The Twilight Zune, or the ongoing Saga of Zune repair and (non) customer service

My Zune's screen just cracked this morning and after reading this I am not sure if I should even attempt to get it repaired.  I hadn't logged on to zune.net in I while and I came on to see if I could find out how much it would cost to repair it.  Does anybody know how much it would cost and if it is possible to avoid a phone call to zune.  http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa145/Dark_X1079/P3180173.jpg

 have read through this forum and have decided to share my journey with the headache that is Zune Customer Support. I have cut out my postings the link can be found here: http://forums.zune.net/174530/ShowPost.aspx

 

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Just how long does it take for the repair center to return your item?

 

I sent my Zune to be fixed about a month ago (2/10/08). I have not heard anything other than it has reached the repair center. Has anybody else had to wait a while for their zune to returned to them? When do I start the harassing phone calls to find out how much longer?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

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re: Just how long does it take for the repair center to return your item?

 

I called them right when they opened up and spent almost a half an hour on the phone with them just so they can tell me that my case has been escalated due to lack of information and support level one. The escalated person I talked with said that they can do is to submit a request for information and see if they update their web page. Should only take four or five more days to see if they do and then I should call them back. I asked if they have a direct line for "Escalated" cases and she told me that they do not. I was advised that I will have to go through the phone maze again just to speak to her level again. I am very disapointed with them. They have had my zune for almost a month now and all they can tell me is that they know it is at the repair center and that is it. What a crock!! 

 

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03-05-2008, 6:43 AM 

re: Just how long does it take for the repair center to return your item?

 

Update:

 

 

 

As soon as I get done typing my rant about thier customer service, the wife checks my status on the Zune page, and they have updated it to read "Sent to customer". I am not going to hold my breath till it actually arrives. Does anybody know where their repair center is located at?

 

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: Just how long does it take for the repair center to return your item?

 

Update:

 

 

 

I knew it could not last. I thought I was looking at the light at the end of the tunnel and it turned out to be a headlight of a mac truck that was coming to run me over. The tracking info that the "Repair" center updated on Zune is not only inaccurate, but fedex tells me that it is not even one of their numbers. I called the Zune number, again, and was told that they cannot locate my item in the system and they have to initiate a request for communication with the repair center (Not kidding, those were the Tech 2 exact words), to find out what happened to my zune and what is the current status of my repair. I only hope that this will be over soon.

 

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03-06-2008, 6:23 AM 

re: Just how long does it take for the repair center to return your item?

 

I feel so inspired by everybody's sucess stories that I think I should bust out the valium and start passing them out. Does anybody know what kind of percentage Zunes actually work all the time? I mean actually work from the moment they come out of the box till they are broken beyond all hope and replaced? 

 

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03-06-2008, 6:32 AM 

re: Just how long does it take for the repair center to return your item?

 

Thats it. I am pissed. I offically call Bull ***. For those who feel my language is bad, I am sorry, but I am angry right now. I just check my status page and noticed that it has been updated with a new tracking number. A valid tracking number. This is the second time in a row that I call them and complain/inquire about the status of my product and only then do I see results and forward movement on my case. This leads me to think that one of two things has happend. Either the repair center is so screwed up that they have absolutley no idea what they are doing and only get things done when a level two customer support person, or higher, requests stuff or they are so backlogged that they only handle things when the customer support teams start applying pressure. Either way, this does not bode well. Warrenty be damned. Does anybody know of any reliable 3rd party repair places (for future use)? If so, please let the rest of us know.

 

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03-10-2008, 8:55 PM 

re: Just how long does it take for the repair center to return your item?

 

Please, everybody who reads this, please learn from my mistakes and bad luck. I read on this web site that my zune was being returned to me from the repair center. I was elated. I thought that my troubles were finally over. I was wrong. I never thought to call the zune number to insure that my zune was actually repaired. After another twenty minute phone call I find out that my zune is being returned to me, not repaired, becuase the tech people claimed that I had tampered with it. When the customer service people told me this, exploded. After my bit of yelling and cursing, I explained that I have never tampered with my zune. My hold switch is stuck. It is proably a bad switch or connector. Hell, If I knew how to open it, I would have and fixed it myself, but I don't, so I left it alone and followed thier procedures. I was more offened than anything else.

 

I got the impression that this is an ongoing problem with their tech people becuase when I asked to speak with a supervisor over this issue, they did not even blink when I said I want to ship the zune back to them for fixing. I should note that they Customer Support people have been good to me. It was not their fault that the tech people are idiots who don't know their head from the hole in the ground. The zune is being delivered tommorrow so I get to call them back and start this whole repair mess all over again, by requesting yet another box.

 

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re: Just how long does it take for the repair center to return your item?

 

Update:

 

I called Zune back and it was downhill from there. It turns out that my Zune was returned to me because it had a hair line scratch on the display. Because that scratch, they refused to even work on it. Nevermind that it was sent in because of the hold switch. Nevermind that other than that problem, the Zune worked perfectly. Nevermind that I informed the customer service center of the scratch when I requested the box and they told me that it was no problem because my problem was with the hold switch. I was told point blank, by a supervisor, that while they understood my frustration and anger at the delays and mis-information, it was out of their hands. He went on to suggest I try a third party repair center because $250 was a lot to lose for a Zune that was only two months old. After much cursing and yelling on my part, the supervisor then hung up on me. I have found a center back east and have sent it back to them. I should hear back from them today or tomorrow. I will post the link if they are worth it.

