Question ASUS Warrant Issues - RX 5700 XT

[Scottee25]

Good Afternoon,

I built a new PC a couple of months back and for the first 2 months, it worked flawlessly. Then all of a sudden I began to experience random crashes where the screen would go black and the PC either locked up or would reboot. I tried a number of troubleshooting tasks before I determined that my graphics card was the cause of these crashes. I began the process to RMA the card with ASUS and earlier this week I received a response from them claiming that my card was out of warranty due to Customer Induced Damage. The picture they provided me is nothing more than a slight nick on the lock tab that was more than likely caused from inserting or removing the card. It in no way affects the electronics of the card. I disputed this on my warranty claim and asked for a reconsideration. Unfortunately they are still coming back and saying that they won't cover the warranty on this card. I am curious if anyone else has any experience dealing with ASUS on these matters and would offer some assistance? I am really disappointed by this as I have used ASUS products for years and never had any issues with them. If, in the end, they still refuse to warranty the card, I guess my days of doing business with ASUS may be over. Any thoughts, recommendations, advice?

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

Last I checked that's not how warranty works.
What country are you in?
I would contact customer care directly and explain the situation to them.

On top of that, can you explain in detail all of the troubleshooting you did that has determined that your graphics hardware is the issue and not an issue with Windows or the drivers

 

[rgd1101]

upload image to imgur.com and post the link here

full system spec? include make and model of the psu

 

[Scottee25]

Last I checked that's not how warranty works.
What country are you in?
I would contact customer care directly and explain the situation to them.

On top of that, can you explain in detail all of the troubleshooting you did that has determined that your graphics hardware is the issue and not an issue with Windows or the drivers

I am in the US. I really wish I could figure out how to attach the picture ASUS sent me. I tried uploading it to Google Drive and One Drive and sharing it from there through the editor but it keeps giving me an error. Perhaps if I just include the link in here to my Google Drive link people can still view the pic.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E-6DD_ozrM_4JLH2R4Nly29ins3u_fzU/view

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

As stated, you can upload to imgur, but can also use any pic hosting site.
My personal choice is https://postimages.org
It's what I use.
Also, I updated my post probably as you were reading it asking you to explain some things

 

[Scottee25]

Last I checked that's not how warranty works.
What country are you in?
I would contact customer care directly and explain the situation to them.

On top of that, can you explain in detail all of the troubleshooting you did that has determined that your graphics hardware is the issue and not an issue with Windows or the drivers

I see that you updated your post.

I did contact the Customer Service directly. I had attempted to do so through their chat and was directed to a phone number to call from there. The person I spoke to on the phone noted what I spoke to them and would send it back for reconsideration.

As far as troubleshooting goes.
I reinstalled video drivers.
I ran a memtest overnight.
I would load Windows in safe mode.
I restored from a previous back up.
I completely reinstalled Windows.
I removed all non-essential peripherals (web cam, external hard drive, etc.)

It was when I encountered a crash while in my BIOS that I was sure Windows drivers were not the issue.

From there I removed the RX 5700 XT and replaced it with my old EVGA GTX 970. Since placing the GTX 970 in the system, I have run extremely stable. I even let the machine run a straight 72 hours after reinstalling the card to ensure there wasn't still an issue. This car has been installed for about a month now without a single issue.

 

[Scottee25]

upload image to imgur.com and post the link here

full system spec? include make and model of the psu

I uploaded the pic to my Google Drive and included a link in another reply. You should be able to view it now.

Full Spec is
Windows 10
ASUS ROG STRIX X570-E Motherboard
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT CPU
64GB Crucial Ballistix DDR4-3200 RAM
Seagate Firecuda 2TB Gen4 PCIe SSD

I also have a secondary Seagate 2TB SATA HD that I use to back up the primary from time to time.

I didn't replace the PSU this time around as the one in there has worked fine. I believe it's a Corsair 750w but I would have to open my machine to get those exact specifics. If that is absolutely necessary I can do that later.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

OK, so while that motherboard should ship with a BIOS that would be new enough to not have any serious issues with the 5700 XT, have you tried updating the BIOS to the latest version to make sure that it's not a firmware issue in the BIOS in regards to the PCIe slot and GPU compatibility?

 

[Scottee25]

As stated, you can upload to imgur, but can also use any pic hosting site.
My personal choice is https://postimages.org
It's what I use.
Also, I updated my post probably as you were reading it asking you to explain some things

I have update my original post to include the picture provided to me by ASUS. They circled the part of my card that is voiding my warranty.

