Faith in EVGA just dropped

[NightrainSrt4]

So they did me a good one by sending me a GTX470 in place of my GTX280.

Except the card I get back is someone else' RMA. The PCI slot cover is bent ~20 degrees. Then there is a gash in the PCB >1cm that they or the previous owner just covered up with black permanent marker.

I haven't even tested the card yet. I sent a pristine card in and get a beat to hell replacement. I would have rather just have had a perfect GTX280 back.

Any other RMA horror stories?

[NightrainSrt4]

Tested the card a bit. So far everything seems okay. Temps are higher than my GTX280 even though the power draw is supposed to be a little less. Ehh.

Really frustrating to get back a card that is in far worse condition than the one I sent in. If something goes wrong with this one they better not give me crap about the gash in the pcb. It's on the back and isn't through any traces, but still, come on. Try and cover it up with black permanent marker?

Bleh. Just a crappy day I suppose. But at least it works, so far.

[diluzio91]

I would contact them and make sure they know about the damage. first

[NightrainSrt4]

I did before I posted this. The card seems to work fine. I was just irate when I saw the gouge through the pcb.

The card probably tested fine and everything, but bleh. I mean, what modder wants to put a card into their system and have black permanent marker show up in pictures. Maybe I can find a GTX470 backplate or something to cover it up and try and forget about it.

[Technochicken]

That's really strange. I have had a good experience with RMA-ing EVGA video cards. The last time I did, they sent me a whole new boxed card along with all the accessories you would get if you bought it from the store.

[NightrainSrt4]

Ian asked me to send pictures to him. It's 8PM here and I can't get any good lighting in the apartment so these were the best I could manage.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3141/bentpcivent.jpg

http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/2887/holeinbox.jpg

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/35/gougeonpcb.jpg

Ultimately, if the card isn't being affected then I suppose it isn't a huge deal. It just really sucked waiting to get my card back to open the box and see that. Especially knowing this is going to be in my mod and it will show up in pictures.

Maybe I'm just crazy. I just expect if I send a perfect card that I'd get one back.

[RogueOpportunist]

Maybe I'm just crazy. I just expect if I send a perfect card that I'd get one back.

Yeah, most if not all manufacturers these days use refurbished stock for their RMA replacements, even when it looks "new" it's usually a refurb... If I was to wager a bet I would say this was probably the last card to pass through the refurbishing department at 4:50 on a Friday afternoon. :lick:

I imagine they had this card kicking around that they didn't want to use for a normal RMA so instead they sent it to you hoping the "upgrade" would compensate for the fact that they sent you a card with imperfections... Personally I wouldn't care and I'd be happy with the little upgrade so long as it worked.

[Twigsoffury]

lol ill take a GTX470 with a bent back plate and a tiny scratch on the PCB over my old GTX280


Hell it could be covered with rainbow stickers and someone could of scratched some flames down the side and i'd still take that GTX470


and yup you probably got the 4:50 on friday card.

[NightrainSrt4]

I suppose. I was in the middle of a bad day then opened the beat up box to that. Probably was just being anal. Everything seems alright.

Now if only I could find a backplate for it to cover that up.

[Kayin]

Nah, I think you're right to be concerned. It's actually an issue if you expose copper on a trace, it can erode and kill the card.

[Twigsoffury]

I suppose. I was in the middle of a bad day then opened the beat up box to that. Probably was just being anal. Everything seems alright.

Now if only I could find a backplate for it to cover that up.

have a vise and two pieces of cardboard? that'll flatten it out straight. those backplates come off pretty easy.

hes right about the exposed PCB. but thats why the lord invented clear nail polish, if it keeps car scratches from rusting then it out to keep PCB from corroding.

i'd see what the eVGA people have to say, maybe you can return it for another refurbished 470. although i mean if its tested and worked good, runs furmark or something else fine then you ought to be okay.



Wonder if eVGA will RMA a burnt up 7900GT-KO of mine? think its worth a shot? the cards never been fiddled with and was sitting in a box for about two years, took it out recently and popped it in, sparkles on the screen and it'll make window BSOD every time. think if i look i should still have the box it came in with both the serial stickers.

[NightrainSrt4]

If it has a lifetime warranty then just send it in.


This is ridiculous though. I was talking to them, not about RMA'ing the card, but about what happens if I needed to. Ian was great and was helping me through this. Today I get a new rep, David Biel.

This is what he had to say:

Hello, in this instance, we can assist with a RMA for the product. However all products are inspected prior to shipment, and this will have to be reinstected by the RMA department, and there is a possibility of charge due to the physical damage.

