Graphics card RMA: being screwed around!

[lhgpoobaa]

0Ok guys. My chain is getting yanked alot here, I need some help here.

My story is this:
4 Months ago i got a brand new powercolor R9700pro.
Ever since i got it the card exhibited semi-random freezes in 3d games. Nothing would fix the problem, no amount of bios fiddling nor driver reinstalling nor a complete windows reinstall.

So i sent the card back to CPL (shop i got it from) for a RMA and in the meantime i got a Sapphire R9800pro from a different source at a very nice price.
My plan being I would sell the RMA replacement card to recoup some of my losses and i wouldnt be without a graphics card for 1-2-3 weeks.

At this point i must note that the sapphire card works flawlessly at everything. The powercolor did not.

Now CPL said their technician has to test the card first then if its faulty they RMA it.
So i thought pretty open and shut case given:
sapphire = works
powercolor = doesnt.

After 5 days to a week i called CLP and was told they found the problem and card was away getting RMA'ed and given that the R9700pro is old stock they had to get a new one shipped in, thus the delay. Not too much of a problem there. I could live with that.

That was a week ago.

I called again just a few minutes before and got told to my suprise that:
A. The technician couldn't find a fault.
B. The card <b>wasn't</b> sent away for RMA
and
C. I'm up for a 15 dollar charge for the testing process...

WTF???

Is it my fault they can't find a problem in a card that is clearly faulty?
Or possibly worse, a card that just wont run for some reason in my system, but might be fine in
others?

What do I do now?
I sure as hell don't look forward to paying $15 bucks to get the same card back and trying to sell it as "possibly broken i dont know"
That will do wonders to its resale value.

Sighs... a 600 buck purchace depreciating before my eyes.

And before you ask, YES i am too honest to do a dodgey trade. IF someone else finds the card faulty too then its gonna come back and bite me.

<b>My Car comes with Hyper Threading enabled:
1970 General Motors Holden HT Kingswood Wagon
Regards,
Mr no integrity coward.</b>

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Check with Better Business Bureau. Then threaten with that if need be.
Did you keep any of their earlier correspondence? Do you remember who you spoke to who said it was being RMA'd?
Sounds weird. Also contact PC. I don't like them but they may come through for you in this case. Be sure to describe in detail what was going on. Also don't let on that you have a replacement card at all.

That's about it on my end. If you're not good with confrontation go with someone who is (I used to get taped for this duty all the time). The main thing is find out WTF! Why did it take so long? Why the change in position. And why should you pay a testing fee if their testers didn't find the anomaly that kept you 'cardless' for so long?

Be proffesional, be serious!

Gotta go to bed now.

Good Luck!


- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! <A HREF="http://www.redgreen.com" target="_new"><font color=green>RED</font color=green> <font color=red>GREEN</font color=red></A> GA to SK

 

[TTZX]

Can't you deal directly with the manufacturer?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
P4 2.4C @ 3.0GHz 1.525V Stock HSF
Abit IS7 BIOS v1.3 GAT Auto
Corsair XMS 512MB TwinX3200C2 2-3-3-6
GeForce4 Ti4200 AGP8X 128MB
Seagate Barracuda 80GB SATA

 

[endyen]

Chances are pretty good that the tech did find a problem and that they did rma the card, but just want to rip you off for another $15. Do you have the original serial number? Check. If it's a different card start screaming.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

i tried contacting the supplier in australia, but they told me to goto the shop that sold it to me. a.k.a. CPL.

And given their track record, they have most likely not done anything and the tech guy tried it for 5 minutes and couldnt find anything then declared the card "good"


<b>My Car comes with Hyper Threading enabled:
1970 General Motors Holden HT Kingswood Wagon
Regards,
Mr no integrity coward.</b>

 

[lhgpoobaa]

Well i do have the RMA prep form and serial number and other details.
But the first phonecall obviously wasnt recorded.

I do distinctly remember them saying though that the card was RMA'ed and the delay process was due to finding new stock and it would be 1-2 weeks before they got it in.
(thus why i waited another week to call)



<b>My Car comes with Hyper Threading enabled:
1970 General Motors Holden HT Kingswood Wagon
Regards,
Mr no integrity coward.</b>

 

[cleeve]

Man, that sucks.

I actually had a good experience with Powercolor. I bought a new card on ebay and they honored it (I had to pay a $20 restocking fee, but they sent me a new card no problem).

------------------
Radeon 9500 (modded to PRO w/8 pixel pipelines)
AMD AthlonXP 2000+
3dMark03: 3529

 

[ufo_warviper]

I imagine those idiots at Powercolor merely stuffed that card into anotehr system & if it boots up in Windows okay they say, " I cannot find fault with your card. You will have to pay $15 restocking fee, and you wil get the same card back."

