I'm preparing for the inevitable failue of my 360 launch unit, and I want to be ready the moment it happens to replace it with a new one. I'm really interesting in hearing about these in stores replacement plans, and who handles this the best.

I'm really just wanting a place that will swap it out on the spot with little or no questions asked. Who's my best bet?

Not many stores are left. I could be wrong. Off the top of my head. I believe Best Buy and Costco are possibly the top two. Only because MS is now offering a 3 year warranty.

Just picked up an Arcade version for the bedroom, $39 from BB for 2yr full replacement plan. The good thing is that it should cover more than just the RROD. My Elite's drive stopped reading discs after 4 months. Had to wait 5 weeks before I got my replacement back from MS.

Just picked up an Arcade version for the bedroom, $39 from BB for 2yr full replacement plan. The good thing is that it should cover more than just the RROD. My Elite's drive stopped reading discs after 4 months. Had to wait 5 weeks before I got my replacement back from MS.

I just took back my launch Elite due to it's failure to read discs as well. Such a pain.

Fortunately, I had a replacement plan from GameStop on that one. They don't offer them any more since MS is taking over it now.

Best Buy would be your best bet to get extended coverage on your 360.

Best Buy or Circuit City

I'd say Best Buy. I took in my dead pro and exchanged for a Halo edition. Total time in store was around 20 minutes. Thing is, the extended warranty is for the original console only. They'll try to sell you a new one each time.

Thanks for the tips everyone. I hope it's a long time before I have to worry about this, but I just want to be ready when it does finally happen. I figure my luck has to run out at some point with this launch unit. ;)

I personally wouldn't even bother because I've heard several people say they've tried to go into exchange theirs through their retailer's replacement plan and were told the problem was covered by MS so they would have to go that route first.

I personally wouldn't even bother because I've heard several people say they've tried to go into exchange theirs through their retailer's replacement plan and were told the problem was covered by MS so they would have to go that route first.

I have heard of this, but never once have I actually encountered this problem. I had two 360s fail to read discs after about 6 months of use...I walked into Best Buy explained what the issue was and was told to go and grab one off the shelf.

Never once was I questioned regarding the issue, and really it was much more convenient than sending out the 360 for repair.

I just bought an arcade version after my launch console failed. I went to Walmart and got a two year replacement plan for two years, only cost about $17.

It goes into effect after the manufacturer's warranty has ended. If you buy online you can get it for three years.

Costco is obviously the best (if you have one near you and have a membership). Lifetime warranty, return it immediately no questions asked for a full refund, and free. How can this be beat?

I personally wouldn't even bother because I've heard several people say they've tried to go into exchange theirs through their retailer's replacement plan and were told the problem was covered by MS so they would have to go that route first.

I can't believe it is even legal for a store to deny you a replacement if that is what you paid for...no matter what the manufacturer covers.

Why would you need a replacement plan. It is a known fact that there is no hardware problem with 360 anymore.

Costco is obviously the best (if you have one near you and have a membership). Lifetime warranty, return it immediately no questions asked for a full refund, and free. How can this be beat?

I agree, however, there are a couple caveats.


1. Most people don't want or need everything in the Costco bundle:

Costco typically bundles the system with an extra wireless controller, play n charge kit and a game. When I bought my Costco bundle, it was the Pro pack, plus an extra wireless controller, play n charge kit and Arcade Unplugged game. Now, it's nice if you actually need all of that extra stuff, and planned on paying the full retail price for it. Cause you'll actually save an extra $10 or $15 off buying everything seperately. But, if you don't need all that extra stuff, then your really paying extra just to get Costco's return policy, and that's actually not a bad idea.

2. When you have to return your 360, you have to return everything that came with it:

My 360 recently red ringed and I had to return it. I didn't have the game Arcade Unplugged anymore, so I had to go buy a used copy. Not a big deal, but just something to keep in mind.



Still, no question, Costco is the way to go. If I'm ever paying a full retail price for a game system, I'm buying it at Costco.

It is a known fact that there is no hardware problem with 360 anymore.


LOL!!!!!

Why would you need a replacement plan. It is a known fact that there is no hardware problem with 360 anymore.

"known fact" is a little bit on the B.S side isn't it? Don't you mean "My impression"

"known fact" is a little bit on the B.S side isn't it? Don't you mean "My impression"

Its also a known fact that God exists and I dont see him!

KMART offered me a 2 year in-store warranty .......for $24.00!!!

KMART offered me a 2 year in-store warranty .......for $24.00!!!

Personally I would read the fine print on what that "warranty" does. Big
difference from a "replacement plan"

Best Buy saved me on two occasions. The first time, the store tried to hassle me and wanted to turn the unit on to see that it was defective. I had to tell them the problem was intermittent and even then, they grabbed a system from the back room--gave me an X360 that had a build date 8 months old!!! The second time, at a different BB, they told me to pick a unit off the floor and I got a Falcon! Best of all, because of the price drop, I was able to get a fresh 2 year warranty for $11 bucks.

I agree, however, there are a couple caveats.


