The XBOX 360 can experience a number of failures, the most common one being the three red lights error. This error indicates a hardware failure which many people - including myself, until recently - think is fatal. In reality, over 90% of consoles with this error can be fixed in no more than two hours, if you know what to do. When my first XBOX gave me the red lights, I naturally sent it in for repair. After waiting for about 3 weeks I received a box that contained a refurbished console. It worked at first, but after about four or five months it gave up on me again with the same symptoms as the first one. The only difference this time was that the replacement console was not in the warranty period any more. So, from my experience, here are the major downsides of sending in your XBOX 360 for repair: You will have to wait for your console to be repairedWaiting to get your XBOX 360 back isn't much fun. It can take anywhere from two weeks at best to several weeks to get your repaired console back - time you would rather spend playing. You might not get your original console backThat's right, you have no guarantee for getting back your original XBOX 360. In many cases you will receive a so-called refurbished console, which is effectively a console that was previously sent in for repair by someone else. This isn't bad in itself, but you need to know that you might get a console back that isn't yours. Which brings us to the next point... The console you get back might die from other errors after the warranty periodIt has happened and it will continue to happen: you get back a refurbished console that dies just after the renewed warranty period. If this happens, your only option is to send it in again, only this time you will have to pay for the repair job. This will cost you anywhere from $130 to $190. Money better spent on games, if you ask me... Bottom line: sending your XBOX 360 in for repair should be your last resort! So I was left with the prospect of sending my XBOX in for repair again, only this time it would cost me between $140 and $190, depending on where I sent it and what they charged for the job. I decided to start looking for other ways of getting my console fixed; fortunately I found one that is easy, quick, cheap and permanent. What I found were several different repair guides that are being offered online. And I'm not talking about the tips you find in forums, like the infamous towel trick . I'm talking about step-by- step video guides that give you every detail for actually repairing your XBOX 360 yourself, often within an hour. And all you need are some household tools. Now these guides cost a couple of bucks, but they are more than worth it. Compared to the cash you have to shell out for a repair and the possibility of the console breaking again, they are actually cheap. Because with these guides you can repair your XBOX yourself anytime it decides to give you the three red lights again.