What To Do When Your Xbox 360 Warranty Expires

After coming to grips with the fact that your Xbox 360 has overheated and is no longer working, you take note of your repair choices. You can send it to Microsoft, but even if your 3-year RROD warrant is still in effect, you’re looking at a minimum of six weeks before you get your Xbox back again. If your warranty has expired, tack on around $150 for the repair, plus shipping costs. So what do you do? Begin searching for your next option by focusing on what you’re sure of: you want your Xbox 360 fixed quickly and cheaply.

If you decide that the Microsoft repair option is not for you, then you need to look for a reputable Xbox 360 repair shop in your area. The trouble is, everyone and their sister claims to be a proven game console repair expert, and the wrong shop can really muck things up for you. To keep you and your game system out of trouble, take note of the following points, which should help you find a reliable Xbox repair facility.

Locating a trustworthy and reliable Xbox 360 repair shop needs to be your main concern. It does you no good to choose a cheap repair deal only to have your Xbox returned to you missing pieces or in poor working order. Remember, you want it done affordably, but you need for it to be done right. Choose incorrectly and you’ll have wasted both time and money.

Finding a good repair shop isn’t impossible, it just takes some planning. Check out high traffic and trusted websites and discussion boards that talk about Xbox repair, or consult your local Google or Yahoo directories to see whether there is a reputable repair facility nearby. Don’t forget as you interview repair shops to ask how long each one has been in the business. Newer locations can pose additional risk over shops that have been doing repairs for some length of time.

Price is always a consideration. But remember that you’re balancing cost with getting a quick repair. Though you’ll probably find a deal that’s cheaper than the $150 Microsoft charges, you may still pay just under $100 or so. Check around to say, three different shops and choose the middle bid. That’s usually a good formula.

The local repair shop option is great for you when you need your Xbox fixed quickly. Since time is really one of the main reasons why you’re going this route, you’ll want to be sure the repair shop you choose does offer timely service. Don’t be shy about asking how long the repair will take, and push them for a faster turnaround.

Another very important thing to consider is the customer service offered by your local Xbox 360 repair shop. If they are going to take a week to fix your Xbox, perhaps they have a “loaner Xbox” they can lend you while yours is being fixed. At minimum, you want your repair technician to promptly correct any mistakes that occur as a result of their repair. Local game system repair shops live and die by word of mouth advertising. If they want to survive, they’re going to take good care of you and respond to your every need.