 

[Scottee25]

OK, so while that motherboard should ship with a BIOS that would be new enough to not have any serious issues with the 5700 XT, have you tried updating the BIOS to the latest version to make sure that it's not a firmware issue in the BIOS in regards to the PCIe slot and GPU compatibility?

I don't believe that I did. However, I tried a lot of things so it is possible that I did and just don't remember. But considering that this video card was working without issue for 2 months before failing, my mind immediately went to either a driver or hardware issue. ASUS still have my 5700 XT so I wouldn't be able to test that at this point. My focus at this moment if to get ASUS to follow through with repairing my card.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

OH.... MY..... GAWD.... are you serious?
They are saying your warranty is voided because a tiny bit of paint and/or plastic got slightly chipped away on THAT specific part of the GPU?
That isn't right. Literally, I don't think they can legitimately deny you your warranty for that.
It's not broken off even so it's not like they could say it's because it's broken off and therefore not retaining the GPU in the PCIe slot properly and claim that's the issue.

Good thing you called and talked to someone at customer support.
Hopefully after explaining it to them and providing said images, you can get them to realize that whoever is telling you that your warranty is voided for that, is clearly in the wrong and it'll get sorted.

But.... I would hound them about it.
Keep on their butts with the issue, and get it escalated to higher authorities in the company if you have to.
Send emails and stuff if need be.

Don't let up on them.
If you literally just contacted customer support today or yesterday then wait another day.
If you don't hear anything back from them by tomorrow, first thing in the morning next day you get a hold of them and "check in" about it.
When they start giving you the runaround that's when you stop being patient with them and start barking up their trees.

 

[Scottee25]

OH.... MY..... GAWD.... are you serious?
They are saying your warranty is voided because a tiny bit of paint and/or plastic got slightly chipped away on THAT specific part of the GPU?
That isn't right. Literally, I don't think they can legitimately deny you your warranty for that.
It's not broken off even so it's not like they could say it's because it's broken off and therefore not retaining the GPU in the PCIe slot properly and claim that's the issue.

Unfortunately I am serious. That picture is exactly what ASUS provided to me. They added the circle and arrow pointing to the "damage". I was in shock when I saw that was the reason they are refusing to warranty my graphics card.

Good thing you called and talked to someone at customer support.
Hopefully after explaining it to them and providing said images, you can get them to realize that whoever is telling you that your warranty is voided for that, is clearly in the wrong and it'll get sorted.

So let me provide a timeline of events leading up to today to help put things in perspective...

October 14, 2020 - Assembled new PC, including 5700 RX.
December 14, 2020 - Began experiencing crashing issues.
December 14-19, 2020 - Troubleshooting crashing issues.
December 21, 2020 - Initiated ASUS RMA and dropped off graphics card at shipper.
December 28, 2020 - Graphics card delivered (and signed for) to ASUS facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana
January 5, 2021 - Graphics card marked received by ASUS.
January 7, 2021 - Received email from ASUS claiming Customer Induced Damage along with pic attached to this post.
January 8, 2021 - I first attempted to dispute the findings using the link in the email. Unfortunately you cannot submit their form without attaching a file showing card condition before shipping (which I did not have). From there I initiated a chat on the support page only to be told by the analyst that I needed to call their support number. At that point I called the number and explained to the analyst on the phone that the part they are marking as damaged is a non-electronic piece and the blemish on that part of the card is quite normal considering it is the lock tab and makes direct contact with the locking socket on the motherboard. That the nick plays no part in the functionality of the card other than to keep it securely in place. I asked them to reconsider their determination. The analyst noted all the things I told him and sent those notes back to the RMA group.
January 9, 2021 - Received another email from Asus regarding my escalated case. This email claims PCB damage and that the whole unit needs to be replaced. They are standing by their claim that physical damage is excluded from the standard warranty.

That's where I am at now. I noticed on NewEgg (where I bought the graphics card) that there is an ASUS representative that responds to reviews and includes his email address. I plan to reach out to him at this point (hopefully he is still with ASUS) and ask for his assistance. He signs his comments in reviews as being part of ASUS Customer Loyalty - US Support. I will start off by saying that I have concerns with how my warranty is being handled and work up to all the details. I am afraid that providing all the details upfront may cause somethings to be glossed over. I have been an ASUS customer for years. I had always been happy with their products. However, if this is how they handle their warranties, I am not sure I will ever buy another graphics card from them. I was just hoping that perhaps someone else has had to deal with them on a similar situation and had some insight that could help me get this resolved in a satisfactory manner.

