Warning for all motherboard owners

[Silent_Scone]

Just wanted to share my experience I've recently had with my motherboard kicking the bucket and the rma being denied due to "user damage".



Ive only ever done the screws up to hand tightness with a mini screwdriver so no real strength can be applied, im not sure if this is due to asus cheaping out with the motherboard coating / not bothering to put solder across all the hole potentially increasing pressure on the side with the scratch or just bad luck on my side.

THe motherboard no longer powers up and whilst i dont believe this is the reason for the death of the board ive been told asus wont accept this for RMA so im down £150 for something i never expected to be an issue.

Board is an Asus Z370-i and now ive replaced it with an asrock board. I hope no one else has to deal with this problem so thought i would advise maybe to keep the screws lose :/

Phoenix, Loki, have you gotten anywhere with this? Feel free to DM me with any RMA details and I'll look into it for you, I'm now working with ROG HQ.

 

[PhoenixSP]

Phoenix, Loki, have you gotten anywhere with this? Feel free to DM me with any RMA details and I'll look into it for you, I'm now working with ROG HQ.

Thanks for the offer of help silent Scone. It hasn't ever got as far as Asus because overclockers didn't think they would even accept it despite the wear on the screws being very unlikely to be the cause. I tried to contact Asus to ask what their opinion of effective wear and tear was but they just pointed back to the retailer it was bought from. If i could get a straight answer over whether there are traces passing through the area or that they will accept the rma anyway that would be helpful.

 

[ANDARIAL]

Any update on your problem op?

 

[PhoenixSP]

Took a break from sorting it over Christmas, back to the grindstone i guess need to work out what to do next.

 

[pagepack]

Took a break from sorting it over Christmas, back to the grindstone i guess need to work out what to do next.

Did you buy the motherboard on a credit card? If yes, go down the section 75 route. I've used it twice successfully both times.

If not, write to overclockers asking for a replacement as it's overclockers and not asus who you seek redress from as the retailer. If they ignore you, start a claim in the small claims court. Highly unlikely they'll turn up, if it gets that far. Claim all the costs incurred.

Do not sit back and be fobbed off.

 

[clone]

Hope you get this sorted mate as I've got a ROG motherboard and would not like to have to go through this sort of thing,it would make be look at another manufacturer in the future.

 

[kedge]

so thought i would advise maybe to keep the screws lose :/

That is not good advice, I have had many mainboards and even some Asus boards and most of the screw holes are worn or bits have come off, I often strip out all components when cleaning the case or updating the case. I got an MSI Z370 mainboard and some of the screw holes are worn already, some of the bits or whatever it is around the screw hole have either come off or get crushed, but it still works. Got to be something else surely?

 

[clone]

It's crazy that now fixing a motherboard to a case can void a warranty what's the world coming to.

 

[maklabouhlel]

Shall we start using rubber washers?

 

[clone]

To late for me then,mad if it does get to that though.

 

[Funky-Melon]

The white circle around the hole is the outline of a screw for the PCB designers, it's a keepout zone. There shouldn't be any components or tracks on any layer inside that zone, the hole itself isn't plated either, it's just straight through the board, so there is absolutely no reason for rejecting an RMA based on that.

Don't let this one go, they're having you on with that.

 

[PhoenixSP]

Currently in talks with overclockers, basically Asus will refuse it and seem to be refusing a lot at the moment putting overclockers at a loss. I cant just accept my £180~ motherboard is a paperweight due to dodgy warranty from asus caused by them cheaping out on solder :/ Will keep trying though

 

[freddie64]

May as well put a "Warranty Void" sticker/seal on the motherboard box and be done with it.

I know they have to protect themselves from user damage claims but this is taking the ****.

Hope you get this sorted and soon.

 

[ANDARIAL]

After following this thread one thing i can say with certainty is my next purchase WILL NOT be an ASUS

 

[Danny75]

The story makes no sense. And imo, OcUK should limit themselves to warning you that Asus will probably refuse it based on what they know about Asus policy, and then ask you if you still want them to send Asus the board anyway, and do it if you request them to. By seemingly withholding that option from you, it makes it look like OcUK are hiding something and/or wholly agreeing with Asus' policy on slight damage caused by natural operation to not-well-enough-protected motherboard standoff hole rims. This does not necessarily mean they actually are hiding/agreeing. They may well be telling the truth. But it would mean that the current arrangement between OcUK and Asus (that of OcUK acting as Asus employee/mouthpiece) is bad for OcUK's image and needs sorting out.

Why should OcUK take heat for it by being the only one telling you about, and complying with, a policy that Asus are making no direct public comment on? Or, if the story is indeed accurate, why are OcUK (and other retailers) agreeing to sell motherboards that buyers effectively lack statutory rights for? Clearly, a motherboard will be screwed onto a case, and clearly, the standoff hole rims will be slightly damaged in the process, if not well-enough-protected. Are (some) motherboards intentionally being produced with weak standoff hole rims, in order to serve as a guaranteed excuse to reject RMA, or what?

I'd keep Loki and Silent Scone in the loop as to what's going on, so they can check with Asus HQ as well.

I wouldn't worry too much, other than the grief and time this has/will cost you, because as the story stands it has the potential to soon become a negative tech hardware news story if it's not cleared up somehow. Can you imagine? Don't buy any more Asus motherboards unless you're not going to screw it onto anything? Nah. Surely this has to be explained somehow.

 

[mattyfez]

Well the OPs contract of sale is with Ocuk, not Asus.
If there's nothing being withheld from the story then Ocuk are breaching consumer rights.
If ocuk are refusing because Asus are difficult to deal with then they should give the OP a new board and stop doing business with Asus.

 

[spoffle]

I had it sent back to me after they noticed the copper showing on the motherboard holes its happened on 3 of the 4 but this is the worst hence why its pictured. Ive only owned the mobo since April so just over 8 months and it died whilst in the case after working fine.
Other images for transparency:

https://imgur.com/a/6rDdp6i

https://imgur.com/a/mE3QjVl

It's less than a year old. OCUK bear the legal responsibility in the first year of sale. OCUK are also fobbing you off.

 

[cheesyboy]

Wonder if retailers get a better deal with Asus if they have a low rate of warranty returns.

 

[TheDean]

This is a real worry, and a concern. Not only will I ensure I don't buy ASUS again, I'm thinking twice about OCUK now for my new rig. This had the potential to be a good news story, but it's turning sour pretty quickly which is a great shame.

Personally I'd be contacting my credit card company for a charge back

 

[PhoenixSP]

Overclockers have offered to let me return it and then they will send it to asus but are pretty sure it will be returned and posting these things isn't cheap. Unfortunately wasn't bought on a credit card , but yes im rather appalled with asus warranty and lack of warning as well