Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller Fault and Repair Service (UK)

My apologies first and foremost, as this is more of a rant than a discussion.

I have been an XBOX owner since
the original console debut in 2002. I have purchased, owned and thoroughly enjoyed
the Xbox 360, the Xbox 360s, the Xbox One and am currently using the Xbox One X.
I have always been an Xbox gold member and more recently have been an Ultimate
Pass holder since its inception. I am patiently and happily waiting to purchase
the new Series X. During the almost 20 years of owning and enjoying these
consoles and the various accessories and games, I have only used your repair
service twice – both with my Xbox 360 (and the infamous Red Ring). The process
of packaging and sending my Xbox console out to Frankfurt (there was no Xbox
repair service centre in the UK at that time) for 6 - 8 weeks was arduous and I unfortunately
had to go through the process twice, but
I never complained. Ultimately, I was thrilled when my new/replacement
unit arrived and would happily forget the previous month without my gaming
console. Being in my late 30’s, I now have two boys, both of which also own
Xbox Ones. I Have shared with them the joy and excitement I’ve received from
years of being an Xbox fan and customer and they themselves will be the new
generation of Xbox fans.

The reason for my unnecessarily long introductory paragraph
is to convey to you a genuine enjoyment for the service and hardware Xbox provide. The good times have definitely far outweighed any bad or inconvenient past
transgressions, which unfortunately leads me to my current predicament and the
reason for this rant.

I invested in a Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller as a
replacement to several controllers that had eventually (during their lifetime)
become faulty. The series 2 controller is quite frankly amazing and you can
tell its quality design from the materials used and the weight of the
controller, not to mention the unequivocal sharpness in the controllers
feedback and input. I have nothing but praise regarding my enjoyment of that
accessory, however I was disappointed when the thumbstick began to drift after
only a few months of use. I’ve owned normal controllers for years, and I have
seen thumbstick drifting before, but typically only years after heavy
repetitive use. Realising how long it would take to get it sent for repair, I
was very reluctant to send it off – but I did (details of the repair service
are below). I was extremely happy that the process only took 2 weeks (there was
finally a repair service in the UK!) and ecstatic when an apparently new
controller arrived yesterday (23/02/21). The joy however was short lived - it was
almost immediately apparent that there was something wrong with the controller –
the Y button. The input when pressing the Y button is intermittent. I searched
online desperately to see if there were any remedies to the problem. I couldn’t
believe that an XBOX Repair Centre would dispatch a faulty replacement. I tried
re-registering the device on my Xbox , but to no avail. The Y button only
registers an input every 2 or 3 clicks, even in the button testing page on the
accessories app.

I have spent the entirety of today (24/02/21) trying to
reach SOMEONE – ANYONE at Xbox/Microsoft support and have come to the
conclusion that it is impossible to do so. As a loyal customer of almost 20
years, I felt aggrieved at not only the error that was made at the repair
centre, but the realisation that I was unable to contact you directly to voice
my concerns, and it is that latter part that I find inexcusable.

My options when
dealing with XBOX UK Support were to speak to another gamer, use a chat bot or
go through the automated repair process to log a new service order. So I have done
the latter, which will mean my “replacement” Elite Series 2 controller will have
to go back to the service centre and I shall have to wait another 2 weeks for a
new controller, one I hope isn’t faulty like the one I’m sending.

I’m extremely disappointed with the lack of service I’ve
received and horrified that the UK repair centre would ship a faulty product
without having it tested first. I hope none of you have to go through a similar process and I'm posting this to make Microsoft aware of its shortcomings.

:)