Microsoft misses some Valentine's Day Zune shipments?
By Ryan Block 
posted February 9th 2008 12:57AM
posted February 9th 2008 12:57AM
[Thanks Sean and Mike]
posted February 9th 2008 12:57AM
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Gimme a break guys... A company fell behind on their supply so they give the $250 product to the customer for free!!! Lets see another company do that... FREE firmware upgrades, full refunds when you dont get your delivery ON TIME, Ego-free electronics? Well, sign me the f*^k up.
obvoiusly they're desperate.
desperate? or smart? they said it would be there, it wont, u'll still get it. but to minimize complaints u get ur money back. i mean, is MICROSOFT, im sure the shrink is not gonna kill em.
[sarcasm alert] i like how ppl talk s**t even when MS isnt doin anything wrong
^ Because of that comment, my next MP3 player will be the Zune.
Nothing says a lack of intelligence like these three comments.
Giving a full refund AND the Zune is pretty classy. Good job Microsoft.
Yeah. I could not imagine Apple doing something like that. They would probably charge you extra for some strange reason.
The amount of ignorance by some of these commenters is amazing!
One of my friends ordered an ipod and it got misplaced or something and never got to her, so she called the representatives and all they did was give her free express shipping. Basically what that did was completely move her away from them, so i think thia is a really good move by microsoft! Good Job!
I am wholly impressed by Microsoft for doing this. It is really going above and beyond. What would most companies do? They'd say "have a few free songs and shut up." But they're actually giving them an extra $250. That's class, and it's only for Valentines, which is an pointless holiday to begin with. I dont care whether you are an Apple, Linux, or MS fanboi, you really cannot complain about this kind of customer service.
amen to that intrepid.
Whoa--that is awfully nice of Microsoft. Those customers must have a better taste in their mouth than us iPhone Touch users who were supposed to shell out $20 for software that should've been free.
Not the same? Oh, then how about Microsoft upgrading all 30GB Zune devices to support features and software of the 2nd gen systems?
Hard to understand why some Apple fanboys still take every opportunity to rip anything but the iPod.
Engadget is so cynical about this whole thing. Not surprising considering Ryan Block wrote this. If Apple did the same thing, this same post would be all glee and glory.
Ok, I will go throw up now.
All of these comments either attacking the Zune or iPod are so lame. They're MP3 players for Christ's sake. They play music, podcasts, videos, etc. Sometimes in the car, sometimes on the go. They're virtually interchangeable, and in real life (not on the internets), no one cares which one you have. Really.
Let me repeat that: Most people don't give a shit.
Reminds me of something Charlie Booker said about cell phones:
"If you truly believe you need to pick a mobile phone that 'says something' about your personality, don't bother. You don't have a personality."
Obviously, the same applies here.
Ahhh...that was cathartic.
Wow, what with Microsoft giving away its major firmware upgrade to existing Zune owners and now this move, they really are differentiating themselves from tricks Apple likes to play. In the case of positive perception, at least with the Zune anyway, Microsoft is winning me over.
As disappointed as I would be if I had ordered one for that special someone. I would have to admit that with all the hiccups that Microsoft has had for the last couple of years, They have done an awesome job in making up for them.
Well, every company will screw up sometime.
Or possibly that their building a product and its reputation. Keep in mind it usually takes microsoft 2-to-3 versions before they get it right. The Zune 30 was a decent media player, they stepped it up with the 8, 4 and 80. The 3rd gen, Im sure, will be an excellent product. With this game its about reliability and reputation. Not to start a flame war, but Apple used to live by that rule and theyre dropping the ball and upsetting a lot of their customer base. Moves like giving a full refund is the type of thing that make people want to do business with a company. Keep in mind that not everyone is a technophile and they just want something dependable from a company that makes gestures like this to take care of those who buy their product... People have already stated all over the net that it motivates them to want Zune.
This post is so cool.
Luckily mine did ship, but I was the last to know.
Microsoft/Zune Originals somehow forgot to email me a tracking number;
A Fed Ex 'Door Tag' didn't appear till the third attempt; then gave me hell when I tried to pick up.
Nevertheless..
I really enjoy the Zune; own both the 30 and the 80.
My girlfriend has a Creative Zen, but really wanted this red one after using mine for a bit.
Can't wait till she gets it.
The hardware itself, which does exactly what I need it to do and video looks so good on it, but it isn't the Zune's biggest sellpoint though.
Yes the 80 is ALOT slicker than the 30, but it's the 'All You Can Eat' music service that's the biggest draw for me. I get to find new music everyday, from missed gems of the past to up and coming hotness. You can't beat the size of the collection available for $15/month; every iPod ownder I work with pokes fun till I talk about the service.
Yeah they are DRM'd but the non-DRM'd collection is growing daily as well. And anything I really MUST own, I can now buy with confidence on CD if I want. Gone is the day of wasting cash on 'one track wonder' albums.
As for the Zune haters,
Why, you ask... because I can!
Be happy with whatever you got. Your time is too precious heheh.
/novel
Its a refund, the products were already paid in full before Microsoft sent the message about the refund. AKA How is it a desperate move if the people who bought it originally didn't receive a full refund until after paying in full for the player. Now take your simple one way of thinking fanboy mind and Get Out.
Hey I got a similar letter with something missing, Take a look:
Dear Zune® Originals customer,
We wanted to provide you with an update on your order status. We are working diligently to make sure your order gets to you by Valentine’s Day, but due to some issues in our fulfillment center there remains a chance we will miss getting your Zune to you by February 14th. We are working hard to get your order to you as quickly as possible and we plan to ship your within the next 3-4 days. Once your order is in transit, we will send you a shipping confirmation with a link for tracking.
Our goal is to provide a smooth customer experience for ordering, customization, and delivery. We sincerely apologize for this delay and are working diligently to get your order to you before Valentine’s Day.
If you have additional questions, please call 1.877.GET.ZUNE. For fastest service, press 5 then press 1 and have your order information ready.
The Zune Originals Team
Now I Didn't order the red Zune but I did order before the Valentine promotion deadline. Why am I not being included in the refund?! Is Engadget and everyone else sure this thing for real?
Its really funny Big Brother decides to refund people a few bucks and that makes him cool. Suddenly $250 makes up for all the crap that we have had to take from MS over the years. Come on you don’t have to look at Zune sales twice to know that this is a desperate move and most of you up in here are just posers.
FordGTGuy wake up and smell the coffee how many people have already said they will buy or consider buying a Zune because of this gesture from Big Brother. Don’t be “ignert” this is business MS is not doing it simply because they are sorry and they love your arse, they are simply taking the competition to the service level which is a smart move in my books. Turn a bad situation into a good one and whilst we are at it lets hope we pull the sales figures in the first qtr up.
Anyway this Zune iPod flaming is tired I think the most regrettable thing is buying a Zune because you don’t want to be called an Apple Fanboy.
I always find it funny that Zune lovers flame iPod Fanboys by saying they have been brainwashed. 90% of the world uses MS powered PCs and 7% uses Macs, now stop and think isn’t this a similar dynamic with the Zune and the iPod. Am curious to know do Zune lovers use Macs because everyone has been brainwashed into PC mode. Duh!
I say buy the flipping player the suits your recreational lifestyle if Zune does it for you so be it, if you think this V day gesture is ample reason for you to get one, let it be. If having readily available accessories speakers, pouches etc is your thing get an iPod. This is not rocket science and there is nothing wrong with simply wanting to have something that people think is cool. We are humans for crying out loud.