Well crap.

After doing some quick research on the internets I found that since my Xbox was still in warranty M$ would fix or replace my unit no charge.  So off I went to the Xbox website to request a repair.  I filled out a repair form and got a confirmation email saying that further instructions would follow.  

The very next day I got an email saying that I would need to ship my Xbox to a repair site and that there were 3 ways this could happen:  1) I would receive an e-shipping label which I could print out and stick on my own shipping box, 2) I would receive a ship back kit, with a box, packing, and shipping label, or 3) I would receive a shipping label via snail mail which I could stick on my own shipping box.  1 of these things would happen in 3-5 days according to the email.  Great!

Well not so great… after a week I still hadn’t received anything.  So I called and spoke with a very helpful young lady from India.  After re-hashing the whole situation with her she tells me she’s canceling my previous service request and issuing me a new one.  Oh great, this makes me feel really good.  Nothing could go wrong now.  She goes on to say that I’ll be getting an e-shipping label via email and that I’ll have to find my own box and pack my Xbox in it to ship.  Ugh.  

Sure enough, within 2 hours I receive my label so I pack up my Xbox and take it to UPS.  I track it’s progress to Mesquite, Texas, which takes a week.  Finally it shows as being delivered.

Not long after that I get an email from UPS saying that there’s an incoming delivery.  That’s strange.  The next day I receive a box from M$.  It’s awfully light… no Xbox in here.  What is inside is a shipping kit with plastic bag, foam packing to fit the Xbox, tape and a shipping label.  Well isn’t that nice.  This would have been useful about a week ago.

So now I begin a daily (sometimes hourly) routine of checking my Xbox account to see what my repair status says.  Finally, 2 days after being delivered it finally shows as being received by the repair center.  Now the wait will be 2-3 weeks.

That was last Friday.  On Monday I just happened to check the status again only to find out that my Xbox has been repaired and shipped back to me.  I even have a tracking number.  Oh Joy!  5 days later my UPS guy Scott comes to the door with a package I have to sign for.

Scott: “Got your Xbox repaired.”

Me: “Huh?  How do you know it’s an Xbox?”

Scott: “We see hundreds of these things.  First we see the empty shipping boxes go out, then the Xbox’s getting shipped back and finally them coming home from repair.”

Me: “Lot’s of them huh?”

Scott: “Yeah, you’re definitely not alone.”

Not alone indeed.  RRoD has really been a thorn in Microsoft’s side.  I always had a feeling it was going to happen to me… I hope it doesn’t happen again.