Microsoft Responds to Watchdog Accusations

US owners of 360s that suffer the red ring of death can get their units replaced or repaired for free regardless of the state of their warranty, but the same cannot be said of UK owners in the same situation. Last night, an episode of BBC consumer affairs show Watchdog aired that featured various disgruntled owners of broken 360s voicing their displeasure at the GBP 80-90 that they have to cough up to get their consoles up and running again.

Microsoft has responded to Watchdog's accusations, doing the usual "we care about our customers" song and dance, with an extra verse of "the 360 actually fails far less often than most other consoles, so suck it" thrown in for good measure. At the end of the day, though, they didn't really promise to make any kind of amends for the disparity between US and UK customers, simply saying:

Anybody having an issue with their Xbox 360 console should call customer service immediately so that we can help. Microsoft voluntarily provides customers with a one year manufacturer's warranty in the UK
which operates over and above the legally required retailer warranty for all consumer goods.

Microsoft Responds to Watchdog [GamesIndustry.biz]