Brexit and RMAs: who do I go to?

[foolishlywise]

I'm in the unfortunate position whereby something I purchased in summer 2018 has gone faulty. Seagate, the manufacturer, recommends I go to the retailer to get them to sort it out otherwise I'll end up paying VAT+couriter charges for the import!

I always thought going to the retailer was the standard practice unless the manufacturer has a great RMA process and would accommodate. So, for the 3 years it was in warranty, the retailer would work with the manufacturer. However, I'm being advised by the retailer that I NEED to go to Seagate.

You chaps will likely have more experience as a collective. Does it fall on the retailer or am I required to go to the manufacturer (and end up paying the VAT?!)

 

[orbitalwalsh]

Gigabyte for mobo at least with UK center .
Corsair like Seasonic replace with h new unit, but shipped from UK and Not EU.

I've been hit with stuff being went on sponsorship due to brexit and so have reviewers

 

[Robi_uk]

I'm in the unfortunate position whereby something I purchased in summer 2018 has gone faulty. Seagate, the manufacturer, recommends I go to the retailer to get them to sort it out otherwise I'll end up paying VAT+couriter charges for the import!

I always thought going to the retailer was the standard practice unless the manufacturer has a great RMA process and would accommodate. So, for the 3 years it was in warranty, the retailer would work with the manufacturer. However, I'm being advised by the retailer that I NEED to go to Seagate.

You chaps will likely have more experience as a collective. Does it fall on the retailer or am I required to go to the manufacturer (and end up paying the VAT?!)

According to this site: https://www.resolver.co.uk/consumer...anufacturers-guarantees-warranties-complaints

Manufacturer’s warranty
The retailer may ask you to contact the manufacturer directly. However, your contract is with the retailer and not the manufacturer and it is therefore the retailer's responsibility to resolve and rectify the issue.

 

[orbitalwalsh]

As a I've , standard protocol but with some you can bypass reseller.. specially if they are useless. And sometimes you've got to go through double RMA, they check in and then vendor can ask to check it as well !
Also, if vendor tells vendor to replace item with their own stock, they might not have it, willing to or if they do, get charged import if a replacement if sent to them via EU . Bigger the reseller, the easier RMA should be... In theory !

 

[foolishlywise]

Cheers both - I wish I could bypass the seller but given I'd end up paying something like a quarter of the price of a new HDD (VAT+handling would likely be £30), it doesn't seem worth going straight to Seagate. They even advise not to go to them!

According to this site: https://www.resolver.co.uk/consumer...anufacturers-guarantees-warranties-complaints

Manufacturer’s warranty
The retailer may ask you to contact the manufacturer directly. However, your contract is with the retailer and not the manufacturer and it is therefore the retailer's responsibility to resolve and rectify the issue.

Seems like that explains it pretty clearly. The retailer in this case is OCUK. I didn't know they had a special forum bit so will try there. The two support staff I tried speaking to were adamant I needed to go via Seagate. Hopefully its just a case of the support staff not knowing the process.

 

[mickyflinn]

Cheers both - I wish I could bypass the seller but given I'd end up paying something like a quarter of the price of a new HDD (VAT+handling would likely be £30), it doesn't seem worth going straight to Seagate. They even advise not to go to them!



Seems like that explains it pretty clearly. The retailer in this case is OCUK. I didn't know they had a special forum bit so will try there. The two support staff I tried speaking to were adamant I needed to go via Seagate. Hopefully its just a case of the support staff not knowing the process.

Contact the guys in the customer service section of the forum and you can point them to this thread as well.


https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/community/ocuk-customer-service.116/

 

[tres_kun]

I am confused
I clearly remeber sending hard drives to seagate
And it was a UK adress
It was from overclockers and they told me to go to seagate

 

[AyeAyeAhoy!]

I am confused
I clearly remeber sending hard drives to seagate
And it was a UK adress
It was from overclockers and they told me to go to seagate

Many companies have pulled their RMA addresses out of the UK due to Brexit. EVGA is one, for instance. Now, if you have a problem with your EVGA card, you have to send it to an address in Germany. Lots of folk are finding that EVGA are then being requested to pay an import tax, which they refuse, so the item is returned un-delivered. If it does happen to make it through to EVGA, when they send a replacement back, customers are finding that customs are demanding they pay in import fee. It's ludicrous.

