[Laptopia]

Zune's new subscription service looked like a bargain: All-you-can-eat music plus 10 non-DRMed MP3s per month to download, your choice.

I opened a Zune account using my live.com email address, installed the interface software, and things went pear-shaped from there: The software prompted me to change my "Zune name", so I did. What I didn't know was that, for following directions, I was charged 800 "Microsoft Points" (these were deducted from my XBox Live account), and my XBox Live gamertag was also changed.

When I tried to use my XBox Live Gold account via my XBox 360, well, my new gamertag could neither be found nor recovered.

When I tried to log into the Zune.net subscription service, I got an error message stating that my Zune name "does not meet the Zune Code of Conduct and must be changed".

I called Zune/Microsoft Technical Support to get some resolution. Six calls and several hours later, my issue was escalated to Level III, where it has sat without progress for 8 days. In the meantime, I returned the Zune device to the store and kissed the concept of this Zune subscription goodbye.

As an aside, Microsoft Tech Support rings to a call center in the Philippines, and these people are not empowered to do much but document your concerns and apologize, something in which they are apparently well-practiced. All in all, they are benignly worthless.

 

[TedwardRoberts]

That's too bad. My experiences with the zune pass have always been positive. Sorry for the way it worked out.

 

[tattoou2]

Cancelled mine. Encountered log-in problems, incorrect charges, wrong point debits, poor customer service. Concept is good, but didn't work out for me.

 

[Laptopia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tattoou2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cancelled mine. Encountered log-in problems, incorrect charges, wrong point debits, poor customer service. Concept is good, but didn't work out for me.

Seems to be the latest episode in a Microsoft tradition of rolling out things that they know are broken or not ready for prime time, then putting in place substandard or downright incompetent customer support, thereby aggravating the **** out of the very people who would have happily paid big bucks for subscription service such as Zune.

I hope Google, Apple, and Ubuntu eat Microsoft's lunch.

We (family and I) are moving away from Microsoft products over time, to the extent possible. For a number of reasons we will probably always have a machine running Windows in the house, but we doubt that will be getting much use.

Almost forgot: Did a head-to-head "search off" between Google and Microsoft's new "Bing". Google is still better, and again, Microsoft's late to the game with something that's just not good enough.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Sorry to hear that. Just curious, why did Microsoft kick your username?

 

[Laptopia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry to hear that. Just curious, why did Microsoft kick your username?

Their own technical support people weren't able to determine that. I did a little online research and discovered that I'm not the only one stuck in this "do loop", contrary to what the Level III support people told me.

My issue has been escalated from Level III to "The Lab", whatever that is. (My guess is that The Lab is some very small group of people, in the U.S., who can actually Make Things Happen.)

I've dumped the idea of using the Zune subscription service, but I intend to persist as regards a fix, because I have already invested so much time on it, and on principle.

 

[Laptopia]

Update: 10 days later, the idjits at Microsoft's vaunted "Lab" are still stumped.

In other news, my wife had an issue with her Macbook Pro (superdrive went bad). After a quick visit to the Apple Store, they swapped the drive for free, and we were on our way.

Try that, Microsoft. (Oh--and you're not off the hook for your Zune mistakes.)