EVGA RMA. Rust considered physical damage? Being charged $40 for RMA

[lpedraja2002]

Hello,

As the title said I'm quite confused on the matter. To make things short I sent my awesome EVGA 8800gt since It started loosing video signal randomly for quite a long time until it got worse and I decided it was time for an RMA. The card would have been 5 years old by the end of this December so I was quite satisfied with the lifetime of the product. Well, after $25 in UPS charges for a small box ( I live in Puerto Rico) I received an email today saying that the card had physical damage Rust! The technician was kind enough to include the pictures in the email and I could see that the screws had a little rust on them and so did the bracket on the DVI ports. I was instructed to pay $69.99 to continue with the RMA but this is where I'm honestly confused. Is this even considered physical damage? I always took good care of this card and cleaned it with compressed air only so rust happening is not my fault, its what happens to metals that aren't treated, as far as I know. The sad thing is that I was saving to buy a new GPU and use the 8800gt as a physx card but now I don't know what to do. I only have 5 days to decide this. Should I pay the repairs and have a card that performs like a 8800gt which will cost almost $100 in the end? or should I just forget about it and be without a working GPU until I buy a new card?

Also, I replied back to the technician explaining my situation, I'm waiting to see what my options are but wanted to get some advice before I make my final decision.

So much for playing games on Christmas

*Edit*

The technician responded back saying that rust and corrosion is not normal wear and tear and that they have cards older than 5 years that look like new. I told him if there is any special consideration regarding the country in which the owner lives since I live in Puerto Rico and the tropical climate ranges from hot and humid to cool and humid with humidity reaching up to 80% or more. So given these living conditions can we assume it is a natural environment for rust to develop along the years?

I'm still waiting for the answer on that but I would like to get some advice.


*EDIT*
I ended up paying the fees but I will keep you guys informed and post the final outcome.
Pictures:

Man, looking at those pictures again makes me feel a bit ripped off What do you guys think? Does it warrant the $40 (reduced from $70) fee?



*e-mails coming as soon as I get my RMA, though I believe the guy was as helpful as he is allowed to be.*

 

[Maxx_Power]

I wouldn't think so. Rust should be considered wear and tear in my opinion. A lot of PC components containing steel eventually rusts. No matter how well you plate a part, it will have weak points, and mounting it/using it will result in contact of said part with air oxygen. The fact is, you used your card for 5 years, in your (more humid and warmer) climate, the rust should be considered normal wear and tear.

 

[Maxx_Power]

Which brand is this by the way ?

I would seriously take this to the manager/higher in chain-of-command in the RMA department. Write emails, to customer service, RMA service, whatever you can get your hands on. Unless there is a more obvious way someone else suggests or you have some ideas in mind.

 

[lpedraja2002]

Exactly! This is what I first thought. I'm waiting on the response, I have 4 days left to make my final decision. I'm concerned that If I pay the $70 that I'll receive a card with performance of an 8800gt and that it will take me much longer to buy the GTX660 I've been saving for.

*Edit*

The brand is EVGA, I've never had this problem with them, In the past I sent an EVGA 680i mobo and the process was very smooth and they sent me a 780i instead so I was quite happy with them, depending on how this turns out I might or not buy from them again.

 

[Maxx_Power]

Hmm, I'd take it up with the technician's supervisor, and post this to other forums around the internet to make your voice heard. A tiny bit of rust that isn't even the cause of GPU failure is just an excuse to scam you out of your rightful RMA.

That's pretty low of EVGA.

 

[lpedraja2002]

Hmm, I'd take it up with the technician's supervisor, and post this to other forums around the internet to make your voice heard. A tiny bit of rust that isn't even the cause of GPU failure is just an excuse to scam you out of your rightful RMA.

That's pretty low of EVGA.

Well, I just got back an email from the technician. He said he reduced the price to support me better from $69.99 to $39.99 I was quite disappointed that he didn't respond to my initial question about the climate I live in being the factor of the rust. Do all companies charge their costumers when RMAing on Lifetime Warranties? Since I don't think I can get away with this being a free repair, I'll have to ask him if shipping is included in this price and maybe if we could work something out on him getting me a GTX660 and me paying the price difference.

Wish me luck!

 

[Maxx_Power]

Well, I just got back an email from the technician. He said he reduced the price to support me better from $69.99 to $39.99 I was quite disappointed that he didn't respond to my initial question about the climate I live in being the factor of the rust. Do all companies charge their costumers when RMAing on Lifetime Warranties? Since I don't think I can get away with this being a free repair, I'll have to ask him if shipping is included in this price and maybe if we could work something out on him getting me a GTX660 and me paying the price difference.

Wish me luck!