 

Overall, I am fed up with the whole Zune customer service experience. I sincerely hope that they read this board and know that while I love their products, their whole customer service system is a nightmare and not worth a damn thing. I would not wish this experince on my worst enemy and judgeing by the sheer number of other postings under this category and others like it, I am not alone.

 Exr76 wrote:

btw...after reading through all of this, i have noticed that none of the admins and mods that work here have not posted a single thing about it...wonder if they have read this...

With the thread having (as of this writing) 4765 views, I would bet at least one or two of them have seen it.

Oh and btw - it's The Twilight ZUNE (rather than Zone).

i almost wen through the twilght zone as well. they recieved mine

on the  15th of january, and i caled them a few times, and when i called about a week

ago, they told they had sent it to me...so yeah i got it back and now enjoying and being

more careful with it.  Good luck with your zune!!

btw...after reading through all of this, i have noticed that none of the

admins and mods that work here have not posted a single thing about it...wonder if they

have read this...

Finally got my wife's Zune back.  She loaded it up with her music and we'll see how it goes.  It had no refurb sticker, but I don't think that really means anything.  The funny thing is that They left 3 messages at home and then called me on my cell phone to let me know it was on its way back (they called the day it arrived at the door unsigned)  I thought about saying I didn't get it since it was just dropped on our front doorstep.  They really need to require a signature.  We never use the front door so I would have never known without checking fedex.  It was raining the day it was delivered, but the box seemed to be dry. 

I was very close to almost entering the Twilight Zune. Today the main up/down/side-side wheel stopped working. The only thing that would work is the "OK" button in the middle. If I tried to go up or down or side to side it just would click the "OK" button in the middle. I had turned the touch pad off because clicking is somewhat faster for me. I called tech support and I followed all the trouble-shooting tips, nothing worked and they got approval to send it in for repair. The support lady was very nice and talked me through everything, I actually felt a little better after talking to her. And yes, like most of the support people, she did have an accent. However my 80GB zune was purchased very recently, about 20 days ago, so my dad came up with the idea to just return it to the store I bought it from. Called the store up and they were out of stock of the 80GB, but offered a full refund. So right now I am just waiting for some to get in stock and buy another. Thank god I didnt have to go through all the BS of waiting for the box, and the repairs, and blah blah blah. After reading the stories here I am very grateful my Zune broke before the 30 days was up. Sorry to hear about all the BS you guys have had to go through.

 

Has anyone else had/have the same problem my Zune is having? Not being able to navigate but everything else works?

Well I have my refurbished zune!!The second one.

Downloaded a bit of music last night . Have it plugged into my tv/stereo right now. Need to take off some of the things it came  do wnloaded with-- not my style -- and download my  music and pics.

Then to call cirucit city and explain that my zuen has been replaced and see about the extended warranty I purchased. (Hopefully will not nee it).

Of ocurse I had to update the zune before I could do anything-- it is an original 30-- so it came with the old filmware version.

(This one actually had a sticker that says refurihsed-- the last one they sent me, the one that didn't work, didn't have that, but it was refurbed)

Hope you all get your issues settled soon.

Thanks fro listening to my issues!! Nice day out today, maybe I can finish inside work, download some tunes and take my zune to the beach!

Happy zuning!!

Wow...I just read through your saga...what a bummer. I am glad that you got the Zune back and it is functioning. We have 3 Zunes in our house...an 80 and 2-30's. So far no problems with any of them.

 

I was glad to see that this  thread did not turn into an anti-MS/pro-Apple thread, like so many of them do. It is good that Zune/MS provides this forum and does not censor posts like your.

 cplush wrote:

Finally it got here. my refurb is back, and now i have to call because my warrenty expires in a month, even though i bought it in November...those idiots

The exact same thing happened to me (and keep in mind, I had enclosed with the Zune a duplicate copy of my receipt, re-printed for me by Best Buy for the express purpose of sending in with the Zune).  When I finally received my Zune back, they had my warranty expiring in about a month, even though the original Zune still had about 3 months to go.  When I called about it, she (a tier 2 person) first told me she couldn't do anything about it, but when I persisted, she finally told me the warranty correction date would show up on the website status (http://www.zune.net/repair) within 24 hours.

When it did show up on the website status, rather than correcting "Warranty Expiration", she ended up just adding a new category, "Warranty Start".  So the website status currently shows for me a Warranty Start of 4/13/07 (I actually purchased it on 4/14/07, this is a GMT thing) and a Warranty Expiration of 2/29/08 (which happens to be tomorrow) -- see the picture in my "background" for a snapshot.  They really do seem to be idiots.

Best of luck on getting your back.

Congratulations on getting your new to you refurbished zune!! Mine should be back tomorrow.

Call about that warranty -- it is suppose to be as long as your original one so if you bought your zune in nov 2007 then your warranty should end nov  2008

Happy zuning

Finally it got here. my refurb is back, and now i have to call because my warrenty expires in a month, even though i bought it in November...those idiots