Gamecube users please read UPDATE

[Maleficent2]

Do you own a Gamecube and have you had any problems with it?

DS has one that Nintendo replaced with a recond., one after only having it for less than 3 months, now that one is almost completely not working. I am furious.

I have called CS and no one called me back.

Just fired off an email to them and I will be surprized if I get a response.

Just needed to vent and also wanted to know others expierence with Nintendo.


Thanks

Mal

 

[DopeysGal]

We've had a Gamecube since December 2001 and never had any problems with it. DS12 plays it almost every day. What type of trouble are you having?

Deb

 

[Maleficent2]

just went to the Nintendo sight and the error message we are now receiving means...."An Error has occurred:
If you are getting the specific message, "An error has occurred. Turn the Power Off and check the Nintendo GameCube Instruction Booklet for further instructions." This means there may be an internal problem with the system. "

Check Individual Game Disc problems or Multiple Game Disc problems (depending upon how many games exhibit the problem) to see if the cause of the message is a dirty or damaged disc.
If the disc appears fine or works properly in another system, this means there is an internal problem with the system. A repair will need to be set up. Please use our convenient repair options.




We have also had our system since Dec 2001 and had to had orginial system repaired in March 2002 that is when they sent us a "Reconditioned"system! Boy was I PO then after having paid $200 for the system and they sent me a recon one...problems with that unit started soon thereafter and now it is DOA. I am livid. Since I emailed them earlier tonight the unit has cease to work at all.

Copy of email sent to Nintendo

Dear Nintendo-

I am very unhappy with the customer service at your company. I purchased a Gamecube for my son the Christmas it came out. We began having problems with it soon afterwards and was told to take it in to the service center. Which we did. They were unable to work on it so they sent it to your service dept. We received a "RECONDITIONED" unit a few days later. When I called the CS line and voiced my disappointment with having received a recon unit the CS agent said that was the way it was,too bad, I asked that someone call me back she said she would forward my info but she could bet that no one would. Well she was right. That has been 2 years ago. Oh I forgot to mention that the reason I called was we began having small problems with the recon unit from the start. Now this unit is hardly working! It will not read the disk more that half the time or stop reading them in the middle of play. Sometimes it takes as long as 5 minutes of turning the unit on and off to get the disk to spin and the unit to read the disk. If we did not have so much invested in this system I think we would be opting to change to another system. We own several Nintendo products and the gamecube is the only one we have had trouble with. I quess I just expected more from a company with the reputation that Nintendo has.


Sincerely

 

[Disney Dee]

Try the service center again, seems you are just unlucky, the chances of you getting 2 bad systems is very remote. I recondition video systems and games and we sell the reconditioned ones in our stores (Electronics boutique and Game world). Actually there is nothing wrong with reconditioned systems, most of the time they are returned because of dust inside the main board and we take it apart and blow air in them to get it out, another problem we find is the laser goes bad, we replace them with new laser. If the mother board is bad, we put a new one in.

Take the system back and make sure they know you are not paying for repairs! I do not know what Nintendos return policy is, but be firm. I also agree that their products are very well made, we see alot more broken playstations (personal experience, my ds was fixed 3 times in 4 yrs) then gamecubes needing repairs. I have been using the same GC to test software for at least 2 yrs and it gets alot of abuse, and it still works fine.

Good luck!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Well....when we got ours a couple of years ago we dropped it on the floor, a couple of days after getting it, ugh. Carpet mind you and only a 3 feet to the floor.
We also got that message. We couldn't get any games to work right. You would play them for a minute and then we would get that message. After much arguing at TOY R US dh secured a new one.
Last week the girls dropped it to the floor again....we got that message once. So far, nothing else yet.

I hope you get it figured out, that sounds so frustrating! Good Luck!

 

[Maleficent2]

thanks for the info.

Just a few questions with this error message what do you find the problem usually is? the laser or the motherboard?

And if nintendo wants me to pay for repairs then I would rather fix it myself( I repair my computer myself)? can I order the parts?