1. Most people don't want or need everything in the Costco bundle:

Costco typically bundles the system with an extra wireless controller, play n charge kit and a game. When I bought my Costco bundle, it was the Pro pack, plus an extra wireless controller, play n charge kit and Arcade Unplugged game. Now, it's nice if you actually need all of that extra stuff, and planned on paying the full retail price for it. Cause you'll actually save an extra $10 or $15 off buying everything seperately. But, if you don't need all that extra stuff, then your really paying extra just to get Costco's return policy, and that's actually not a bad idea.

2. When you have to return your 360, you have to return everything that came with it:

My 360 recently red ringed and I had to return it. I didn't have the game Arcade Unplugged anymore, so I had to go buy a used copy. Not a big deal, but just something to keep in mind.



Still, no question, Costco is the way to go. If I'm ever paying a full retail price for a game system, I'm buying it at Costco.
if you don't really need/want the game, you can go the Sam's Club route, since they have the same return policy and they have a bundle with just an extra controller and plug and play charge kit for both the Pro and Elite. it's a no-brainer, and it just cracks me up that they actually offer a 1 and 3 year service agreement on the systems they sell, who's going to buy that when they can just walk in and get a refund and order a new one if they don't have it in the store...

Costco is obviously the best (if you have one near you and have a membership). Lifetime warranty, return it immediately no questions asked for a full refund, and free. How can this be beat?

It isn't free. You have to pay for the membership to Costco. Even so it is still the best one to get. If I had one near me I would have gotten it there.

If you don't have a Costco membership or don't want to buy one then I say Best Buy has the best replacement program. You get a 2 year replacement plan. During the first year you get unlimited exchanges as long as it is still under the manufatures one year warranty and then for the next year you get one exchange only.

Costco is obviously the best (if you have one near you and have a membership). Lifetime warranty, return it immediately no questions asked for a full refund, and free. How can this be beat?

I've bought and returned my 6 xbox's from Costco - by far the best policy out there. Yeah you pay $50/year for a membership, BUT you get a few extra things that BB doesn't offer:

1. The return policy is unlimited - say your xbox doesn't die for 4 years, well you can still return it for a FULL refund.

2. Speaking of full refunds, say your xbox dies a year from now, and by that time the price of the xbox is $50 cheaper. Well, then you return your original xbox for the ORIGINAL price, and by the new one for $50 cheaper - thus your full year costco membership has just paid for itself.

3. Then, of course, you get an actual costco membership, where new games are typically $7 cheaper at launch. Plus... free food samples!!

Its also a known fact that God exists and I dont see him!

mmm..OK.

3. Then, of course, you get an actual costco membership, where new games are typically $7 cheaper at launch.
not to mention that their games are also returnable, for a full refund, even if opened and played. say you got R6V2 because you really liked the first one, and after playing it for a while you decide you don't really like it, you can take the game back and get a full refund. that way, it saves you a rental fee if you feel you would have to rent it first to decide if you like it, and like Jason said their games are never sold at full retail.

i just wish they had more game in the stores, because while they do have a decent amount online, they don't really have much in the way of games and pretty much no accessories in the stores...

as far as games and accessories go, Sam's Club usually has a much better selection...

not to mention that their games are also returnable, for a full refund, even if opened and played. say you got R6V2 because you really liked the first one, and after playing it for a while you decide you don't really like it, you can take the game back and get a full refund. that way, it saves you a rental fee if you feel you would have to rent it first to decide if you like it, and like Jason said their games are never sold at full retail.

i just wish they had more game in the stores, because while they do have a decent amount online, they don't really have much in the way of games and pretty much no accessories in the stores...

as far as games and accessories go, Sam's Club usually has a much better selection...

Hmmmm I wonder how many will go to Costco to buy GOTY COD4 to get the code for the free maps and then return it to get out of paying the $10 for it on XBL?

Just got a new pro system last night Wal-Mart and asked about the extended warranty. I only got it there since my sister can get 10% off. Anyways. They stopped the in store warranty if you take it out. It starts after MS warranty is up and you would still have to send it in. I'm sure you guys know all this already. But, just thought I would pass it along to others.

Hmmmm I wonder how many will go to Costco to buy GOTY COD4 to get the code for the free maps and then return it to get out of paying the $10 for it on XBL?
neither Costco nor Sam's Club sell the GOTY edition, only the original one, but if they did i wouldn't doubt that some people would do that...

My Best Buy is outstanding when it comes with the replacement warranty. 2 year warranty; the first year they will replace it as many times as needed. The second year you can replace it once and then you have to buy another 2 year warranty. Generally, a system becomes cheaper so the price may very well balance out. The warranty for my Arcade only costs $39 bucks, and I don't have to go through the "cardboard coffin" method.

I saw Circuit City mentioned a few times. I had the CC extended warranty on my 1st pro I bought. The kid that helped me told me that if it ever breaks to bring it in and they will replace it on the spot, stupid me believed him. Well, I found out that isn't exactly true when it red lighted on me. CC requires you to send in the 360 to their warranty center, they inspect it to make sure its broke, and then send you a gift card for the amount you paid. In all it took 2-3 weeks for me to get the gift card.

