Opinions wanted....

littlepuppy · 15 Jun 2010 at 21:38

Can I pre empt this thread by saying I have never had a problem with returning anything to OCUK....

I have returned an item to nother online retailer after not being able to get it working - it semi worked but kept failing with various BSODS and in the end it wouldnt actualy boot at all.... It was about 4 weeks between me getting the item and reporting a fault......

This other retailer has sent this photo and said that as there is "physical damage" I should have spotted it straight away and as such all warranty is not valid.... Is this fair??

Bear in mind this is super zoomed in I think this mark has been there all the time, I obviously cannot "prove" this but Im not in the business of performing bad installs.... Am I being unreasonable in expecting a replacement?

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PermaBanned · 15 Jun 2010 at 21:42

A warranty that doesn't cover faults isn't a warranty?

Depending on the product you might be able to return it to the manufacturer...

littlepuppy · 15 Jun 2010 at 21:49

Apparantly if its "physical damage" it invalidates my warranty.......

Ive actually decided to go to court over it and raised the various paperwork etc as I think it stinks, but I lost my temper a bit on the thread of the other company so thought I would take a calm look at it...... This was after a long email chain to the company.... Its only a £50 quid board so its more to do with the principal than the cash...

I argued that I could recieve 20 items in a month from them for various projects I do for others and that if 1 piece is faulty im not in a massive rush to return it.... I really would need to go over the items with a microscope though if they expect me to look for small scratches like that on arrival....

PermaBanned · 15 Jun 2010 at 21:51

Do you have details of what the warranty actually covers? And what is the product?

littlepuppy · 15 Jun 2010 at 21:59

Product is a gigabyte MATX AM3 board....

Apparantly you have to do a physical check as soon as you recieve the items, once that day is gone you are not covered for noticing any physical damage, however small... I can see where it says that in their terms though...

f) Guarantees and after sales service

* We guarantee that the goods will correspond with the stated description and specification.
* We guarantee that the goods will be of satisfactory quality when delivered by our carrier.
* We operate a voluntary code which appears below for the return of goods which have failed to meet your expectations.
* Subject to you complying with the voluntary code for the return of goods we guarantee that the goods will remain of satisfactory quality in normal use for 3 months following delivery and will refund the cost of the goods or credit the cost of the goods or replace the goods in accordance with timescale for return of the goods set out in the voluntary code.
* The terms of any manufacturer�s guarantee and after sales service will be included within the documents accompanying the goods.
* We are willing to provide advice to you in accordance with the conditions below.

littlepuppy · 15 Jun 2010 at 22:02

This was in essence their stance

"As no physical damage was reported within a reasonable time frame we can then only assume that the goods reached you in good condition and that the damage was caused when you were in possession of the goods. The damage to the board has been deemed to be installation damage, there is a large scratch going over a number of tracks on the board as well as 3 damaged components as pictured below."

PermaBanned · 15 Jun 2010 at 22:04

Yeah, you should have a warranty with Gigabyte too that will be far more helpful. Might take a while though.

That is a STUPID policy though, that sort of damage could easily occur after the first day. How long have you had it?

littlepuppy · 15 Jun 2010 at 22:08

Had it 6 weeks, raised RMA after 5... It was a machine for the father in laws lounge... So i basically installed the board,fought with it for about 3 weeks, then admitted defeat... Raised an RMA and then got the above... So I cannot "prove" that it was like that when I got it - I strongly suspect it was, however they seem to take the view that there is absolutly no way that damage could have been present from the off and nothing to do with me.. Its incredibly frustrating....

PermaBanned · 15 Jun 2010 at 22:12

Well did they detail their warranty on the website? Or did you only get these details during your talks with them? Because i think that's what would make or break a court case.

Either way i'm not sure it's worth it, i'd just ask for it back and send it for a Gigabyte RMA. You should have got a booklet with details of their warranty in the box with the board? All motherboards with them i think have a 3 year warranty, and people have generally had good experiences with them.

littlepuppy · 15 Jun 2010 at 22:20

First I heard was when I RMA'd it....

Ive paid the fees and its in progress legal wise... I think a judge will think they are being ridiculous.. Ive pointed out I return on average less than 2% of my purchases from the said retailer... I am going to divert those purchases here I think, I have in the past gone for the cheapest option and I think that is where Ive been going wrong, I certainly wont be using this other retailer again......

Wish I hadnt lost my temper on their forum but they dont half try your patience...