Xbox 360 Scratches Discs, Man Says

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (CN) - Microsoft rushed its Xbox 360 to market to beat competing products by Nintendo and Sony, and the Xbox has a defect that causes it to scratch and ruin game discs, an unhappy customer says.

Jason Johnson claims Microsoft began receiving complaints about scratched discs within a month of the product's November 2005 release, and refuses to fix the defect. Johnson believes the scratching occurs when the console's disc-reading mechanism comes into contact with the disc, which is not supposed to happen.

Microsoft instituted a disc replacement program in April 2007, without admitting fault, but the program covers only 12 games. And, Johnson says, the replacement program requires consumers to send in $20 along with their damaged disc. The consumers then get a replacement disc worth less than $20, Johnson says. Therefore, Microsoft profits from the defect.

Johnson demands punitive damages. He is represented by Emily Johnson of Alton.

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