What I ended up doing was buying an Elite, transfered my HD content from the broken Pro with the M$ transfer kit, sent the Pro in, got the gift card and then had CC refund me the $$ on the Elite with the gift card.

It all worked out in the end but it was a big pain the ass. Try to find a store that will swap it out on the spot.

Circuit City's "extended warranty" is a total sham. I had the same problem when it came to a TV I bought from there. Except it has to be "inspected" 3 times before you can get a refund/exchange. Needless to say it didn't work out to good for me.

if you don't really need/want the game, you can go the Sam's Club route, since they have the same return policy and they have a bundle with just an extra controller and plug and play charge kit for both the Pro and Elite. it's a no-brainer, and it just cracks me up that they actually offer a 1 and 3 year service agreement on the systems they sell, who's going to buy that when they can just walk in and get a refund and order a new one if they don't have it in the store...

Actually Sam's policy is only 1 year for returns. However, you do get a full refund during the first year.

I actually had my once refurbed 360 start to act up recently and I could have sent it back since it was still under warranty, but I just traded it in at GameStop and went to Costco and bought their bundle. MS's 30 day return for a refurb once or twice every year was just too annoying to deal with for me.

Also, related to the Costco bundle, you can always return the extra controller and play-and-charge kit included in the bundle to Wal-Mart without a receipt for a merchandise credit if you don't need either one. At the very least you can use that credit towards a new game or something else in the store.

Just took mine in this morning to BB after trying to fight through some weird graphical stuff--had bought the replacement plan when I first purchased the console in July '06. The cashiers were pretty clueless but friendly and took it back with no fuss. Picked up an Elite for a grand total of $4 after using a GC.

Actually Sam's policy is only 1 year for returns. However, you do get a full refund during the first year.
feel free to point out where it says anything about there being a time limit of 1 year in their return policy...

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=582#q3

the only exception to their return policy is computers, which is 6 months except for Dell computers which is 30 days, and theme park tickets...

i actually walked into a Sam's Club by me not to long ago, to see how their selection compared to Costco, and more than one employee there told me that anything can be returned for a full refund at ANY time. that includes televisions, which i thought was rather strange considering even Costco doesn't do that anymore because of abuse, but sure enough more than one employee in the customer service department claimed they will take it back at any time for a full refund...

I was told by more than one Sam's manager on more than one occasion, that their electronics policy is "as long as you have the reciept you can return anything within one year for exactly what you paid for it in cash" which is exactly what i did. i had a vizio for about 9-10 months, i brought it back with all original packaging and my receipt and they gave me everything i paid including tax, which went towards the new samsung i bought. I am fairly certain you can return things after a year but only for replacement or credit, not for cash.

if that's the case, i find it strange that they don't specify that in their return policy, considering that's what policies and procedures are for and all...

even when you go into a store, the only exception they have posted about their return policy at the customer service desk is the computer exception, and no where do it give any reference at all to time limitations. i will have to look into this...

Target offers a very decent 3 year protection plan. For an Xbox 360 it will cost 29.00. If anything goes wrong after the 90 day in store return policy you call the 800 number on the plan and you are sent a pre-paid mailer to send it in. The turn around (for me) was only about a week and I was sent a brand new 360. Yes, it isn't as good as Best Buy in that you cannot replace the console in store, but it is only 29 bucks for 3 years and you will get a brand new console at no additional cost. I was given no run around by the customer service rep on the phone.

Best Buy has been Awesome for me. My 360 was scratching discs so I brought it in along with the two games it scratched. Not only did they replace the 360 in store(I upgraded to the elite) they replaced the games with brand new ones. The cashier actually seemed to care and be upset for me :eek:. But as my experience goes at best buy if I had gotten a different person at customer service my experience could have been totally different.

I was told by more than one Sam's manager on more than one occasion, that their electronics policy is "as long as you have the reciept you can return anything within one year for exactly what you paid for it in cash" which is exactly what i did. i had a vizio for about 9-10 months, i brought it back with all original packaging and my receipt and they gave me everything i paid including tax, which went towards the new samsung i bought. I am fairly certain you can return things after a year but only for replacement or credit, not for cash.

That is what I've been told as well. It seems like Sam's manager's have much more leeway available to them with returns. Costco's policy seems to be totally across the board. Personally, if I have both nearby, I'd go with Costco just to avoid a potential hassle with a Sam's manager just because he's having a bad day.

Personally, if I have both nearby, I'd go with Costco just to avoid a potential hassle with a Sam's manager just because he's having a bad day.
unfortunately, that's how it is in retail as a whole. like the person a few posts above that had a great experience at their BB, if that same person went to a different BB or even spoke to a different manager at a different time at the BB they went to, the experience more times than not would have been completely different. i like the fact that BB has a great selection of games and sometimes has great sales too, but i just hate the fact of what you sometimes have to go through to get them, which is why i rarely every buy anything from them. and kudos to the person(s) that had a great experience there, i wish it happened across the board and everyone was that lucky...

i know this is a bit old, but if anyone in the Long Island area is still looking for a 360 at a Costco store, the one in Westbury (on Old Country Road) had about 30 or so of them this evening. it was the Pro, with an extra wireless controller and plug and play for $399, with no game...