Portable Planet

Microsoft has done the “right thing” for its Xbox 360 customer base. In a move that has been rumored for quite a while, the company pulled the trigger and extended the warranty for its next-generation console from 90 days to a full year. Plus, it certainly won’t hurt sales in its race with Sony’s PS3 and Nintendo’s Wii.

From Microsoft:

In a move to benefit customers, Microsoft Corp. announced today that it will change the Xbox 360 warranty from 90 days to one year from the date of purchase in the United States and Canada. Microsoft extended the warranty in these territories to be consistent with the standard one-year warranty that is available throughout most of the world. The news is reason to celebrate this holiday season; it applies to both would-be purchasers and those who already have Xbox 360 and are still within their first year of ownership.

Effective today, the one-year warranty is now the standard for the console. Customers who experience hardware issues with their 360 within one year of purchase can have their consoles repaired at no cost. Moreover, the new warranty policy is retroactive, so consumers who may have already paid for an out-of-warranty repair within one year of purchase will be eligible for reimbursement of their console repair charges.

Customer satisfaction is a central focus and priority for the Xbox 360 system, said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. In addition to jaw-dropping features such as high-definition graphics, an amazing catalog of over 160 games, and social online and entertainment experiences on Xbox Live, the Xbox 360 system now offers this extended warranty upgrade. It is truly the industrys most compelling home entertainment offering.

Customers who have already paid out-of-warranty repair charges within their first year of ownership can expect reimbursement checks for the amount of their console repair in approximately 10 weeks. Reimbursements will be automatically distributed, so customers need not contact Microsoft. Customers who have questions regarding this policy change or experience any hardware issues should visit http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/contact where they can check their warranty status, find troubleshooting information for common issues and find Xbox support contact information.