 pm
Well, yea, it is illogical and wrong but they still want to go ahead with it because they want poeple to pay Rs. 9,000 more for the same stuff.
02-Feb-2007 at 7:47 pm
Hmm… if you haven’t given your Xbox for repiar yet, I have an idea. Just simply wrap your Xbox in a thick towel(those turkey towel or whatever they are called)and switch it on for half an hour or so. Then switch it off take it out of the cloth and sitch it back on it should work. But as far as I know this is just a temporary thing. It seems its a loose soldering fault in many Xbox 360s.a
02-Feb-2007 at 7:54 pm
Yup, it is a temporary problem related to soldering. I have already given it for reapir.. they are going to get back to me tomorrow.
Let’s see
Deep
03-Feb-2007 at 11:11 am
That’s sad deep. The more I read about faulty xbox 360s the more sleepless nights I get.
Anyways, did you try searching on Google, I came across a page once which explained those different flashing ring of light signals.
What’s next? When Xbox Live finally releases in India, will they ban consoles which were not bought in India?
03-Feb-2007 at 2:04 pm
Okay some update here, the local dealer said, he wont be able to do it. I will get it back today and try the thing Karthik explained earlier. If it does not help, i will send it to Australia.
I must say it is pain in the a$$.
Angad - I alrady found out the error code via that page, it is error code 0102
About US console working in India on live - actually it should work logically, I don’t think MS will ban it for any reason.
04-Feb-2007 at 2:05 pm
So was this issue fixed deep and are you sure you gonna spend 6k and send it across to Australia :O ?
Cheers,
Dreamchaser
04-Feb-2007 at 4:56 pm
I am thinking of sending there, I am gonna pick it up tomrrow and try the trick what Karthik suggested…
05-Feb-2007 at 2:42 pm
Deep, something similar has happened in my case as well. I recently bought the XBOX (NOT 360) from US and due to the change in voltage/wrong adopter used, it konked off. Microsoft folks said that they do NOT have any service centers in India and asked me to send it to Australia.
I am checking if there are a few repair centers in Bangalore where I could fix this. Pls let me know if you guys know any decent srvice senters who could rectify this problem.
06-Feb-2007 at 9:41 am
IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOUR XBOX 360 STOPS WORKING AND IS UNDER WARRANTY, THEN PLEASE DO NOT SHOW IT TO LOCAL DEALER AT ANY COST. WARRANTY WILL BE VOID ONCE OPENED, MICROSOFT WILL NEVER ENTERTAIN YOU AGAIN AND YOUR XBOX WILL BECOME PAPERWEIGHT LIKE MINE.
06-Feb-2007 at 5:09 pm
So you’re saying Microsoft did not entertain your request?
06-Feb-2007 at 5:13 pm
Well, yes.. they said they do not repair the modified or tempered consoles. It is againsts their policy and they are right too. It was basically my fault to send to local dealer instead of sending it directly to Australia.
06-Feb-2007 at 5:14 pm
But yea, again, they were very polite. One of the best customer support guys I have ever talked to.
06-Feb-2007 at 7:09 pm
Ah man, that must be bad… works fine now? Paperweight seriously? :O
Karthik’s suggestion worked?
06-Feb-2007 at 7:54 pm
Well as its a paper weight now you can take it to someone else or use towel trick
06-Feb-2007 at 10:25 pm
Karthik - Harsh - the towel trick will work for around 3 hours or so and then again it will be back to square. I have also read somewhere that it might spoil the console. (because of heat)
So what I am going to do is:
1. wait for some miracle and make MS say Yes for repair.
2. Wait for the local guy to call me and tell me “send your console, we can fix it up now”
Let’s see…
Hoping for the miracle actually
Regards,
Deep
15-Feb-2007 at 8:18 pm
Hey guys, i was lookin forward to buying a 360 by end of feb, but all these teknikal problms with ol ovr the internet, is kinda making me do a rethink. what do you guys say? should i buy an xbox360? ps2 or older xbox? or should i just forget the idea of gaming oltogether and giv the money to charity?
i am frm delhi by the wy..if dts supposed to influence ur answer smhow
16-Feb-2007 at 12:25 am
Buy xbox 360 without any second thought. But buy it from India, it will cost bit higher than US version but it will be a better choice keeping current situation of warranty in mind.
Deep
16-Feb-2007 at 1:41 pm
really? k, i mean , by nw its ol i cn think bout so i will def, but bout the warranty….. i dont think im gonna be able to keep up with the buyin of original games or long.. so will hv to get it modded sooner or later, plus this guy in gurgaon is offerin me a modded premium edition for 24000rs….without the warranty ofcourse…should i still go for an indian version? or buy it from us and get it modded here?
