Desin Lab controller issue, store customer service was no help

xXthefragileXx · Jul 5, 2019

So here's the deal, a few weeks ago I ordered a controller from the Design Lab. Black Abyss body, Midnight Blue triggers, bumpers, d-pad, and thumb sticks. Before ordering I made sure to view my design on multiple sources (ie: TV, laptop monitor, phone screen)
to verify the colors remained consistent, which they did (A vibrant, deep blue, even on my phone with the blue light filter on).

Skip ahead a few weeks, controller arrives. Upon opening the box, I'm confused as the bumpers look black. Once I got it into the light more I could tell they were in fact a very dark blue. A muted, muddy, dark (almost black) blue. Talk about disappointing!
I hop online, check the FAQ about exchanges. I see "Q: What if my controller doesn't look like what I ordered? A: Contact Microsoft Store Support." Cool, maybe this will qualify since it's different from what I ordered. I call the number, talk to a person,
explain the situation. She puts me on hold to "go check" and when she comes back, I'm told that the "what if my controller looks different" bit only applies to regular controllers and that all Design Lab controller sales are non-returnable, regardless of difference
in appearance. Not even a "could you email us pictures and we'll get back to you?" Just "too bad for you!"

I've shown a few friends a screen shot of what was shown to me online and then a photo of what was sent to me (under the brightest light in my house) with the question "does this look different or am I imagining it?" and every single one has said "different",
so I'm gonna post them here in hopes that someone at Microsoft will see them and give me a legitimate answer.

:)

Allebas

Hi xXthefragileXx,

Sorry to hear your displeased with your controller. From the website, https://xboxdesignlab.xbox.com/en-us/faq, it looks like all sales are final. And it looks like
the only way to a refund/exchange is if the controller itself was defective. Sorry about that. You can always go the number back and speak to someone else and see what happens.

Njal the Blue

Unfortunately there is nothing anyone on the forums can do. The forums are a community project, where by fellow gamers etc help each other out. Ambassadors are not Microsoft employees and your only option is to go back through support.

The colours can look different, they use professional lighting and cameras to capture the imiages. The colour on the photo you have taken is what I personally would class as midnight blue and looks the same colour as a car I owned that was painted midnight
blue. I know that is of no help but the colour isn't a vibrant one.

XBF Amber M

Hi xXthefragileXx,

Thanks for reaching out to us in the forums for this issue. Sadly, we here on the forums are unable to directly assist with purchase issues from the Microsoft Store as we lack the necessary tools to do so. As with most items that are customized based
on color, any discrepancy may be due to the batch that the color was produced under (different dye batch may not explicitly match the next batch) and that colors may differ based on lighting, like the photography that was used to produce the preview image
online versus your photo taken under different lighting conditions.

Please bear in mind that due to the customized nature of the controller, non-defective product returns are not accepted as stated on the
Design Lab controller page and the warranty information. We recommend that you follow up by

contacting Microsoft Store support directly per the
Design Lab Controller FAQ page and enquire about an exchange again.

I hope that this information helps out and in an effort to minimize repetitive answers, we'll be locking the thread at this time. In future,
if you have any further questions or concerns feel free to come back to the Xbox forum (Do not repost the same question or thread as that would violate the
Xbox Forum Guidelines).

We wish you the best of luck in resolving this issue and happy gaming.

Smwutches

You would have to try contacting Microsoft Store support since it's a design lab controller, however because of how long ago it
was purchased and since it's a custom controller, they may not be able to issue a refund.

XBF Amber M

Hi SuspectedFlyer7,

Thanks for the reply! In regard to a Design Lab controller, they have a 120 day standard warranty, the Elite has a full year and any standard or other controller/accessory is subject to the 90 day warranty. Here are a couple of handy support articles that
you may find useful in regard to Design Lab controllers:

Xbox Design Lab and Xbox Design Lab controller help

Design Lab Controller Frequently Asked Questions

As you're having an issue with a design lab controller, you may wish to go ahead and
request a call back from Xbox Support to see if they can get you sorted out in regards to a repair or replacement, or what they would recommend in this situation. Just be aware
that it may take a bit more time for servicing as Design Lab controllers are custom fabricated for each individual.

I hope that this information helps you out a bit more!

Desin Lab controller issue, store customer service was no help