Microsoft to Apologize with Free Valentine’s Day Zunes

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

Remember the Red 80GB Zune that Microsoft announced in mid-January? A nice idea for Valentine’s Day, especially with special limited time Zune Originals artwork. Unfortunately, the best-laid plans ….

The item has been popular, but delays will mean that not everyone who ordered early enough for Valentine’s Day will get their Zune in time. Rather than break some hearts, Microsoft has been emailing those on the cusp with a nice V-Day message:

We wanted to provide you with an update on your order status. Due to some issues in our fulfillment center there remains a chance we will miss getting your Zune to you by February 14th. We are working hard to get your order to you as quickly as possible and we currently plan to ship your Zune within the next 3-4 days. Once your order is in transit, we will send you a shipping confirmation with a link for tracking.

Our goal is to provide a smooth customer experience for ordering, customization, and delivery. We sincerely apologize for not meeting that goal in this specific case. We will be refunding the entire amount of your order, which you should be able to see on your credit/debit card within 7-10 days. We hope you love your Zune and that you will accept our sincere apology.

Thanks to my lucky friend for sending me this.

What can I say? Microsoft is definitely doing the right thing here. (Yes, Yahoo!, they do that sometimes! I know Jerry and the troops might not agree).

We Say: For those of you getting the refund, make sure your giftee doesn’t read this or they might ask for a gift you actually paid for!