 

[pp111]

The fact that Gigabyte have a UK center is a darn good reason in my mind to buy Gigabyte.

 

[Moeks]

Many companies have pulled their RMA addresses out of the UK due to Brexit. EVGA is one, for instance. Now, if you have a problem with your EVGA card, you have to send it to an address in Germany. Lots of folk are finding that EVGA are then being requested to pay an import tax, which they refuse, so the item is returned un-delivered. If it does happen to make it through to EVGA, when they send a replacement back, customers are finding that customs are demanding they pay in import fee. It's ludicrous.

More of them should be opening RMA facilities in the UK not pulling them out, it's a major market, you can't ignore a market of 66 million people really, if that means they need an office in the UK and one in the EU ...then fine do it then, maybe it costs them a bit more but not as much as it will cost to lose a market to a competitor who does have that in place. I think the message needs to be, we buy from whoever makes it easiest to deal with them after the purchase is made should their be any issues, I.E Gigabyte at the moment, the warranty replacement process has be be painless and seamless for the customer, just like it always has been and the only way to do that right now is have facilities in the UK. Paying import duties on warranty replacements it's not acceptable, to clarify I am not talking about what is legal or what the 'system' is or isn't I am just saying to most consumers, it's not acceptable, any headaches or complications or red tape need to be taken on by the companies themselves, the customer has a faulty product, replace it quickly and painlessly and apologise to them, simple as that, making it more complicated cannot be a thing and that is a message they must take on board or lose customers to a competitor who does.

 

[AyeAyeAhoy!]

More of them should be opening RMA facilities in the UK not pulling them out, it's a major market, you can't ignore a market of 66 million people really, if that means they need an office in the UK and one in the EU ...then fine do it then, maybe it costs them a bit more but not as much as it will cost to lose a market to a competitor who does have that in place. I think the message needs to be, we buy from whoever makes it easiest to deal with them after the purchase is made should their be any issues, I.E Gigabyte at the moment, the warranty replacement process has be be painless and seamless for the customer, just like it always has been and the only way to do that right now is have facilities in the UK. Paying import duties on warranty replacements it's not acceptable, to clarify I am not talking about what is legal or what the 'system' is or isn't I am just saying to most consumers, it's not acceptable, any headaches or complications or red tape need to be taken on by the companies themselves, the customer has a faulty product, replace it quickly and painlessly and apologise to them, simple as that, making it more complicated cannot be a thing and that is a message they must take on board or lose customers to a competitor who does.

I mean, I don't want to (and am not going to...) get into a Brexit debate, but there is a reason why they are pulling their RMA facilities out of the UK, and I'm sure it's bigger than the simple cost of a unit. The red tape surrounding our current relationship with the EU is beyond these companies, and until that is sorted, this will happen. After all, it's those customers of theirs who voted to put these companies in this situation!

 

[Moeks]

I mean, I don't want to (and am not going to...) get into a Brexit debate, but there is a reason why they are pulling their RMA facilities out of the UK, and I'm sure it's bigger than the simple cost of a unit. The red tape surrounding our current relationship with the EU is beyond these companies, and until that is sorted, this will happen. After all, it's those customers of theirs who voted to put these companies in this situation!

Well the Brexit debate is totally irrelevant now, it's happened, so it's more of a case of how do we deal with things as they are and being as this is a UK based community largely, I would expect most people would be in support of things that made life better for us rather than sympathising with the other guy and how unfortunate it is that the handy relationship between the EU and the UK meant they could operate as if it was one large market and how it must be hard for them to change, my attitude to this is, you've had plenty of notice, stop whinging and get with the program, this is an important market you can't just ignore it so don't think you can offer us a lesser service and blame the people for it, as a business you don't get the luxury of a position like that, you stfu and remember the customer is always right ...even if they aren't, it doesn't matter, business don't get an 'opinion' like that, individual people do.

 

[Joxeon]

Meanwhile the guy who had to send his 3080FE to hong kong received the replacement a week later with no extra VAT charges.

 

[AyeAyeAhoy!]

