Microsoft Offers Free Xbox 360 Repairs

After months of unhappy gamers reporting problems with their beloved Xbox 360 consoles, Microsoft has finally acknowledged some defects and has taken a stride to remedy the situation.

In a statement issued last Thursday, Microsoft is offering free repairs to anyone whose Xbox 360 was manufactured before January 1st, 2006 and will provide refunds to those who have already paid for repairs. Some reported problems include consoles that suddenly cease for no apparent reason, as well as systems that develop blank displays. (Source: mercurynews.com)

The following is an excerpt from Microsoft's official statement: "As part of our standard and ongoing process of analyzing repair data, we recently noticed a higher than usual number of units coming in for repair. Upon further investigation, it was further discovered that the bulk of the units were isolated to a group that was part of the initial manufacturing run of the console. Returns for repair are coming in for a variety reasons and it's a higher rate than we are satisfied with. We've made the decision to comp repairs for consoles manufactured before January 1, 2006, and provide refunds to the small group of customers who have already paid for repairs." (Source: bit-tech.net)

Customers whose consoles were manufactured before the specified cut-off date and have already paid for repairs can expect their refunds within three to four weeks. (Source: HardOCP.com)

Although the problematic consoles have caused headaches, hopefully some gamers will find consolation in the fact that Microsoft is willing to resolve the issue free of charge.