I think they are realizing the ridiculousness of their shenanigans. Quite frankly, you DESERVE a proper RMA with no money on your part. I would see if you can bypass this technician first and talk to his supervisor, or contact EVGA sales directly. Try phone and email. Take a day or two to see what they have to say. When you are doing this, avoid the technician, don't contact his superiors or other people at EVGA through him. Also, if you are a member of other forums (not sure about Toms forums), there are usually EVGA representatives posting on behalf of the company. Get a hold of them, and start a THREAD with an obvious title, a title with something like "EVGA RMA denied due to minor rust", post the pictures the technician gave you, and wait for the EVGA forum representative to reply. They will usually be a BIG help for people in your position.

Frankly, this is a BIG upset for me from EVGA, who developed a reputation based on GOOD service.

 

[spoonerweb]

I live in Taiwan and I have had rust develop on a few computer parts. They haven't failed and I have not tried to RMA anything yet. The climate really makes things rust a lot faster than they normally would. I had things for 3 or 4 years in Michigan and within a year of bringing them to Taiwan, they started rusting.

 

[lpedraja2002]

Quick update:

EVGA has changed the warranty terms info for people who purchased after July 1st, 2011. but since my product was purchased before 2011 it still applies to the old original warranty terms (indicated in their own website) which do not mention anything about charges for the RMA itself. I will reply to the technician about this but I'll be more direct this time and if that doesn't work I will contact EVGA sales as was advised by Maxx_Power.

Thank you for the replies gentlemen, I will keep you informed on the situation.


*Edit*
Changed the title of the topic so it reflects better my current situation.

*Edit*

I will also post all of the e-mails once this situation has been resolved but since the technician has responded well and hasn't disrespected me with accusations then I do not wish to gain "media" attention and get anybody in trouble... at least for now since all is well.

 

[Maxx_Power]

Good to hear, please do keep us posted. This is disturbing from EVGA.

 

[lpedraja2002]

Well, the technician replied back and it seems I can't change their mind. Apparently rust is considered physical damage since " The product is physically altered from its original condition. "

I will just end up paying for the repair fees. So far I'm not satisfied with the warranty terms, though the technician has helped as best as he is allowed to I guess. I would have taken this further and emailed the higher ups but time is not on my favor since Christmas is the only time I have for playing games worry free, so I guess its time to pay.

Big question... are other manufacturers like this? Do they charge for repairs on their warranties?

The irony is that a brand new 9800gt is sold for $64 on Amazon. The total payment will end up being $65 ($40 for repairs+$25 me shipping the GPU to them).

Will I buy from EVGA again? It will all depend on what they send me on the RMA, if I get a refurbished 9800gt I will be seriously pissed.

 

[Maxx_Power]

Well, the technician replied back and it seems I can't change their mind. Apparently rust is considered physical damage since " The product is physically altered from its original condition. "

I will just end up paying for the repair fees. So far I'm not satisfied with the warranty terms, though the technician has helped as best as he is allowed to I guess. I would have taken this further and emailed the higher ups but time is not on my favor since Christmas is the only time I have for playing games worry free, so I guess its time to pay.

Big question... are other manufacturers like this? Do they charge for repairs on their warranties?

The irony is that a brand new 9800gt is sold for $64 on Amazon. The total payment will end up being $65 ($40 for repairs+$25 me shipping the GPU to them).

Will I buy from EVGA again? It will all depend on what they send me on the RMA, if I get a refurbished 9800gt I will be seriously pissed.

That's terrible of them. As per their "the product is physically altered from its original condition", the card was altered by time, moisture naturally occurring in the air and a basic physical principal called galvanic corrosion.

If you go ahead and pay for the RMA service, I wouldn't be surprised if you got back the same card. A lot of the older 8800/9800/8600/9600 series of cards had issues that guaranteed failure sooner or later ("bumpgate" is the most common one I think).

I haven't heard of much of the same stories. I know ASUS developed a terrible reputation with crappy RMA service. I personally had ASUS sending me known defective boards unwrapped in a paper box with no packing materials. The board came damaged. But this was something that people who RMA a lot of ASUS were familiar with, so it is not completely un-warned.

Your case is surprising because A) EVGA is known for good support, and B) the excuse they gave you is pure BS.

 

[Maxx_Power]

I posted your story here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/f...mreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0#t2874749

asking for opinions from others, hope that's okay with you.

 

[ibjeepr]

Sorry, I think your wrong.

It is not your fault, however it is not theirs either. You live in an area where this will happen and that's just the hard fact of it. It is no different than with any other product. The climate you live in can have an adverse effect on your card. I don't see why the manufacturer should be held accountable for that.