If the parts are really expensive it would probably be better to just buy a new system. I am really ticked with NCS not only was the CS rep I spoke with rude(email was short version)but I feel they should have sent us out a brand new system being that ours was virtually new when we returned it to them.


Mal

 

[KarenB]

We had terrific customer service with nintendo about a year ago.

DS's gamecube was not working correctly.....if I remember right, the games kept showing an error message and would not work. I called the customer service number and they were very pleasant to work with. We did not communicate via e-mail-only through the phone talking to live people. We had to send EVERYTHING to Nintendo and they took me through the packaging process step by step. FedEX picked up the package, Nintendo paid for everything. Everything was returned in about 10 business days, working perfectly. (something to do with the laser?????)

I can ask DSs more details when they wake up if you want...just PM me.

Good luck!
Karen

 

[Maleficent2]

my CS rep(phone) must have been having a bad day! a really bad day because that was not my expierence. But have heard that most people like their CS so it really makes me the more upset.

I think that is what our problem is the laser.


I plan on calling them again right now in fact


Will update.


Mal

 

[Disney Dee]

Mal, I don't think you should even try to fix the laser yourself, and buying the part is very expensive, and you shouldn't have to pay for it! I think you should call again, if neccesary, ask for the manager or who ever is in charge of repairs. And i certainly would not buy a new one, I think you just had a bad representative, so try again! I will run your problem by my boss, we are not nintendo ourselves, but we do work with them on occasion, so he may have a suggestion.

 

[Maleficent2]

I spoke with a GREAT CS rep David....

he extended our warranty for 3 months and is having FedX pick it up tomorrow.

I am very pleased with the result of that phone call.

Will let you know if I am still this happy when cube is returned to us!


Mal

 

[Tinkbell]

I seem to recall that my nephew had some trouble with his. His dad thought maybe the discs were dusty so he bought some special CD rom cleaning cloths and they did the trick for him. Luckily, he's had no problems since then that the cloths don't fix.

 

[ListenToCKY]

I've never had a problem with mine, and I've had it close to two years.

 

[Maleficent2]

I wish my problem was that simple ... I have those and always clean the discs.

I know no one hardly ever has a problem with their Cubes just my luck to have two bad ones!!!


Mal

 

[Disney Dee]

Mal, hope you make out better this time!

 

[dizneenut]

Hope everything works out for you, Mal.

We also got ours 12/01 and had a problem with it about a year later. CS was wonderful and we took it back to a local place here that sent it out for us and we picked up our new system 2 days later. Haven't had another problem with it at all.

 

[Maleficent2]

Fedex had not picked up yet....


Dear

Thank you for your e-mail. I am sorry to hear of your disappointment with our service and I hope to be of some assistance to you.

I noticed that you set up a warrant repair with us yesterday, August 24, 2003. However, the notes we have listed for your repair do not indicate that a new unit is to be provided (instead of a reconditioned unit).

From your e-mail, it appears as if you would prefer a brand new unit and I would like to see this happen if possible. The only problem is that you are sending your unit to our east coast repair facility, and they are not able provide new replacements (only reconditioned units). In order to ensure that a new unit is provided to you, your repair will need to come into Nintendo's official headquarters. The address is as follows:

Nintendo of America
Attn: Repairs
4900 150th AVE NE
Redmond WA 98052

Hopefully, you will receive this message in time (before Federal Express arrives to pick up your package). If not, please call me to see what more I can do. I can be reached at ______until about 2:30pm PST daily (through Wednesday, 8/27). I will also try to call you.

Thank you for your e-mail. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Nintendo of America

 

[Maleficent2]

our "brand NEW" gamecube today!

I did not know they worked so well!


Thanks for prodding me to call!


Mal

 

[Disney Dee]

Now that sounds like the company I know! Enjoy!

 

[Tinkbell]

Glad to hear you received a new one!

 

[RitaZ.]

Wow, it's great to know that there are still some companies out there that care about their customers' satisfaction. Enjoy the new unit!