Microsoft Support...

If you havent heard Ive been dealing with Microsoft support for the last three weeks about a problem with a 12+1 month gold subscritpion card.

I bought the card at Best Buy using some reward points I had left (on a sunday).  When I get home I scratch off the coating, but some of the numbers came off with it.  I didnt sratch it that hard, just with a quarter.  So, I run back to Best Buy the next day.  They said htey dont take returns on cards (gift cards, etc...).  So I call Xbox support.  As soon as I explained my problem the support guy said I scratched too hard and to take it back to the retailer.  I told him the retailer wouldnt do anything.  So he had me fax the card and some info to the support center and that someone would call me back.  I asked if they can look if the card has been activated, he said no.

By friday I didnt hear anything so I call.  Support said they didnt receive any fax.  However, this time I was talking to the other support center so they had me fax it to their number too.  This was after being put on hold twice and the guy talking to his manager.

The next Thursday I still didnt hear anything and called them back.  The guy I talked to seemed pretty helpful, like he wanted to be able to do something.  I was put on hold several times again, the guy talked to the other support center, his manager, etc...  He said the same thing as the others, I will just have to wait.

Last friday (almost 3 business weeks), I call Xbox support again.  This time, after the support guy said I scratched too hard (as they all did) and me explaining the situation he said there is nothing he can do -  "its a he said she said type of situation."  He was not helpful at all, he didnt even try to do anything like the others.  He also said something like since I didnt give Microsoft the money and the cards go through a vendor it isnt their responsibility.

Well, now thoroughly pissed I decide to go back to Best Buy (at least it was a nice day and a nice motorcycle ride).  I knew Id have trouble with it being three weeks later.  I figure if worse comes to worse I can have Best Buy call microsoft with my service request ID and verify that the card has not been activated and it was legit.  After about 40 minutes of discussion the situation with a the managers of Best Buy they decided to give me a replacement.

This time when I got home I found a piece of soft plastic (my jump drive cap has rounded corners) to scratch off the back.  It took awhile as the substance is two layers.  The cap took off the top layer pretty easily, thats the layer with the squiggle graphic.  Then it took abit of pressure to scratch off the glue layer.  I tried over the area that says "Subscription Code" first to make sure it would work.

So, warning to others, be VERY careful with subscription and point cards, you can scratch off the ink.

Now Ive had my gold subcription for 4 days and love it :)