Memory vendor under fire for imposing hefty 15% depreciation fee on returns despite skyrocketing RAM value — user expected RMA replacement but gets hit with a loss instead

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Imagine the disappointment.

16GB (2x8GB) Silicon Power DDR4-3200 RAM
(Image credit: Silicon Power)

A Reddit user posted in the PCMR subreddit to complain about the RMA process for their broken Silicon Power RAM. According to u/permanentlytemporary, they had a problem with the 2x8GB RAM sticks, which they bought for $54.97. However, Silicon Power reportedly charged the user a 15% depreciation fee. While they did not mention when they bought the memory modules, the purchase price indicates this was before the memory shortage gripped the industry, likely in the third quarter of last year.

Unfortunately, the depreciation fee follows the company’s policy, which states, “If a product is confirmed to be defective under this (sic) our Limited Warranty, we will, at our sole discretion, provide one of the following remedies… A partial refund of the original purchase price. Any refund amount shall be determined by us based on factors including, but not limited to, product availability, length of product use, the extent of damage, or other reasonable business considerations. Cash refunds equal to the original purchase amount are not guaranteed.”

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Two other remedies include a full replacement of the defective product or a full refund of the original purchase price, but it’s unclear why Silicon Power did not choose either.

The Redditor has said they’ve already bought replacement RAM, so this move won't keep them from using their PC. However, they said that they were disappointed with the response, especially given that the refund amount will not even buy one 8GB Silicon Power DDR4-3200 stick, which costs $69.97 on Amazon. In the end, the user probably has no choice but to accept this deal to avoid the hassle of dealing with the company’s RMA system again, which they said “felt like it was from 2002.”

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Jowi Morales
Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer

Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

16 Comments Comment from the forums
  • TechieTwo
    Lesson learned. Don't buy products with bogus warranty coverage. Other than when shortages lead to price gouging, generally in life you get what you pay for. Bad publicity is unlikely to change the warranty but lost sales might.
    Reply
  • Faiakes
    Despite what the vendor likes to claim, is this policy legal in the US?

    It certainly is not in the EU.
    Reply
  • ezst036
    Is this policy long standing or was it implemented recently?

    If it is long standing, while yeah its pretty shady its not like this was some unexpected change but it would mean the company is being consistent.
    Reply
  • QuarterSwede
    Kind of a bad look from the sales side. Most vendors just up the price to account for loses in returns so everyone ends up paying more. It feels better to people who do need to return something though. Definitely a trade off. Businesses aren’t charities.
    Reply
  • drea.drechsler
    In spite of it's apparent lack of fairness I can see how the practice might serve to dissuade "hoarders" in a market with shortages and the rapidly increasing prices caused by it. Like the situation with CPU's and GPU's in the last tech bubble with BitCoin miners.

    Still, doing this for a bona-fide warranty claim is a very annoying development.
    Reply
  • butidontwantausername
    "Two other remedies include a full replacement of the defective product or a full refund of the original purchase price, but it’s unclear why Silicon Power did not choose either."

    Why would they give out a $140 kit to replace a $50 kit when they can sell it instead? And why would they give out a full refund when they can save money and not? It's clear why they did neither of those: money.
    Reply
  • drea.drechsler
    Faiakes said:
    Despite what the vendor likes to claim, is this policy legal in the US?

    It certainly is not in the EU.
    If the provision for it is expressly indicated in the warranty at the time of purchase (meaning it was agreed to) it's legal. And in the EU, while Germany France and Sweden may be stricter I understand many (most?) of the other countries are more similar to US law by allowing a reasonable charge for diminished value (call it what you will, it stinks alike) with clear disclosure at purchase and in certain circumstances like "distant selling".

    More broadly, it's not uncommon for electrical items in many applications, not just PC memory, to have restrictions on returns. The reason is so many half-wits will use parts they think they can return for a full refund as a fuse: just swap in another one...and another... and another. If it continues to blow then maybe it's something else. Previously that could be built into the margins with PC memory but the situation has changed rather drastically recently, doubtlessly degrading margins to a point sellers become unwilling to just continue eating it.
    Reply
  • butidontwantausername
    ezst036 said:
    Is this policy long standing or was it implemented recently?

    If it is long standing, while yeah its pretty shady its not like this was some unexpected change but it would mean the company is being consistent.
    Going through the Wayback Machine's archive of the refund policy website a 15% restocking fee first appears in the October 11, 2025 capture, and the partial refund appears in the January 04, 2026 capture.
    Reply
  • Shiznizzle
    “If a product is confirmed to be defective under this (sic) our Limited Warranty, we will, at our sole discretion, provide one of the following remedies… A partial refund of the original purchase price."

    Pay full price. Buy a broken piece of equipment and only get some of your money back. Wth do you say to that?

    Dont buy their products?
    Reply
  • DingusDog
    Oh no they lost $8 how will they ever recover from that? At least I know to stay away from silicon power.
    Reply