Poobaa, its business practices like this that makes me wanna strangle te upper-level management who does not care about the customer. If you said it was faulty, they should take the CUSTOMER's word. I've never seen any hardware company cheakpskate anyone before like Powercolor did you. Personally, I'm mad at them too for what they did to you.

My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

If you have an RMA number isn't that all you need? With that doesn't hat mean that PC authorized the return?

You really need to check with PC, as well as get some online info about the rules/laws governing RMA in your area (can't rememeber where everyone lives [I assume you're in the US though], sorry I so busy me forget brain)

Anywhoo, if you've got supporting info, especially an RMA number that's pretty powerful support that the process was started and obviously got some approval somewhere. Just try and remember the nam of the person you were talking with, recording the actual call isn't necessary just have tons of info when you go back to them, the more you have the more power you have in the situation.

Check PC's website and look for info on their RMA policy. That might be a good step to educate yourself first.

Once again, good luck.


- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! <A HREF="http://www.redgreen.com" target="_new"><font color=green>RED</font color=green> <font color=red>GREEN</font color=red></A> GA to SK

 

[cleeve]

Just out of curiosity, do you have a decent powersupply?

A weak PS can cause random crashes in 3d games.

------------------
Radeon 9500 (modded to PRO w/8 pixel pipelines)
AMD AthlonXP 2000+
3dMark03: 3529

 

[Raja]

I had a very similar thing happen to me before. I bought a cpu + motherboard from Bzboys.com (came out the cheapest on pricewatch.com). The thing had problems posting and was clearly defective and I sent it back to them. They sent me an email sometime later saying it tested fine and they were going to send it back to me AND charge me for testing it.

I talked with them on the phone and finally got them to let me speak to a tech. He agreed to retest it for me while I was on the phone and he found I was right (the CPU overheated) and the RMA process went on as it was supposed to.

I guess something good came out of it in that I found a much better motherboard+cpu combo to get that I fell in love with (p4 1.6/abit it7max) and gave the one bzboys finally sent me back to my father as a present (amd 1800xp / abit nvr-133). And i can't be too upset if they did do the right thing in the end. Of course from now on I'll only get equipment from companies such as newegg or mwave where I dont have to have this type of hassle.

Try calling them and see if they'll retest it for you over the phone. Be pleasant (since they are more likely to be accomodating to you if you seem reasonable) but indicidate subtly you aren't a pushover and will make noise if they dont show you the same courtesy.

 

[Gastrian]

Did the technician inform you of a charge if the card wasn't faulty? Is it written on the receipt of your original purchase? Unless you sign a document where upon you agree to pay this fee before work is done then you don't have to pay for it. If they refuse to give the item back you are legally entitled to call the police as your item is being held hostage.

The store I used to work for never charged for checks on faulty items. A fee was only apllied if it was fixed outside of warranty (you overclocked/ wrongly installe etc.).

Trading standards or your country's equivalent should always be your last resort. This is for 2 reasons. If this course of action fails you have nothing to fall back upon. And if vey often fails. Secondly, as soon as you start to threaten the company they'll get very defensive and any chance of an ambical solution has just flown out the window.

Once again, checl your documentation. If nothing is stated about a technical fee if the item is not faulty then that is your arguing point. Hidden fess are illegal, they have to be mentioned somewhere, if they're not then they're not legal.

I've been on both sides of the fence in this situation and I know that both sides will do their best to prove each other wrong and win the argument.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

LOL yes.
Only a 550W enermax, one of the best PSU's you could possibly find.

And ive allready talked to them on the phone.
Their attitude seems to be
"well our tech couldnt find the problem so its not our responsibility"

<b>My Car comes with Hyper Threading enabled:
1970 General Motors Holden HT Kingswood Wagon
Regards,
Mr no integrity coward.</b>

 

[ufo_warviper]

Tell them UFO_WARVIPER will send his terrorist buddies over to demand them to send you a new Radeon 9700 Pro, and in mint condition too.

My OS features preemptive multitasking, a fully interactive command line, & support for 640K of RAM!

 

[endyen]

Make up a bunch of copies of the original post, and distribute them in front of the shop, or at least let them know of your intent. This may get some action.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

I am however writing a letter to the managment.
Stating my position and why it should be RMA'ed even if they couldnt find a problem.

I DID try the card on my system and a completely different one (Via and SIS chipsets) and it crashed.
The new R9800pro doesnt do anything bad.

Thus its obviously faulty regardless of if they can find a fault or not.
(though i suspect lazy ass technician)

<b>My Car comes with Hyper Threading enabled:
1970 General Motors Holden HT Kingswood Wagon
Regards,
Mr no integrity coward.</b>