Originally posted by another user
Good news, everyone: Microsoft can now guarantee you'll never have to put a broken Xbox 360 into one of their custom "coffin" boxes for repairs again. The bad news: It's not because they can guarantee no Xbox 360 will ever suffer a Red Ring of Death again, but because they've officially discontinued offering the boxes.
As Joystiq reports, the policy of shipping 360 owners a customized box for broken systems has been discontinued "in an effort to expedite the repair process." Microsoft will stay pay the shipping costs of sending broken consoles into their repair center, but now they'll only do so by offering pre-paid e-labels. As for getting a box, you're on your own.
Naturally, Microsoft is trying to spin the change in policy as a positive. "Customers can now ship their consoles themselves using an e-label provided by Microsoft and do not need to wait for an empty box to be shipped to them," said a spokesperson. And sure, if you happen to have a box handy, simply printing a shipping label and sending it in is faster than waiting for an empty box first. But we have a feeling whatever mounting costs were associated with providing those empty boxes for years weighed far more heavily in this decision than did improving customer service.