My Wet Coast Life

It is the day after Christmas and all the shoppers are out in force grabbing up deals. As for me, I got what I asked for and had a good Christmas day with family and friends.

Now one of the things I asked for this year was a Xbox Live Gold membership. The main reason for me was to be able to use Netflix in HD on my TV. Unlike Nintendo's Wii or Sony's Playstation 3 which allow you to access online gaming and Netflix for FREE, Microsoft needs to milk as much money out of the consumer as possible. This is one of my biggest issue with the Xbox 360 that grinds my gears, having to pay on top of a game's cost play online or use services like Netflix. If you want to either play online multiplayer or use Netflix, you need to spend $60/year for a Xbox Live Gold account to access that content. I can understand for online gaming as that covers server and bandwidth costs. But to be required to use already paid for services like Netflix is just absurd in my opinion. I am already paying Netflix, now Microsoft wants to charge me a toll to access it (but nothing to watch trailers and download demos on Mircosoft's Zune..hmmm).

I got Netflix a couple months ago when it came to Canada and just happened around the same time to setup my 360 for internet access (which Microsoft gave me a free 1 month trial for Gold). Using Netflix on the 360 was great until my Gold trial expired and I lost access to Netflix. I found out the hard way by not being able to access Netflix on the 360 but I could on the Wii. WTF? After checking Xbox.com and Netflix, there it was, Gold account required. Fine Microsoft,I will use my Wii as only loss is HD content and my current TV was only a 480p CRT. As a note, when I added Netflix to my 360, I was not aware you needed a Gold membership to access as was already accessing for free via our Wii and was currently in a 1 month Gold trial.

Now from a marketing point of view, why would someone want to buy a console, only to have to pay more to use features when the competing consoles do the same or very similar for free? Wouldn't it draw more users to buy a 360 knowing they could use Netflix for free and not require a Gold membership? Just seems baffling logic to me. Especially as more games are now released on both 360 and PS3 where before, certain games were available only to certain consoles. This was my main reason for buying a 360 over a PS3. Games I like to play tend to be 360 only and I was willing to lose a built in Blueray player and go with Microsoft's product to be able to play them.

My TV recently died and got replaced with a HD model. So for Christmas, I asked for a Gold membership so I can access Netflix in HD as the Wii can only output a 480p resolution. This was fine when the old TV only supported max 480p but now that I can do 1080p, I wanted Netflix in HD. My brother kindly got me a 12 month Gold subscription prepaid card for Christmas. Stoked to be able to watch Netflix in HD again, I logged into my 360 console to redeem the code like a little kid excited to test out the new toy. This kid was about to get what no one wants on Christmas, an issue with the gift with a side of terribad customer service...

Follow up:

After logging into Xbox live on my 360, I navigated to the area where I could "redeem code" instead of adding my credit card info. The reason I, in one way, prefer the card over entering my credit card is the task and a half required to cancel. Apparently, Xbox does not make it easy to cancel your Xbox Live account. I did not want to enjoy the route if I ever decided to cancel down the road. So once I found the area to enter my code, I entered the long 25 character code and submitted. Instead of getting the successful, your gold account is active, enjoy your Netflix in HD on Christmas day, Ho Ho Ho Ho and all that good stuff prompt, or something like that, I got nice red error text stating "Invalid Code". WTF? So I rechecked the card and ensured each character is correct on the screen and submitted the request again. Same error. Grrrr.... So thinking maybe it was a communication issue, I rebooted the Xbox and went into the Market place and everything seemed to be working and connected. Back to the "Redeem code" screen and selecting the 25 characters again, I submitted the request. Same error. Now I am starting to get annoyed. Is this a ploy by Microsoft to force you to use a credit card? hmmmmm....

So after a quick check online to see if this is a known issue and what options I have. I decided to try the code through xbox.com portal, which they state is another option for redeeming your code. So I log into my Xbox live account and proceed to the account management page. Entering the code again (and a lot quicker), I submitted the request and once again, same error of "Invalid Code". So after trying a couple times more through different flows on the site for redeeming a code purchased in store, I gave up for the day and was unsuccessful. Thank you Microsoft for the Christmas system fail.

So today is now Boxing day and I decided to try again thinking maybe the servers that processed the codes for Xbox Live Gold accounts was eating some turkey and spending time with family. Giving it another couple attempts on the console and same error. Tryied a couple times through Xbox.com and no luck. Once I found this forum post for people with the same issue, my hopes quickly faded. I have to call Xbox support, the day after a holiday when anyone like me with Christmas issues is going to be calling in...crap.

