I realize this one isn't exactly political, but I need to vent about how horrendous technical support has become... thanks to good old outsourcing. Ya know, this is why so many of us get so angry about it, at least in part. If companies are going to give jobs away to people overseas, they should minimally make sure the quality of the support is somewhat good.
I haven't been able to buy points on the XBox 360 Console or through their website for a week. I get the dreaded 80169d94 error code, which supposedly (according to Google searches and confirmed in my call documented below) means something in your billing information doesn't match your xbox account information EXACTLY... (for example, don't abbreviate "Street" with "st." if you live on Anyroad Street). I also can't buy points via a computer online through my profile. I get an error that just says "Cannot complete action at this time... check microsoft.com/support". All this because the information doesn't match perfectly?
Mind you, I've lived at the same address for 10 years and ALWAYS use the same billing and mailing address. I've also been using this gold xbox account for about a year without incident. I happen to think it has more to do with the fact that one of my cards became useless because I had to cancel it (though mind you, I didn't try to buy anything with it on xbox... I put a new credit card in before trying to buy points). Their system also won't let you delete credit cards without calling their billing department - Why? I have no idea... nearly every online store these days allows you to add and delete credit cards to your account. Amazon has been doing it for YEARS.
None-the-less, I am PISSED OFF that this can't be resolved more quickly than "a week", which is what I was told by a "tech-support supervisor". If you want to read my ridiculously long notes on the whole thing, read below (I don't blame you if you don't - it only proves how truly inefficient their tech-support is.
Let me just add that when I had my original problem with the credit card in question recently, and had to cancel it, I was able to get a banking rep on the phone within 5 minutes (and I was returning their call because they wanted to alert me to potential fraud activity). I had a new card in my hands within 24 hours and it was all linked up with my online banking and working fine within that time.... I don't understand why Microsoft's systems are so badly designed that a gamertag can't be unlocked within at least a few hours... not a friggin' week!
Don't even get me started on the whole "recover your gamertag" thing either...
I will report back if the issue IS actually resolved in a weeks time... though I'm pissed off enough right now I may just sell the stupid thing and get another PS3. At this point, I am not at all confident it will be resolved AT ALL.
I have NEVER had such problems with a piece of gadgetry (I am a major computer geek with LOTS of geeky equipment) -- and I'll tell ya, MS support is about as useless as Linksys support... which I gave up on years ago... I won't even buy their routers any more. If you've ever had to call them, you know what I'm talking about (and you have my sympathy).
Below: An Exercise is Microsoft Support Frustration -- Read at your own risk (your blood pressure may rise).
August 29, 2008
Go through automation process to get to support human.
Tier - 1 Support - Didn't get his name.
Explain issue - give tech error code.
He puts me on hold - 6 minutes.
Support tech comes back and tells me they are having problems with system, try again in few days.
Gives me reference #XXXXXXXX35
Total Call Time: 12 minutes
September 5, 2008
Go through automation process to get to support human.
Tier 1 Support - Amber
I tell her my problem and that I talked with support last week... she doesn't want reference number because she say the notes on previous call were not there - only notes were from a call two months ago (about recovering a gamertag).
Looks at the account and I give her the error code I'm getting.
Puts me on hold for about three minutes.
She comes back and tells me my account status is locked, probably because billing information and account information don't match.
I tell her I went online and made sure my credit card billing and account info match - because I research the error code on google before calling - Also tell her that two cards are outdated and need to be removed, but I can't do that myself online.
She says she will transfer me to billing agent - and to give reference #XXXXXXXX15
I ask if the billing agent can fix the issue - she says yes.
While on hold - Thought I was disconnected (music, then phone ringing, then music stopped)... I kept holding (figuring I'd hear a dial tone soon enough if I got disconnected).
Wasn't disconnected afterall (about 5 minutes of silence)...
Billing Agent - Marcia
I tell her I was transferred from support - She verifies my information.
I repeat the problem and error code and give her the reference number, tell her I need the account unlocked and two credit cards (outdated) removed.
She tells me she is making the new card the primary (the one my gold subscription is linked to).
She asks me to try buying points again.
Try to purchase again - doesn't work.