You have to be freaking kidding me. I told him that I wanted to talk to Ian and would wait. Either he doesn't understand the problem or company policy is jacked.

THEY sent me the card messed up. UPS didn't open the box, gouge it, then put marker on it, package it all back up perfect and give it to me. They had the card when the gouge was there, they had it either with the marker or they themselves put the marker on it. They shipped it to me inferior to the method of shipment I had shipped mine to them. Now if I have to RMA it I might be charged for a new card because of damage; damage I had nothing to do with. You have to be freaking kidding me.

Going from an inquiry about what happens in an RMA with this card to this. If what he said is true then this is ridiculous and I'll go to another company. But, let's see what Ian says.

[NightrainSrt4]

You have to be kidding me. Someone else now emailed me back and said that they hand inspect every card that goes out for RMA and I wouldn't have gotten a card with that damage. The implication that I did it. WTF.

[NightrainSrt4]

All I wanted was to know when/if I had to RMA this card if I was going to have problems because EVGA's warranty clearly states that ANY damage to the PCB will get the warranty revoked and the claim denied.

Turns out that is exactly what would have happened. Now they are telling me they'll RMA it right now for one that is pristine, but if the RMA manager decides one of his employees wouldn't have sent a card out in this condition then its on me.

Next time I am going to video tape from the moment I meet UPS/USPS/FEDEX/etc through opening the box, etc. I can't believe the way this conversation has turned.

[Blibbax]

Wonder if eVGA will RMA a burnt up 7900GT-KO of mine? think its worth a shot? the cards never been fiddled with and was sitting in a box for about two years, took it out recently and popped it in, sparkles on the screen and it'll make window BSOD every time. think if i look i should still have the box it came in with both the serial stickers.

Why not try them - what have you got to lose?


All I wanted was to know when/if I had to RMA this card if I was going to have problems because EVGA's warranty clearly states that ANY damage to the PCB will get the warranty revoked and the claim denied.

Turns out that is exactly what would have happened. Now they are telling me they'll RMA it right now for one that is pristine, but if the RMA manager decides one of his employees wouldn't have sent a card out in this condition then its on me.

Next time I am going to video tape from the moment I meet UPS/USPS/FEDEX/etc through opening the box, etc. I can't believe the way this conversation has turned.

Man that sucks... short of getting a guarantee on the phone that they're not going to charge you for it, which seems unlikely, I'd say stick with it... you can sort out that backplate yourself, and you needn't ever look at the PCB really. Obviously it's not ideal, but make the best of a bad situation etc.

[NightrainSrt4]

I didn't care that much about the scratch, nor the backplate. I was frustrated knowing what their warranty says, and hearing other people with small scratches get denied.

They keep telling me that I can send it in, they'll give me a prepaid label, but the RMA department has to decide where the damage came from, and whether any charges have to be made. So basically I sent in my GTX280 with lifetime warranty for a cosmetically damaged GTX470 with zero warranty.

All they had to do was say, "We noted the damage you received the card in and it won't affect future RMAs". That was all I wanted. Instead I get, "well, we'll have to check it out, but you could be charged for the damage".

I've been going back and forth all day. I told them to forget I had a warranty. I've had enough. The entire implication of the conversation is that I did it. I'm not the only one who's read the conversation that got that from it either. I'm not going to post it verbatim as that just isn't me. But wtf, what company treats customers that way. Seems like EVGA's a shell of their former selves now that they've blown up in popularity.

[NightrainSrt4]

I told them someone needs to give Ian a raise. He was the only one that took the time to understand my case and not just spit back robotic responses.

The entire thing went to crap once someone else took the case from him.

[x88x]

Ouch...definitely makes me think twice about giving them future business. Hell, their biggest draw was their lifetime warranty. If they can't even pull that off well I'm not sure I want to be giving them my money. And that deal with the scratch is ridiculous...it should have never passed refurb QA.

Though I will say, sending out refurbs for RMA replacements is standard policy with pretty much every company that I've dealt with. It makes sense that if you send them a used product, you get a used product in return (just, you know, one that actually works). DOA products are normally handled through the retailer, so probably most of the people who get replacements get one in at least as good condition as what they sent in.

[Twigsoffury]

I told them someone needs to give Ian a raise. He was the only one that took the time to understand my case and not just spit back robotic responses.

The entire thing went to crap once someone else took the case from him.