So after searching in vain on the xbox.com site for any other option, I got the number and called into support. After being in hold for about 20 minutes, enduring bad sound effects from the menu and being inundated with the same recording (which I wish you could mute or switch to music) telling me to go to xbox.com for answers and sorry for the longer hold time. I got it the first time and don't need to be told that many times or wait through the same message after selecting an option. There should be an option right away for "I checked your site and did my diligence and still cannot resolve my issue, let me speak to a human please."

After finally navigating through the menus and a some more hold time, I finally got a live person. His name is Dan. I kindly explained my issue and started providing my information and the card number. After a couple minutes, Dan came back stating the card has not been used yet but shows as active and for me to retry now with him on the phone.

Now as a quick side note, I used to work in a technical support call center and was a senior technician. Knowing how much I hate to have people call in and bitch about issues when the steps to resolve or give them the answer are on the website and easy to find. Most were to lazy and would rather call in and complain about it and just get the answer than be told the answer and where they can find similar answers in the future to avoid a repeat call. So based on this, I ensure when I call in to a support center, I have done as much as possible to avoid that call.

So based on Dan's request, I re-entered the code on the Xbox live site, crossed my fingers and clicked submit. Same error. Crap. Dan didn't fix it. After verifying the code again in phonetic alphabet, I re-submitted and again, it is still failing. Dan then asked me to try the same code via the 360. Fine. If one doesn't work and the code is right but not being accepted, the other device MUST work. After booting up the 360 and getting to the "redeem code" screen, I entered the code and prompted Dan i was ready for another possible disappointment. At Dan's request, I hit the start button on my controler sending the signla to the Xbox prompting it to resubmitting my code with a vain hope of success at this point. The 360 kindly and coldly returned the same "Invalid code" error. Not going so good so far.

After verifying the code again, Dan kindly informed me he was unable to resolve and was going to escalate me to a "specialist". Now working in a call center, this to me means something is wrong and the tools they give the tier 1 techs is not working, or he is confused and spent too much time with me and now I get to go to tier 2 technician where they have more tools and powers(I hope). Dan kindly stayed with me on the phone before transferring me to "the specialist". Now my hope was the specialist would see the code is broken for some reason or another and would issue me a new code or just process it on there side and add the 12 months credit to my account. Life is good, we are both happy. Life goes on. Well, apparently hope is not a service Microsoft offers. Dan did his job and I have nothing to really complain about his service. He did what he could and when he couldn't fix it, he escalated it to someone who can.

My specialist's name for today was Lawrence. He reviewed my issue, my code and process for entering the code and ensured I am not mixing up one of the 25 letters or numbers, which I now have memorized due to how many times I have repeated it on this call or entered it. I think if someone asks me for my drivers license number or health card number, they may get my Xbox Live gold code instead. So after no luck, Lawrence came back to me stating he is unable to fix it and it has to go to investigation. F*ck. When I worked in technical support, I was a research technician, AKA Tier 3, AKA investigations. Getting escalated to one of these is more or less reserved for 3 possible situations in my opinion.

1. First, you the customer have done something to mess up the program enough that it cannot be resolved in a quick and timely manner by the previous 2 tiers and will take some time to resolve and ain't getting done today. Sorry.
2. Second situation is we, the company did something and cannot fix quickly and this is going to give us a little window to try and figure out what happened and how to fix and maybe even compensate you for your loss (but only if you ask).
3. And the third situation, the previous 2 techs were possibly lazy or not willing to go over an above to accommodate the customer when clearly it is the company's issue/cause or only option for resolution. This s usually caused because the techs were not willing to go out of our way to fix the issue and we would rather escalate it to a more expensive senior tech only to waste his or her time on an issue either one of the previous techs could have resolved/fixed. This may have required speaking with a manager and some I have seen in my own experience, are too scared to escalate.

So after being informed investigations can take up to 5 days before I get a call back, but he said it is usually 2-3 days. If they do not call me back within that time, I need to call back, I am now getting mad. Why are you telling me, your customer, that if you do not call me back, on the issue I have with your company's product and services, I must follow up with you? What kind of customer service is that putting the responsibility on the consumer to ensure the company fixes the issue only they can resolve and to remind them it is still broken if they forget about it or drag their heels? I told him it is rather odd that a technology company requires that long to fix a code so commonly used. I asked him until the issue is resolved, if he can grant me access to Xbox Live Gold until this is resolved fully knowing I now have to wait. I even offered to email him images of the receipt and card to prove legitimacy. This is where it got interesting. He declined my request for a 5 day (or less) credit until this resolved and instead offered me one of 2 options:

Option 1: Create a dummy secondary profile on the 360 and sign up for the 1 month Xbox Live Gold trial. As Microsft so recently puts it in their ads, Really? Now I have already participated in this trial with my current profile which Lawrence was aware of. I asked him if it violated the terms and service, he said no. Somehow, I did not believe him at this point as he cannot offer me something from Microsoft, rather a way to back door their own system. I then advise him my Netlfix account is already registered with my current profile and if that would affect my Netflix as he was already aware my main reason for a Gold account was to access Netflix. After some hesitation, he quickly withdrew the workaround saying it might break my Netflix (which would be another support call I was not willing to attempt) and I am stuck waiting the up to 5 days.