16-Feb-2007 at 7:06 pm
Actually that’s the problem with everyone because of costly games. The modded version would be cool to play backed up games but if your console starts showing red lights, then it is time to save money for next console. Or you have to make sure that the guy from where you are buying know how to fix consoles. That’s it.
19-Feb-2007 at 2:45 pm
My XBox 360 (US version) died last week showing 3 red lights. I called up the MS customer support and they said the same thing that I’ll have to send it to Australia and they will honour my warranty. After reading your blog, I think I should go for this option to sending it to Australia. I asked from a courier company and they said, a 3.5 kg package to autralia will cost me around 3,900/-. Do I have to pay any custom duty also?
20-Feb-2007 at 11:38 am
Actually, DHL has a special type for repairs, in that they take care of customs and all. Just call them and ask for it. Generally customs charges are around 800 - 1000 Rs.
24-Feb-2007 at 1:18 am
hey hows dis—- if i buy ps2+psp instead of jst 360??
24-Feb-2007 at 2:10 am
Not a good idea, PS2 is kinda old generation console, xbox 360 or PS3 are the new ones. About PSP, it is great if you want to play on the device itself but for something on TV, xbox 360 is a better choice…
24-Feb-2007 at 10:43 pm
http://searchviews.com/archives/2005/12/xbox_360_lawsui.php
just hv a look at this link.
and tell me if i should still think bout buying onw
25-Feb-2007 at 1:23 am
Dec 2005, basically, there sill be these kind of exceptional issues with any console. Take my example, mine showed 3 rings of death and now it is almost like a paperweight to me but still it won’t stop me to get a new one soon. It will be your call in the end to decide but according to me, it is a good choice.
25-Feb-2007 at 9:37 pm
ok i giv up im gonna buy one. and also a psp.
frm tryin to save sm money to dis!gosh!
nw just gimme me ur vote ur slumhacker
modded, or sealed with the warranty?
25-Feb-2007 at 9:45 pm
nd hey if u really r gonna throw it away, i mean u old one, then theres dis guy i knw in gurgaon who says he cn fix dis prob…u wanna giv it a shot? it will be a big relief fr me too ya knw
26-Feb-2007 at 12:03 am
Sealed with warranty if you can afford 2500 per game..
Modded - if you can do not mind taking a risk…
Both have disadvantages but I would prefer sealed one..
About the guy in Gurgaon - sure thing, I will give it a shot…. can you send me his number and name at deep at whoisdeep dot com?
26-Feb-2007 at 10:10 am
Just FYI. Mine has reached Australia for repair. Let’s see when will they get back. The total cost of sending my xbox was 5548/-.
26-Feb-2007 at 12:09 pm
Oh nice.. keep us updated..
03-Mar-2007 at 4:23 pm
hey satpal, which courier did you use when sending the console to australia? Did you have any special documentation to be done to avoid paying customs duty?
I have a hong kong xbox 360 which is showing the red lights and was also told to ship to Australia. Not sure If I should do it.
03-Mar-2007 at 4:28 pm
Send it to Aus Santosh. Get in touch with DHL guys, they charge around 6K from Mumbai.
You need to have a declration invoice and some other stuff, call DHL or Fedex and give your email, they will send you copy of documents required.
Deep
08-Mar-2007 at 12:16 pm
I used Blue Dart. They sent it through DHL. They demanded …
1) 6 copies of ‘Annexure A’ which they sent to me via email
2) 3 copies of ‘Invoice’ in which you declare the value of the XBox
3) 1 copy of ‘Self Declaration’ that the product has no commercial Value
08-Mar-2007 at 12:31 pm
BTW, My Xbox has been repaired. This is what I recieved from their service center.
“Your Xbox Video Game system has been shipped! You can expect to receive it in 2-5 days. Thank you for your patience and get ready to get back into the action!”
I’m all excited to get it back. I hope it shouldn’t ran into this problem again… fingers crossed
09-Mar-2007 at 10:16 am
Awesome, congrats man.. mine is non-repairable now
13-Mar-2007 at 4:29 pm
where can i buy xbox 360 from mumbai(south). Also should i get sealed or modded? Can i get either from the same shop? how many wireless controls come with the xbox 360? thanks a lot
20-Mar-2007 at 9:34 am
Another pain in my story of getting my XBox back
My XBox while coming to india after repair got stuck with Customs. They denied it’s release. So, Yesterday I went to their ‘Foriegn Post Office’ with the documents to satisfy them that it has been sent for repair and its not the new one. But they were creating a lot of issues for me.. but I constantly tried to pursue them that it was just went for repair and it belongs to me.. after a hard full day with them they finally approve it without putting any duty on it. They will now dispatch it today to the Speed Post and I’ll recieve in next 2-3 days.
