Microsoft had a promotion that you would get a nice Nokia Longboard as an Xbox 360/WP7 avatar prop. This, however, did not go so well…

The promotion itself was simple, sign up to the Microsoft Insider newsletter and get a free DLC code. The problem with this was that the code was not in the email, it was in the browser. Some people abused it and got a lot of codes out of it.

I signed up early for it but I got the following: “Wow! We had no idea that our avatar gear give-away would be so popular. This promotion has now ended.”

I’ve even seen someone sell the DLC codes for $9.99.

Now Microsoft has said that it will give out another prop but to be honest, I wanted the longboard. I don’t want a foam finger.

We are flattered that our avatar prop is so popular, but frustrated that someone abused the system to reserve a bunch of codes for themselves and shut out legitimate users in the process. We’ve now ended the promotion for the skateboard. If you signed up for the newsletter (thanks, BTW!), got the invite for the gear and weren’t able to redeem your code, we will be making it right: we will send you a code in the next few days for a different prop (a Windows Phone foam finger).

It sucks that people exploit systems like this, on the other hand Microsoft should have secured the system against abuse. This is a digital item, make it time limited, don’t limit it by number. It gives a bad name and a lot of negative publicity. Especially since they said that you would get the prop if you signed up.

Update:

Microsoft made it up to the people who didn’t get the code the first time. I just redeemed mine and I have a nice prop for my avatar now. They learned from their mistake they made the first time, the code was included in the email itself instead of on a web site.

Kudos Microsoft, you made it up to me.