Option 2: Wait for the investigation and in the mean time I could buy either a 3 month Xbox Live Gold (or 1 year if I wanted to save *facepalm*) using my credit card and I had 30 days to cancel that purchase. I get a Gold account now, they have time to fix and then I have to spend more time canceling that temp Gold account. Now after seeing how hard it possibly could be to cancel and not wanting to have to spend more money and deal with more hoop-jumping to cancel and remove my credit card information from Xbox's system. I am now out of options.

Based on this, I am thinking today's experience is falling under reason number 3 for escalating a support call to a Tier 3, Research, Investigation, not gonna get fixed today or whatever else you want to call it technician. My reasoning Number 3, instead of the first 2 better options, is as follows:

• Only Microsoft can fix this error, there is nothing I did or can do to resolved this.
• If it is just a code that applies the credit, why not issue me a new code or apply the credit to my account? Is it really that hard Microsoft?
• At not one point did they offer anything to accommodate me for this inconvenience or provide me a temporary solution to where I could use the Gold service.

Based on this, my assumption is lazy staff or staff unwilling to keep the customer happy. Go that extra mile or kilometer for the holidays. So instead, I get to write an article like this gripping over the poor service and the fact the company's staff informed me to circumvent there own system as a temporary solution. Would have been so hard to try and fix the issue while I was on the phone Microsoft? Now normally by this point, I would have been asking or even demanding to speak with a Manager, knowing they have more power than the front line techs, as I can only assume I am not the first, or last, person to have to deal with with this kind of issue. Luckily for Lawrence, by this point, we were 45 minute into the call and my son was bored waiting so long while I tried to resolve this issue. He wanted to play Lego. He wanted to play NOW. I decided to give up, let Lawrence reconfirm all my info again and tell me if I wanted to use my credit card, have at it, if not, wait for Microsoft to call or email me during business hours only. Glad I am not at work this week.

Now I feel sorry for any kid who has encountered the same issue as myself this holidays and is now forced to wait for Microsoft at the time of year when a lot of companies staff are off on vacation. These kids go back to school in a week and that is around when my issue could be fixed thus losing any possible decent online gaming with friends this holiday break. Luckily for me, I can still watch on my Wii or on my PC's but I am not gonna get a chance to play against my friends this holidays.

Now I do want to point out that my brother purchased the card at Walmart and has spoken to them and they are willing to refund the card and issue him a new one. The only drawback is he does not live close which means incurring costs for mailing plus having him waste his time to deal with this. When it is all said and done, the Microsoft supplied wait time would have lapsed. So a big KUDOS to Walmart for once again showing you have good customer service. Maybe you can teach Microsoft's support department on how to treat paying customers and correct the issue or at least accommodate the customer for the inconvenience.

Microsoft, if you are reading this, you need to train your staff on better customer service if I am a paying customer, which I am. I would expect this kind of service and delays if it was a free service as you get what you pay for. You should have options in place and grant your technicians the ability to grant short terms access or extend a trial account instead of providing a work around that requires effort on the customer's part as well as goes against your terms of service or the tough, sucks to be you response.

What would happen if I had, for some magical reason, a big online match this week and because I cannot access Gold, I would not be able to play and would be the source of mockery for my friends for at least a week or more. Why? cause they can do it and Microsoft provided the opportunity. Would this ever happen? Yes but never for me, i like play games but I also like to do other things that benefit me more than a high score or an "achievement".

Speaking of achievements, maybe Microsoft can make me some new achievements based on today's experience?
May I recommend the following to get you started Microsoft?

• Called Xbox technical support
• Survived menu system and repetitive nags to go to the website instead
• Stayed on line after 30 minutes on hold to support
• Got escalated and was able to speak to a "Specialist"
• Unable to play on Xbox Live Gold when you have proof of payment
• Generated an investigation issue
• Educated that the cards purchased in store can be more bother than they are worth

Enough for now, I am going to enjoy the games I got offline and I will leave you with Foamy the Squirrel's take on Xbox's Achievements. Enjoy