[SOLVED] PowerColor RMA questions

[Nickamus]

Hello everyone!

I apologise if this has already been covered.

Recently, I got back my 5700 XT Red Dragon after sending it back to the retailer - they found it faulty as it crashed at random times with different loads during their 7 day test.

The retailer said they can't repair or RMA it due to Brexit and Covid-19. They gave me the option to wait till they're ready to repair/RMA (they took it in and sent it back to me for free while I wait - which was nice of them) or a refund - which I refused since getting a new GPU is almost impossible.

Questions:

1. Am I able to do anything from my end?
2. Is this the new normal for GPUs in the UK?
3. How long do PowerColor usually take to reply back to emails/social media about RMA or general questions?
4. Is calling PowerColor the only method to contact that them? Don't fancy calling Taiwan and rack up a large phone bill - unless it's a free number. Also, I have no idea what their business hours are.
5. Is it still safe to continue to use the GPU?
   • Retailer said it was fine. I've had the computer running for 2 days and it's been 1 crash per day at the moment.
   • Yesterday, it crashed after installing the drivers - BSOD and got a minidump from it. Continued to work throughout the day playing 2 games: Path of Exile and Binding of Issac
   • Today after leaving it idle, it crashed - no BSOD and it was the usual WHEA-Logger Event ID 18. All I did was work from home using Remote Desktop and the companies VPN.

What I've done:

• Emailed both rma@powercolor.com and support@powercolor.com the start of April - when the retailer told me about the issue. Status: No reply.
• @ and DM'd PowerColor on Twitter. Status: No reply.
• DM'd them on Facebook today. Status: No reply.
• Used their "Inquiry Form" last week. Status: No reply.

Tomorrow I'm going to ask my retailer if and when they get the 6700XT in stock, could I be prioritised to get the upgrade and refund the faulty 5700XT or refund and pay the difference. I doubt it, but worth a try.

 

[Lutfij]

1| No
2| Yes, not just the UK, it's for the whole world
3| Turn around times now will be vastly different than what you've seen or read or even heard (prior to the pandemic), due to the pandemic
4| Ideally, you should contact both seller and Powercolor and have them both in the same conversation(email) to get this resolved and calling doesn't change anything
5| We don't know the rest of your specs. If you have a reliably built PSU and it's more than capable of delivering power to the entire system when taxed, then it's best you work without the discrete GPU. No point in drawing power from the wall for something that's unstable.

This will be treated as store credit if you decide to wait. Refunding you would be good for them(financially) but bad for you since a new GPU will be miles higher in terms of pricing.