 

[QwerkyPengwen]

Unfortunately I am serious. That picture is exactly what ASUS provided to me. They added the circle and arrow pointing to the "damage". I was in shock when I saw that was the reason they are refusing to warranty my graphics card.



So let me provide a timeline of events leading up to today to help put things in perspective...

October 14, 2020 - Assembled new PC, including 5700 RX.
December 14, 2020 - Began experiencing crashing issues.
December 14-19, 2020 - Troubleshooting crashing issues.
December 21, 2020 - Initiated ASUS RMA and dropped off graphics card at shipper.
December 28, 2020 - Graphics card delivered (and signed for) to ASUS facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana
January 5, 2021 - Graphics card marked received by ASUS.
January 7, 2021 - Received email from ASUS claiming Customer Induced Damage along with pic attached to this post.
January 8, 2021 - I first attempted to dispute the findings using the link in the email. Unfortunately you cannot submit their form without attaching a file showing card condition before shipping (which I did not have). From there I initiated a chat on the support page only to be told by the analyst that I needed to call their support number. At that point I called the number and explained to the analyst on the phone that the part they are marking as damaged is a non-electronic piece and the blemish on that part of the card is quite normal considering it is the lock tab and makes direct contact with the locking socket on the motherboard. That the nick plays no part in the functionality of the card other than to keep it securely in place. I asked them to reconsider their determination. The analyst noted all the things I told him and sent those notes back to the RMA group.
January 9, 2021 - Received another email from Asus regarding my escalated case. This email claims PCB damage and that the whole unit needs to be replaced. They are standing by their claim that physical damage is excluded from the standard warranty.

That's where I am at now. I noticed on NewEgg (where I bought the graphics card) that there is an ASUS representative that responds to reviews and includes his email address. I plan to reach out to him at this point (hopefully he is still with ASUS) and ask for his assistance. He signs his comments in reviews as being part of ASUS Customer Loyalty - US Support. I will start off by saying that I have concerns with how my warranty is being handled and work up to all the details. I am afraid that providing all the details upfront may cause somethings to be glossed over. I have been an ASUS customer for years. I had always been happy with their products. However, if this is how they handle their warranties, I am not sure I will ever buy another graphics card from them. I was just hoping that perhaps someone else has had to deal with them on a similar situation and had some insight that could help me get this resolved in a satisfactory manner.

From my personal experience and other's experiences, this is not how ASUS as a whole handles warranties, and this seems to be a localized case of either the location you sent it to, or the evaluator themselves basically not wanting to honor the warranty for whatever reasons (perhaps limited stock for replacements and they feel they can't be bothered at this location)

Keep in mind that these locations you send your product to for RMA are handled individually by different management, and are sometimes places that are their own sub contracted companies that handle things like this for ASUS, and are owned by someone else and only working for ASUS under a sub contract.

Do not let this reflect on ASUS as a whole, and definitely get it escalated to the right people who can come down on it properly and help you out as I feel that this is most likely an issue with the specific RMA location and the people working it over there rather than ASUS as a whole (Since the company as a whole is based in Taiwan)

 

[Scottee25]

From my personal experience and other's experiences, this is not how ASUS as a whole handles warranties, and this seems to be a localized case of either the location you sent it to, or the evaluator themselves basically not wanting to honor the warranty for whatever reasons (perhaps limited stock for replacements and they feel they can't be bothered at this location)

Keep in mind that these locations you send your product to for RMA are handled individually by different management, and are sometimes places that are their own sub contracted companies that handle things like this for ASUS, and are owned by someone else and only working for ASUS under a sub contract.

Do not let this reflect on ASUS as a whole, and definitely get it escalated to the right people who can come down on it properly and help you out as I feel that this is most likely an issue with the specific RMA location and the people working it over there rather than ASUS as a whole (Since the company as a whole is based in Taiwan)

I really hope they will resolve this in a satisfactory manner. I did reach out to the ASUS representative that frequents the NewEgg review sections and they just replied to me a few moments ago. I plan to give them the details I have shared with you, along with the picture, in the hopes they can help get this resolved. Perhaps a part of me is a cynic considering two separate individuals have responded claiming Customer Induced Damage. Hopefully you are correct and they will honor my warranty. I never thought they would attempt to void a warranty for a nick on a lock tab. I'll do my best to keep you posted on any resolution. Thanks again for your assistance on the manner.