I’ll get the bad news part of this blog out the way first. My 18-month-old Zune died. These things happen and generally speaking my electronics last for a long time, so I wasn’t that peeved.
American Express Extended Warranty
Lisa said I should look at American Express Extended Warranty because it might cover the replacement. I’ve not used it before so I had a quick read. Basically, it doubles the length of the warranty on anything you buy on your card. So my one year Zune warranty is covered in the second year by Amex. Sounds great, and it’s awesome! I logged a claim online on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday afternoon, I got an email saying it was approved. Five days later I got a credit for $199 on my card!!!
Ordering my Zune Originals
Armed with my refund I went to www.zune.net and order my replacement Zune Original. As memory prices have continued to fall, I was able to pick up 16GB for the same cost of my previous 8GB. Great! Plus engravings with the latest designs are free. So I choose a cool looking one from APAK.
My Zune Original Arrives
I remember being surprised by the packaging for my Zune original when I received it 18 months ago. They’d clearly made a lot of effort with the out of box experience. My expectations were high when I opened the package, and then I was blown away by how cool the packaging is:
 |  |  |
| (the enormous white box) | (my laser etched zune) | (colour print of the artwork) |
Conclusion, I’m a very happy consumer, especially since I did not spend any money!