Asks me to log out and log back in.
For good measure I close the browser too.
While trying I notice one old credit card is missing from my payment choices, two still remain, one old one (XXX9) and the new one (XXX7)
Trying again doesn't work - Marcia asks me to hold.
She comes back and asks me to go online and make account adjustments, to make sure everything matches -- I tell her I did that already.
I tell her that I see she removed one old card already but not the other old card...
She tells me she didn't remove any card, but billing.microsoft.com shows card XXX0 as "removed" -- she says she made new card (XXX7) the primary -- can't confirm, but it looks like the other old card is now the primary.
Transferring me to a supervisor (and told I'll be holding for 15 minutes).
On hold / Silence for 11 minutes -- then music kicks in, on hold with music another 7 minutes.
Supervisor - Veronica
She very quickly spits out what the problem is - account is locked because billing and account info don't match, though she understands it's now been resolved by me online at billing.microsoft.com.
She goes on to say that she will escalate the issue to the billing department so they can unlock the account.
She tells me I can't purchase points as long as my account is locked (duh).
She tells me she will give me a confirmation number and they will call me when it's solved.
She keeps harping on the billing info matching/not matching while I'm trying to tell her the old credit card need to be removed also.
We go around in circles like this for several minutes.
She asks if there is another XBox live name with the old credit card... I tell her yes... we go around in circles on that for several minutes.
She FINALLY seems to understand more clearly and puts me on hold - two old credit cards will be removed and the account will be unlocked.
I ask her if she'd like to know which credit cards need to be removed and which one needs to stay (since she has failed to ask or confirm up to this point). She says yes. I tell her which one needs to stay (XXX7) and the other two need to be deleted. She confirms buts gets it wrong. We go over it again. She confirms that XXX7 is the only card to remain on the account.
She says she is going to take care of this and asks me to hold.
On hold with music for 11 minutes.
She gives me confirmation numbers...
Tells me only billing can remove credit cards and unlock an account.
Tells me not to use the cards being removed to buy points (uh....)
She tells me it is going to take one week.
I tell her how unhappy I am... that I haven't been able to buy points for a week already.
She apologizes and says they will escalate it as fast as possible and it will take a week.
I push a bit on my unhappiness, but she just says it's going to take a week and she's sorry.
We end the call with her telling me again they'll call me when it's resolved.
Total call time: 73 minutes
Don't even get me started on the whole "recover your gamertag" thing either...
I will report back if the issue IS actually resolved in a weeks time... though I'm pissed off enough right now I may just sell the stupid thing and get another PS3. At this point, I am not at all confident it will be resolved AT ALL.
I have NEVER had such problems with a piece of gadgetry (I am a major computer geek with LOTS of geeky equipment) -- and I'll tell ya, MS support is about as useless as Linksys support... which I gave up on years ago... I won't even buy their routers any more. If you've ever had to call them, you know what I'm talking about (and you have my sympathy).
Below: An Exercise is Microsoft Support Frustration -- Read at your own risk (your blood pressure may rise).
August 29, 2008
Go through automation process to get to support human.
Tier - 1 Support - Didn't get his name.
Explain issue - give tech error code.
He puts me on hold - 6 minutes.
Support tech comes back and tells me they are having problems with system, try again in few days.
Gives me reference #XXXXXXXX35
Total Call Time: 12 minutes
September 5, 2008
Go through automation process to get to support human.
Tier 1 Support - Amber
I tell her my problem and that I talked with support last week... she doesn't want reference number because she say the notes on previous call were not there - only notes were from a call two months ago (about recovering a gamertag).
Looks at the account and I give her the error code I'm getting.
Puts me on hold for about three minutes.
She comes back and tells me my account status is locked, probably because billing information and account information don't match.
I tell her I went online and made sure my credit card billing and account info match - because I research the error code on google before calling - Also tell her that two cards are outdated and need to be removed, but I can't do that myself online.
She says she will transfer me to billing agent - and to give reference #XXXXXXXX15
I ask if the billing agent can fix the issue - she says yes.
While on hold - Thought I was disconnected (music, then phone ringing, then music stopped)... I kept holding (figuring I'd hear a dial tone soon enough if I got disconnected).
