Anyone can play guitar (but I just want to play my xbox)

Sept 2nd, 2008, some time after 9:30pm: I turned on my xbox only to have my eyes burnt by the three flashing red lights.

Sept 2nd, 2008, 10 minutes later: After many google attemps to try and recover my dead xbox I called overstock.com to figure out what to to next. I purchased their Two-Year Platinum Protection Plan so I figured that all I'd have to do is send it into them and have it taken care of. I was told that I would have to send it to Microsoft because the RROD is a Microsoft recall and they are responsible for the repairs. Oh yay, looking forward to calling Microsoft.

Sept 2nd, 2008, another 10 minutes later: Hung up with a Microsoft "agent" who told me they'd get right on it and would be sending me an email along with a box.

Sept 3rd, 2008: Feeling uneasy about the prior call I decided to call Microsoft back just to make sure the idiot I spoke to the prior night had my info right ( Since I had to repeat myself several times as well and tell her she forgot important information like asking me for my zip code and such). Good thing I called the man said because "your service request was never processed". About 1 hour later I got an email with a shipping label. Confused as when I started (because am I NOT getting a box?) I started with my rabid googling and found out that MS doesn't send boxes anymore! YAY?

Sept 3rd, 2008, probably a couple hours later: Josephine from Microsoft informs me that no, they don't send boxes anymore. I then inform Josephine that she is going to send me a box. She agrees. I then ask her if I'm supposed to take off my hard drive because NO ONE had given me any directions. She apologizes and then tells me I should've been informed of the process but I, of course, wasn't so good job Agent #1 and #2. Not only did you want me to find a box and package it myself but you didn't even give me proper instructions on doing so. Another, F YOU, Microsoft.

Sept 5th, 2008: MS ships the box

Sept 9th, 2008: Box comes with instructions and I package up my xbox. Sans hard drive, of course.

Sept 11th, 2008: KA ships out my xbox

Sept 17th, 2008: My xbox arrives in Mesquite, TX where I'm assuming it's being fixed up! YAY! (A little side note: the delivery was delayed because of Hurricane Ike!)

Sept 22th, 2008: My xbox leaves Mesquite, TX!

Sept 27th, 2008: My xbox comes home! As soon as I get home from work I take him out of his box and get ready to plug him in! Before all this I pull out a piece of paper sitting in the bottom of the box. It reads, at the top, "Not worked on", or something to that effect. I stare a little bit longer in disbelief. I might've stopped breathing, I'm not sure. Long story short, they didn't fix it because it's a refurbished xbox and they DON'T FIX REFURBISHED MACHINES.

So why didn't overstock know this? WHY? All the sell is refurbished xboxes! And you can't tell me mind is the first to experience the RROD. Bullshit.

Sept 27th, 2008: I call overstock and ask them WTF? The lady apologizes and says she has to look into it. A few minutes later she comes back on the line to tell me that yes, it's written "here" that Microsoft won't fix refurbs. She then apologizes again and says, we didn't know. HOW could you NOT know? Again, you only sell refurbs! So now they are sending me a box to begin the process again and I'll probably have to wait another month.

And it burns, burns, burns, that ring of fire...

Oh wait, I mean, red ring of death or as microsoft calls it, the three flashing red lights. I personally prefer the red ring of death.

Tuesday night I retured home at 9:30pm after a particularly stressful day and just wanted to play a little Tony Hawk. Is that too much to ask? Apparently so.


Step one: Freak out.
OMG no fucking way can I live without my XBOX! Even though I have a Mac Book, an old school super ninetendo and a PS2.

Step two: Google "Three flashing red lights" and "Ring of Death" in a last attempt to figure out how to fix this.
Aside from the suggestion of overheating your xbox by wrapping it in towels and letting it run for 20 minutes I figured out it was doomed and decided to call about the extended warranty I have on the system.

Apparently the RROD is under manufactures recall and trumps the protection plan I bought when I got my xbox and now I have to call Microsoft! YAY! I got the RROD on Tuesday night and have spoken to three different "agents" from Microsoft on three subsequent days (I called on the 2nd day following the 1st call because the woman I spoke to was a moron. Good thing I did because apparently she never put in the work request). After all that, I'm finally getting a box mailed to me so that I can send my little one away for repairs. I hear it can take up to 3 weeks... Sadness.

Oh and after reading online it's apparently MS policy now not to send a box but only email a shipping label. This is why I called the third time. Hell no I am not finding a box and packing this up myself. They are now sending me a box. Thank you, Josephine (I'm pretty sure that's not her real name).