 

[smorizio]

do you know what the rust was from...your finger oil and anyone that handle the card without gloves. the acid in your skin oil will eat metal slowly over time. working with servers you see finger markers on the plating of parts and drives over time. I would call the vendor back and ask for a level three customer service rep. rust on screws is not rust on parts of the video cards. ask the rep if the video card is damaged or modified. if the ansure is no then they have to honer the warranty. if the drag there feet just tell them you take them to small claims court...for bait and switch. that what there doing in the eyes of the law there baiting you with there life time warranty then switching it. also talk to a local lawer of starting a class action lawsuit or email or contacting a larger class action lawsuit firm. cost the vendor a lot more defending a class action lawsuit.

 

[ibjeepr]

do you know what the rust was from...your finger oil and anyone that handle the card without gloves. the acid in your skin oil will eat metal slowly over time. working with servers you see finger markers on the plating of parts and drives over time. I would call the vendor back and ask for a level three customer service rep. rust on screws is not rust on parts of the video cards. ask the rep if the video card is damaged or modified. if the ansure is no then they have to honer the warranty. if the drag there feet just tell them you take them to small claims court...for bait and switch. that what there doing in the eyes of the law there baiting you with there life time warranty then switching it. also talk to a local lawer of starting a class action lawsuit or email or contacting a larger class action lawsuit firm. cost the vendor a lot more defending a class action lawsuit.

Holy cow..
"your finger oil and anyone that handle the card without gloves. the acid in your skin oil will eat metal slowly over time"

We aren't talking about raw steel here, most of this stuff is stainless steel or plated. I've had parts in my basement in Wisconsin for 10 years that has no rust on it. I've never had a part rust and my hands have been all over them. He lives in a highly corrosive environment. No amount of manhandling is going to cause that.

"ask for a level three customer service rep"

You're just going to assume they have rep levels? Most places have reps then a manager, that's it.

"bait and switch"

Not even close to what Bait and Switch is.

"talk to a local lawer of starting a class action lawsuit "

No lawer is going to waste their time on a case like this. There is no where near enough money to be made even if there was a chance of winning.

 

[Maxx_Power]

Escalate this to their higher tier management, that's the best idea I have heard so far.

 

[nforce4max]

File a better business bureau complaint if the escalation fails to solve your problem. I am willing to bet that the tech is trying to pull a fast one after switching the cards then making you pay for it.

As for the failure of these cards it is mostly thermal related and poor build quality.

 

[Maxx_Power]

You should read the HardOCP thread I started, someone else with EVGA had a VERY SIMILAR problem like yours:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1039420057&posted=1#post1039420057

To OP: Could you post the pictures the tech sent you ?

 

[nforce4max]

In my experience cards take a LONG time to gain that must corrosion from the air and it has to be exposed to water for extended periods of time for the solder to corrode like that. EVGA is pulling a scam

Looking those pics the damage to the resistors is fresh but the card has water damage around some of the resistors.

 

[lpedraja2002]

You should read the HardOCP thread I started, someone else with EVGA had a VERY SIMILAR problem like yours:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1039420057&posted=1#post1039420057

To OP: Could you post the pictures the tech sent you ?

Hey Maxx! Thank you very much for forwarding this to other forums. If you want to update the thread in HardForum as well as the other one you made in tom's forums as this one progresses that is fine by me.


Ok, so now questions will be answered... (Please allow a couple of mins so I can read the entire thing and compile everything nice and organized)

 

[Maxx_Power]

Hey Maxx! Thank you very much for forwarding this to other forums. If you want to update the thread in HardForum as well as the other one you made in tom's forums as this one progresses that is fine by me.


Ok, so now questions will be answered... (Please allow a couple of mins so I can read the entire thing and compile everything nice and organized)

No problem, very glad to be of any help. We would all appreciate the pictures the tech sent you, I think, so they can judge for themselves.

 

[lpedraja2002]

Pictures:

This is mostly dust as you can see on the fan blades, maybe the screw on the inside had rust but I definitely know that everything else is dust. I used compressed air as best as I could when cleaning this card but some places are hard to get.

Man, looking at those pictures again makes me feel a bit ripped off What do you guys think? Does it warrant the $40 (reduced from $70) fee?

 

[lpedraja2002]

Best answer selected by lpedraja2002.

 

[ibjeepr]

I just don't understand how anyone here thinks EVGA is responsible for the failure of this card. It's 5 years old and rusted due to the environment which resulted in the gradual decrease in function of your card. I can't go after a car company because road salt caused rust on my 5 year old car... This is not the manufacture's fault. The one thing I would insist on the company telling you though is "How did the rust cause the problem I am having?" If they can't answer that then be as kind as possible when asking if they can please not charge you since the "Damage" is not the problem. The CS guy you are working with is probably doing his best to keep you happy even though EVGA has no obligation to do anything for you. The card is damaged and it's probably effecting how the card operates. That fine metal powder is probably caked into places that it shouldn't be. Be happy they are trying to help and move on. With a 5 year old card wouldn't you like an upgrade anyway?