A few months ago my Xbox got the red ring of death issue. Microsoft quickly replaced the console and at the time I was very happy with the result. One thing I asked them about but didn't verify is that would all my games purchased on Xbox arcade continue to function correctly with the new console, they assured me they would. This was not true.
When you purchase a game on Xbox Arcade the content is tied to two things your user name and your physical hardware. You can access your paid for content on any console if you are logged in with the username that purchased the content, or any account can access the content that was paid for on any particular console.
When I got the replacement console it looked like the content I had purchased was working ok because when I use my Xbox I am always logged in to Xbox Live under the account that purchased the content. I never verified that the content was actually valid on the new console as I believed the Microsoft rep when he told me it would be. In November I had my console over at a friends place to try out the HD DVD on a 50" inch LCOS screen, my TV is only 46" using CRT rear projection. I was also going to show of Geometry wars, one of the better Xbox arcade games, but I couldn't because only the demo version was accessible without being logged into live.
So before Christmas I phone up Microsoft to see if the problem could be rectified as I was planning on taking the console to my parents place over Christmas for something to do and to see what the HD DVDs looked like on their 37" LCD panel TV. After talking the Microsoft rep. Well actually a few as it was not clear what division of Xbox support I should be talking to and their phone system hung up on me a couple of times. They told me they needed to talk to a supervisor to get the repurchase of my existing content authorized, I also had to setup a new Xbox live account to purchase the content on, as it is already purchases on my normal account. This was to take about a week they said.
A little over a month later, they finally called back with Microsoft Points coupons to repurchase the content I already own. Which was interesting as they just give me Microsoft Points, no requirement to purchase the games I own, I can purchase any content I like. They also give me 100 more points then what is needed to purchase the games as they are standard sized coupons.
Lesson learned, if you need to replace an Xbox 360 console machine make sure they give you points to repurchase content right away don't wait till you actually need to access it.
Hmm. I was going to link to my blog post about how good the return service was but I guess I didn't actually post that bit of writing. When the console started locking up and getting the red ring of death I phoned up Microsoft, they asked me to do the standard things unplug it, turn it off and on. Once they were convinced it was actually toast they sent via courier a box to send the Xbox back to them in. A new Xbox arrived a few days later.