From Hell... an Update!

We, the Staff (TM) thought We'd update the masses as to how our Xbox 360-less journey through Hell is going. In a nutshell, it could be going better.

Last time, We told you about a slight bit of confusion over some mixed signals We were getting from Microsoft. Whilst their online service refused to update for a period of about 5 business days (in that it would not change from saying that the "empty shipment box has been sent to the customer"), their phone-based service, featuring the now-reviled "Max" and his cheesy I'm-a-computer-scanning-a-database sound effects, informed Us that Our unit had already been repaired and was on its way back to Us.

Lies! All of it!

Eventually, when "Max's" cheesy scanner seemed to be on the fritz, We were put through to a human operator on MS's phone support service (which, by the way, we seemed to be unable to do every time "Max" was supposedly successful in tracking down the status of our repair). What We eventually determined there, after the aforementioned homo sapiens operator had to consult with her supervisor, was that the online service was wrong, "Max" was wrong, and only Purolator's tracking system was right.

Ms. Sapiens then proceeded to advise me to check in online in about 10 to 14 days (business or non-business was not specified), at which point the repair 
should be complete.  Curiously, since We got through 
to Ms. Sapiens and her supervisor,  MS's service site 
and dumbass "Max's" automated service have been put 
on the same page.  Both now indicate that Our console 
has been received at the service center.

Now granted, the enclosed info sheet We received with the 360's repair shipment box had specified an expected overall turnaround time of 4-6 weeks.  However, the convoluted signals we received from Microsoft's two support options (online and via phone) were greatly confusing and perhaps instilled in Us some false hope.  What annoys Us most about this situation is Ms. Sapiens' casual admission of "Yeah, don't go by our system, go by our shipping company's".  Have they so little faith in their own system?

We have been sorely, sorely tempted to simply go out and buy a new Core system and be done with this mess, and perhaps keep the eventually-to-be-returned Premium 360 as a backup for the next time we have a hardware failure.  Or wait to get the Premium back and sell the Core, or vice-versa. But all that would just be against Our better judgement. And We'd be a slave to Xbox Live for any purchased content.  For now, Microsoft is not getting another $300 (plus taxes) out of Us that easily.

Until Our next update, this is The Staff, reporting from Hell.

-The Staff