Wasn't disconnected afterall (about 5 minutes of silence)...
Billing Agent - Marcia
I tell her I was transferred from support - She verifies my information.
I repeat the problem and error code and give her the reference number, tell her I need the account unlocked and two credit cards (outdated) removed.
She tells me she is making the new card the primary (the one my gold subscription is linked to).
She asks me to try buying points again.
Try to purchase again - doesn't work.
Asks me to log out and log back in.
For good measure I close the browser too.
While trying I notice one old credit card is missing from my payment choices, two still remain, one old one (XXX9) and the new one (XXX7)
Trying again doesn't work - Marcia asks me to hold.
She comes back and asks me to go online and make account adjustments, to make sure everything matches -- I tell her I did that already.
I tell her that I see she removed one old card already but not the other old card...
She tells me she didn't remove any card, but billing.microsoft.com shows card XXX0 as "removed" -- she says she made new card (XXX7) the primary -- can't confirm, but it looks like the other old card is now the primary.
Transferring me to a supervisor (and told I'll be holding for 15 minutes).
On hold / Silence for 11 minutes -- then music kicks in, on hold with music another 7 minutes.
Supervisor - Veronica
She very quickly spits out what the problem is - account is locked because billing and account info don't match, though she understands it's now been resolved by me online at billing.microsoft.com.
She goes on to say that she will escalate the issue to the billing department so they can unlock the account.
She tells me I can't purchase points as long as my account is locked (duh).
She tells me she will give me a confirmation number and they will call me when it's solved.
She keeps harping on the billing info matching/not matching while I'm trying to tell her the old credit card need to be removed also.
We go around in circles like this for several minutes.
She asks if there is another XBox live name with the old credit card... I tell her yes... we go around in circles on that for several minutes.
She FINALLY seems to understand more clearly and puts me on hold - two old credit cards will be removed and the account will be unlocked.
I ask her if she'd like to know which credit cards need to be removed and which one needs to stay (since she has failed to ask or confirm up to this point). She says yes. I tell her which one needs to stay (XXX7) and the other two need to be deleted. She confirms buts gets it wrong. We go over it again. She confirms that XXX7 is the only card to remain on the account.
She says she is going to take care of this and asks me to hold.
On hold with music for 11 minutes.
She gives me confirmation numbers...
Tells me only billing can remove credit cards and unlock an account.
Tells me not to use the cards being removed to buy points (uh....)
She tells me it is going to take one week.
I tell her how unhappy I am... that I haven't been able to buy points for a week already.
She apologizes and says they will escalate it as fast as possible and it will take a week.
I push a bit on my unhappiness, but she just says it's going to take a week and she's sorry.
We end the call with her telling me again they'll call me when it's resolved.
Total call time: 73 minutes
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
3 comments:
I'm having the same problem! Did yours ever get resolved? If so, how long did it take?
-J
hey
great to ee a current thread on this really really really annoying problem.
my story.
used new credit card to purchase Gold subscription as previous Silver expired. no probs.
also got points. no probs. also using new card.
that was in september. trying now to buy points and getting error. cannot even redeem points card.
go to billing.microsoft.com
login
made name same as appears on card
used word street...not st.
ummm, two calls to support. no help.
so yeah have just updated and farted around for no apparent reason...
no one else in the world has a problem with my credit card and personal details. a classic microsoft failure.
cannot even redeem card on xbox.com
oh yeah also made information there same as credit card.
again i stress the billing information should have nothing to do with your gamertag information. pathetic.
so yeah how did you guys go?
hope i will beable to download content within a week.
Yeah, I had a similar issue. I ended up changing my phone number and that caused my card to stop working.
I ended up calling support and spoke to the people in the billing department. You have to ask them to unlock your account because it has been locked due to suspected fraud.
The worst thing is they told me that the issue would have to get transferred to microsoft directly and that they couldn't give me an ETA on when it would be fixed. My issue got resolved about a week later, but I only found out because I tried to purchase points every day to see when it would start working. They never contacted me to let me know it was fixed. I just found out on my own.
Worst....customer....service....ever.
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