Well the Brexit debate is totally irrelevant now, it's happened, so it's more of a case of how do we deal with things as they are and being as this is a UK based community largely, I would expect most people would be in support of things that made life better for us rather than sympathising with the other guy and how unfortunate it is that the handy relationship between the EU and the UK meant they could operate as if it was one large market and how it must be hard for them to change, my attitude to this is, you've had plenty of notice, stop whinging and get with the program, this is an important market you can't just ignore it so don't think you can offer us a lesser service and blame the people for it, as a business you don't get the luxury of a position like that, you stfu and remember the customer is always right ...even if they aren't, it doesn't matter, business don't get an 'opinion' like that, individual people do.

I think you mis-read what I wrote, or I wasn't clear enough. The companies don't know how to deal with the current situation in a way that benefits us, their UK customers, because the respective governments haven't given them a clear way of doing so. It's very well saying that they've had 'long enough', but the governments didn't figure it in that time and still haven't, it seems.

Brexit itself may have happened, but the fall out is still very much happening.

And the whole 'customer is always right' thing...

 

[Journey]

Zero issues with a bunch of drives I RMA'd in Feb, sent to Seagate direct as I normally do. Replacements were sent direct from Seagate a week later with the commercial invoice attached advising they were RMA replacements (as normal).

 

[Nanobot]

Zero issues with a bunch of drives I RMA'd in Feb, sent to Seagate direct as I normally do. Replacements were sent direct from Seagate a week later with the commercial invoice attached advising they were RMA replacements (as normal).

@Journey Out of curiosity, were they new replacements or were they recertified drives?

 

[Journey]

@Journey Out of curiosity, were they new replacements or were they recertified drives?

Two of the eight drives were, the rest were new as the replacement type depends on the drive model and warranty AFAIK. I've sent recert's back before after not being happy about receiving them as I wouldn't be able to use them, and being DOA's that means I should receive like-for-like.

 

[Nanobot]

Two of the eight drives were, the rest were new as the replacement type depends on the drive model and warranty AFAIK. I've sent recert's back before after not being happy about receiving them as I wouldn't be able to use them, and being DOA's that means I should receive like-for-like.

Thanks. I completely agree with like for like. As much as I prefer WD, I hate that they only give out recertified drives under warranty rather than new so I was curious what other manufacturers, such as Seagate did.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

More of them should be opening RMA facilities in the UK not pulling them out, it's a major market, you can't ignore a market of 66 million people reall.

Have you considered a market of 66 million isn't actually a 'major' market and may not warrant its own dedicated customer support service, particularly where specific standards or customs rules apply which don't apply elsewhere.

China 1.4 billion
EU 448 million
USA 333 million
UK 66 million

Can you see why we wouldn't be considered a major market? Particularly when we can be served by the widely English speaking EU. That's the logical fallacy of brexit trade, were not actually that important on the global scene in the grand scheme of things, even if we think we are. Its all about China, USA, EU and a few of the smaller trade blocs.

As others have said there shouldn't be taxes on warranty replacements, if you are charged taxes at the boarder you can appeal them and get your money back from HMRC (possibly not any admin fee though).

 

[pp111]

Have you considered a market of 66 million isn't actually a 'major' market and may not warrant its own dedicated customer support service, particularly where specific standards or customs rules apply which don't apply elsewhere.

China 1.4 billion
EU 448 million
USA 333 million
UK 66 million

Can you see why we wouldn't be considered a major market? Particularly when we can be served by the widely English speaking EU. That's the logical fallacy of brexit trade, were not actually that important on the global scene in the grand scheme of things, even if we think we are. Its all about China, USA, EU and a few of the smaller trade blocs.

As others have said there shouldn't be taxes on warranty replacements, if you are charged taxes at the boarder you can appeal them and get your money back from HMRC (possibly not any admin fee though).

Indeed. The people who voted for Brexit still seem to thing that Britain rules the waves! It hasn't dawned on them yet that we are a small country in a very large world. I am not saying that Brexit was an entirely bad thing, but now we have to adjust to the ramifications of leaving one of the largest trading blocks in the world. People need to adjust and at the moment they are not. They are still buying products from the EU blissfully unaware that they may have to pay tax on them, may not be covered by a warranty, and almost certainly will be hit with additional trouble should the product need returning for any reason. That even applies to goods they think they are buying in the UK but are actually sourced in the EU ( on Amazon for example ).