my Xbox One was not receiving any power or switching on at all - it was now a £429 doorstop. So I looked online for details of how to obtain a replacement power brick, should that be the issue. The method is the same for any faulty Xbox accessory: you have to pack up your broken item and send it off for repair/replacement - in the Czech Republic
I was stunned - this was the only place in Europe you could get a piece of Xbox equipment repaired? Delivery and return would take up to 28 days from when they received your broken item, Microsoft's website explained, and there was apparently no way to speed up the process.
Worse, Microsoft's online support website automatically refused my console's warranty - meaning I'd need to pay for the privilege. It took me a while but I was able to eventually circumvent this, although only after photographing my Xbox One delivery note and uploading it to the support website's server.
Thankfully, things improved when I phoned the Xbox Support line the following morning and was put straight through to a customer service rep. I noticed that the phone line had a separate section for Xbox One users, and every time I've called I've been put straight through. This has not been the case in the past when I've had to contact them about other things, and it was my first clue that Microsoft was taking seriously any early adopters with broken Xbox Ones.
I spoke for about half an hour with an extremely helpful rep, Karl, who seemed genuinely sympathetic, knowledgeable and was able to guide me through the returns process. The usual method would be to send off your console for repair, he explained, but Microsoft was expediting the matter for early users with issues and just ship me a new Xbox One via UPS within three working days.
I could then send back the broken console in the new one's box with a provided UPS label to ensure shipping was free. It meant only a few days wait for a replacement and I was confident the matter was now being dealt with - after stressing and angry social media posting the night before it was a huge relief.
One thing Microsoft did ask for was my debit card details - this was so a hold could be put on my card. If I didn't ship back the broken unit within two weeks of the new one's delivery I would be automatically charged for a new one, I was told. But I suppose Microsoft has to have a way of stopping anyone scamming the system on the hunt for a freebie.
I asked what the most common issue Xbox Support's team were dealing with was, and apparently lots of customers had been calling up who had been unable to download the console's day one patch. Several people had asked Microsoft to pick up their consoles and redeliver them with the day one update installed. Whether the company would actually do this or not I wasn't told, but it is interesting to note after Microsoft removed manual update instructions from the Xbox Support website and tried to pretend they hadn't been designed for use in the first place.
You'll be charged £499 if you don't return your old £429 console. That's a £70 tax for wasting Microsoft's time. 
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