20-Mar-2007 at 11:41 am
aah I think customs guys might want to earn some quick bucks so they did this.. anyways good to know that you are getting it back now
23-Mar-2007 at 2:03 pm
Finally got my XBox back in my hands. Right now I’m in my office so will run it when I’ll reach home.
I’m all excited to get it back.. but felt a little upset when I saw its face plate is broken from the side and also the console is not properly closed from the back.
But I hope it will run fine and the 3 ring of death should not arise again in the future.
17-May-2007 at 10:24 am
Another Issue Arises - UNPLAYABLE DISK
I was playing crackdown last night and suddenly I heard a lound sound of spining inside the console. I immediately opened the tray after that when i closed the tray it says ‘UNPLAYABLE DISK’ and it is now happening with all my games
I was about to downlaod the Halo 3 Beta… this is really disappointing
17-May-2007 at 12:22 pm
aah bad, again have to send it to Aus? This seems to be a costly affair.
btw I have sent my xbox to US for repairs..
17-May-2007 at 2:14 pm
That’s great. Have microsoft agreed to repair now?
Do you have the number of the repair guy in Gurgaon which chandani was talking about earlier.
17-May-2007 at 2:38 pm
No, I have sent to a store called llamma.com
The gurgaon guy stopped xbox repair work.. there is one more store called Digimartonline, check their site http://www.digimartonline.com/catalog/
they have their number flashing on the home page itself, you can talk to them and I think they should be able to fix it up.. the only thing Indian’s cant fix are the heating related issues.
21-May-2007 at 4:23 pm
I talked to Customer Service and they are telling me the same story of sending it to Aus. But it really seems a costly affair for me sending it every two moonths. How can I be sure that nothing will be happen after it comes back.
What will be your opinion on this? After having such a bad experience with my first repair I don’t wanna put my energy into it again.
What should I do? … repair?? Mod?? … Can’t they exchange my US Console with the Indian Console, may be they can charge me some money for that?
21-May-2007 at 4:27 pm
Did you try calling Digimart guys? what they have to say about it? Sending it to Aus again will be a costly affair. Just see what Digitmart guys have to say first.
09-Sep-2007 at 8:46 am
Hi,
I got my xbox 360 from US in India. It is 110 volt operated but my nephew has used 220volt instead of 110 volt. Now its not functionning, please let me know if it can be repaired in Gurgaon.
10-Sep-2007 at 1:04 pm
It’s bad. If it is under warranty then you might want to send it to australia for repair. MS doesn’t have any service centres here.
If you are not worried about the warranty being void then you may want to ask somebody in palika market, delhi.
But be sure that they will be able to fix otherwise you will loose your warrantly also and it will be of no use later on.
05-Oct-2007 at 5:11 pm
All the guy buy xbox360 r cofused. Bcoz xbox have not repaird in india. So all the boys who wanted to an 360 .So plez dont try it .Ether y lost your maney and mad. Yea i buy it and it not run less than two days.Wow it make me mad. So i go to ps3 .Ps3 is great if y spent on it 40000.But in grey maket it cost is 26000.And if y want extem buy nentendo wii.
05-Oct-2007 at 5:19 pm
dude? English?
19-Dec-2007 at 11:49 pm
i have the same problem wht neeraj had ..my sis got the xbox from US which works at 110v but unknowingly i started at 230v without using the converter.
now its not working. do MS has any service station in US.
wht should i do can any 1 suggest??
08-Jun-2008 at 11:13 pm
i have the same problem wht neeraj had ..my bro got the xbox from India which works at 110v but unknowingly i started at 230v without using the converter.
now its not working. do MS has any service station in US.
wht should i do can any 1 suggest??
08-Jun-2008 at 11:14 pm
i have the same problem wht neeraj had ..my bro got the xbox from India which works at 110v but unknowingly i started at 230v without using the converter.
now its not working. do MS has any service station in INDIA.
wht should i do can any 1 suggest??
18-Jun-2008 at 9:32 pm
Should i buy Xbox from UK or go for PS3. research shows me that there are lot of problems in Xbox and i dont wana get into hassle after buying it (XBOX360).