Microsoft taking trade ins on busted game discs
by David Dreger 
{ Apr 3rd 2007 at 10:00AM }
Microsoft announced a new program where they will take in damaged Xbox 360 discs and replace them for you. Mind you, the game has to be published by Microsoft in order to be eligible for a return, as their not going to go knocking on Konami's door asking for some fresh copies of Rumble Roses or something of that nature. Fortunately, this isn't limited to just the US of A and is open to any country that Xbox 360s are sold by authorized retailers. Only ten games are available for the program. Our favorite part is that 90% of the disc must be sent to be eligible for replacement. Do you think this is a step in the right direction for Microsoft's customer service?[Thanks, Eric]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
blamecanada @ Apr 3rd 2007 10:10AM
Sounded cool until I saw the $20 fee. I suppose it's better than $60, but still sounds a little high.
WTangoFoxtrot @ Apr 3rd 2007 10:13AM
that already covers half my collection so yea im happy.
sadly they should just make a dvd player that doesnt screw up the dvds in the 1st place though, i hope the new Elite has that feature.
Dave H @ Apr 3rd 2007 10:24AM
It's a good idea. I think all companies should offer it. It would be nice if you could go to Best Buy or some place and pay $5 max for a new copy of a game/dvd/cd. It would show that they care about the customer.
Tony @ Apr 3rd 2007 10:25AM
Best Buy offers "protection" for your discs for like $4 or something, if you really wanted to spend that.
Jai @ Apr 3rd 2007 11:00AM
Gamestop also has protection on new games for $2. I get it for every game I buy there.
J.Goodwin @ Apr 3rd 2007 11:07AM
It's not a new program. Pretty much every publisher will replace damaged discs if you send them back the busted one. Check the text printed in the back of your manual.
PacoDG @ Apr 3rd 2007 11:08AM
I honestly wish they would just replace my loud ass disc drive. I have a launch 360. Has never given me the red ring of death, however, over time, that thing has gotten so loud :(
SuicideNinja @ Apr 3rd 2007 11:35AM
"It would show that they care about the customer."
If publishers offered this openly, they could remove any and all reasons to have "backup discs", other than legal rights.
I still don't know how people are scratching their discs...do you really move the console while a disc is spinning in it? Doesn't that seem....stupid?
mike @ Apr 3rd 2007 11:55AM
A simpliar FREE way would be to repurchase your game bring then swap your busted disc with the good one. Now return to the store and say your disc was scratched or broke while playing and get a replacment disc. Now the next day go back again and return the game. If they opened it on exchange and you cant return it, at least you have 2 working copies now, so you can sell one.
If they wont take back a broken disc, buy the $2 warrenty or watever for the new disc when you buy it.
BadVermin @ Apr 3rd 2007 11:59AM
Most publishers will replace damaged discs if you ask in my experience.
DjDATZ @ Apr 3rd 2007 1:18PM
my ebgames has a $3 CAD one year warranty on any new games...and i've had to use it twice...so any game i get there...i get the warranty...but seeing as with crackdown...i could have gotten it at futureshop or bestbuy for 59.99 while i paid 69.99 at ebgames...i'll be shoppin around next time for a better price.
DigitalMad @ Apr 3rd 2007 1:43PM
Funny, I just called MS yesterday because my Gears disc is busted around the center from taking it in and out of it's case. They asked me to mail it to them and they'll send me a new one, no charge! A few weeks without playing GOW, I guess it's worth it!
Grant @ Apr 3rd 2007 2:12PM
wow mike,
thats genius, except some of us don't want to take 3 trips to the game store, wasting all that gas( probably costing well over the simple $2 or 3 of a warrenty), and then having to resell a game, which you probably won't be able to sell at cost.
sorry dude, but your great idea at beating the system may have been the worst idea ever.
glad to hear of the disc replacement program, but a $20 surcharge is insane. we all know that the physical cost of a game dvd is something around under $1, and if you already paid for the rights to play the game, you should really only have to pay the cost to make the media it's on again.
Alex Neal @ Apr 3rd 2007 3:00PM
if only they would fix red ring consoles that are just out of their warrenty... (that have been replaced before)
that would make me happy.
an £80 every half year - year running charge to replace broken 360's is a joke.
nonrandomhero @ Apr 3rd 2007 3:04PM
it wouls be nice if they covered rainbow 6 vegas, i baby my discs, and my console more thany anyone here probably and yet i have had 2 R6 vegas discs crack on me... from the center on out. whats wors is 3 of my friends have has it happen too. we get more copied because the game kicks ass but im really sick of this.
Kevin_NL @ Apr 4th 2007 5:45AM
@ suicideninja
No i don't move my 360 while playing a game, i actually don't move my 360 at all. but its just some 360's have a crap dvd player, like mine, it damaged 2 games from my friend, and i cant play oblivion (second disk already, 3rd 360) normal, it keeps giving disc read errors in about 15 minutes.
I hope ms will solve this problem with the elite cause its pretty annoying
mike @ Apr 3rd 2007 4:30PM
suit yourself grant. Stoping at the store for a minute on your way home from work hardly qualifies as wasted gas money. Besides, even with warrenty you still need to goto the store at least once. And I save money on everything I buy by skipping the warrenty. You on the other hand probably buy it on everything, and have spend hundreds of dollars on warrenties which have never been used (or maybe they have but like I said, you dont need them with my method).
I hope that $100 warrenty you bought on your 360 serves you well instead of doing the ole swap trick.
Triforceowner @ Apr 3rd 2007 5:20PM
The reason you are not allowed to copy discs by law is because you are purchasing a license for the disc, not the data on the disc. Keeping that in mind, shouldn't all music, videogame, and movie publishers all do this? Discs only cost a cent to make, and it would ensure happy customers.
Jason @ Apr 3rd 2007 6:18PM
lol, my brother just stepped on my gears of war disc and made a crack in it :D. Now I get to replace it for cheap!
mattclarkie @ Apr 16th 2007 11:19AM
I have a PDZ disc that is actually defective, the disc is clean and flawless but keeps getting read errors from the day I bought it. I haven't taken it back because firstly I can't find the receipt, and secondly, I think it is the 360 refusing to read the disc as it happens randomly and isn't a permament problem. However it is the only game it happens to.
I thought I would send it to them, but why should I have to pay for a disc that I received defective from new.