You know if you really wanted to help this ian person out, you might call back in a few days and request to speak to a manager. or email the head boss (give you a hint, its fwendt@evga.com) and tell them about your experience, hell even give them the link to this thread.



Well it seems as if this 7900GT wasn't ever registered, but i have the purchase invoice and majorbud said he should even still have the original box with matching serials. Do you think eVGA would honor this?

If i remember right these had a particularly high failure rate.

it's one of these guys.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/SaberSix/EVGA7900GTKO.jpg


man these were some killers back in the day in sli lol.


but back to your situation (sorry for wandering) i'm starting to think this is more of a bother then its worth. the real question here gentlemen.



How much are water blocks for a eVGa GTX470 with custom scratch PCB.

[NightrainSrt4]

I'll give it a few days to cool off, then call/email the higher ups early next week to recommend Ian.

I've already unregistered ALL of my cards with them. I can't believe they couldn't just say, "It's cool. We've noted the scratch so when/if you have to RMA it we won't give you any trouble over it". Tell me I may have to pay for a new card, and at the outrageous prices of the EVGA store, lmfao, ya right.

Just unregistered all of them. That way if one dies I won't be tempted to go through this process again. I'll just save the shipping money and move on to something new. In the end it just isn't worth the frustration. Two days of being grumpy because I've been treated like I don't matter and aren't telling the truth just isn't worth getting a "new" graphics card. I'd rather forgo the headaches, plus get the excitement of picking out a new card.

I wish I could find a nice block for this card. I had just purchased two Swiftech GTX280 full block heatsinks just before the card died. Maybe I can hack them up for something. Now to find an affordable GTX480 block, triple rad, and fittings/barbs. Just opened the box with all my watercooling and the o-rings all dried up and cracked. The barbs were plastic, so it's time I looked for some nice metal ones anyway.

[NightrainSrt4]

You can try submitting an rma and see if it gets approved. Their page says, "All products not registered within 30 days will ONLY receive a 1 year limited warranty", though.

Make sure their isn't any tiny scratches on the pcb. :lick: That is grounds for denied claim even if A)it came to you that way and/or B) The card is already electronically dead anyway, lol.

[Blibbax]

Unregistering all of your cards seems a bit far - if something breaks again, you'd rather a cosmetically damaged replacement than nothing, right?

[NightrainSrt4]

You don't seem to get it.

If this card dies they won't give me a replacement card. The cards warranty is void because of the scratch on the pcb. They will either A) charge me the cost to ship the card back to me or B) charge me for a brand new card. Those would be my options.

This was my problem with what they were saying to me. They said I could RMA the card, but if it did have PCB damage then it was on me (either of the options above).

I unregistered my cards so I wouldn't be tempted to go through this headache again. I'd rather put out the money for a brand new card than forget that this card they just sent me effectively has zero warranty.

[Blibbax]

I see all of that, but you don't seem to get my point :P

I understand that you don't want to go through a headache again, but let's say that one of your cards that you've unregistered breaks.

You can:
-Send it back and get a ****ty but functional replacement with no warranty from EVGA (if you get a decent one, it's a happy bonus).
Or
-Spend your money on a new one.

Surely, as long as you expect the worst from their warranty process, it's an easy decision?

[NightrainSrt4]

Oh, I see. I had made reference to more than one card. The only other card I have with them is an old 8800GTS. I'm pretty sure my brother in Florida is running that card anyway, so it wasn't really affecting me to remove it from the list. I had meant to before that.

Sorry about that. Now, I only had two cards registered with them. I have a few others that I had forgotten to register, so no dice there either. But, they've gotten thousands each year from friends, relatives, etc that I referred to them. Hopefully their experiences will go better.

I realize I had made it sound like I had a bunch of cards registered. Sorry about that. The only one of importance was the one I had sent in. The others are as mentioned.

[RogueOpportunist]

I'm pretty sure if you read the warranty card their warranty only includes a single replacement anyways... At least that is the case with most warranties and didn't EVGA stop the lifetime thing? I thought they only had a max 5 year warranty now?

[x88x]

They have different warranty periods for different lines (http://www.evga.com/support/warranty/), ranging from 90-day to lifetime. The most common warranty terms I've seen with computer component manufacturers concerning warranty coverage of replacements is that they are warrantied for the duration of the original warranty...I can't find any mention of that part of the warranty for EVGA though.

[NightrainSrt4]

Replacements under EVGA's RMA Service will always follow the original product's warranty based on the original purchase date.

Think that is what you were looking for.