A broken Microsoft video game console and a supposedly voided warranty became a headache for a Massachusetts woman and her son, who contacted NBC Boston Responds for help.
Holly Peterson’s son Max plays a lot of Xbox One, and when his gaming console stopped working last fall, she sent it to Microsoft to be fixed under the product’s one-year warranty.
"My Xbox wouldn’t turn on and the graphics wouldn’t load up and no audio would play, so I thought maybe the chip or something was broken and we could give it back to Microsoft," Max said.
Holly even paid extra for expedited shipping so Max could get it back quickly. But when the box finally arrived, they were shocked at what was inside.
"He opened the Xbox and there was a letter inside of it that said 'We are really sorry but we can’t repair your Xbox. You voided the warranty by opening the Xbox and trying to repair it yourself,'" Holly said.
She added, "And I was like ‘That’s crazy. We did not try to do that. We have a warranty. Why would we do that?’ And they wouldn’t do anything at that point."
Holly said the condition that she received the Xbox in when it was returned was not the condition it was in when she sent it.
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"I know I packaged the Xbox up. It was in bubble wrap and in a tight container so it wouldn’t move around. It was shipped in good condition," she said.
Microsoft offered to sell Holly a new Xbox at half price, but they would not repair the broken console.
"I was really frustrated. I called their customer service. I was transferred back and forth and spent about two hours on the phone with them. I was chatting with them as well on the internet and they said ‘We're sorry there is nothing we can do for you. You’re out of luck,'" she added.
NBC Boston Responds reached out to Microsoft to see if anything could be done to resolve the matter.
Within days of contacting us, Holly got a call from Microsoft’s corporate office.
They sent her a new Xbox One and refunded her the money she spent for another Xbox One she bought Max for Christmas.
"I am very happy so I get to play with my friends again and I get to play all of my new games," Max said.
"NBC Boston Responds helped me out, made my son happy to have his Xbox, made me happy to have my money back in my pocket," his mom said.
She added, "You guys were amazing. You did such a great job and my family and I really appreciate everything you did for us. Super fast and super helpful."
If you have a consumer complaint, NBC Boston Responds is here for you.
Every email and every call will be answered.
To reach us just fill out the NBC Boston Responds form on our website or call 1-888-521-NEWS.
