DFI Users, Important Note on Warranty Policy

[ISS8634]

This is somewhat OT but I feel there is a need for all DFI users to take note.

I bought a NF4 Ultra D 2 months ago and it died, killing the CPU as well. Thus I sent it back to the distributor and they send it back to DFI. No excahnge policy considering its only 3 days old.

Today, I just receive a call from the distributor. They told me that DFI has determined that the problem isn't a design fault but rather man made. Thus, I have to pay for the repair fee. If I choose not to proceed, they will not repair it and they will send it back. When I ask the person whats exactly is this man made problem, he couldn't tell me. He said: DFI just said its a man made problem and not a design fault.

I have no idea how on Earth they determined its a man made problem. I don't even have any idea what I have done to the board. It just hung during a restart with a continous beep. Next thing I know is that both the board and the CPU are dead.

DFI users should take extra care with their boards.
ISS is online now Edit/Delete Message

 

[darkswordsman17]

Originally posted by: ISS8634
This is somewhat OT but I feel there is a need for all DFI users to take note.

I bought a NF4 Ultra D 2 months ago and it died, killing the CPU as well. Thus I sent it back to the distributor and they send it back to DFI. No excahnge policy considering its only 3 days old.

Today, I just receive a call from the distributor. They told me that DFI has determined that the problem isn't a design fault but rather man made. Thus, I have to pay for the repair fee. If I choose not to proceed, they will not repair it and they will send it back. When I ask the person whats exactly is this man made problem, he couldn't tell me. He said: DFI just said its a man made problem and not a design fault.

I have no idea how on Earth they determined its a man made problem. I don't even have any idea what I have done to the board. It just hung during a restart with a continous beep. Next thing I know is that both the board and the CPU are dead.

DFI users should take extra care with their boards.
ISS is online now Edit/Delete Message

Who did you buy it from?

I'd ask to be contacted by DFI directly. Why did you even send it back to the distributor instead of straight to DFI anyways (if the distributor isn't going to do anything but send it to DFI)?

 

[charles555]

Thanks for the post, keep us updated.

 

[Bozo Galora]

how do you know CPU is dead?
What PSU?

 

[Sniper82]

Yeah if its 2 months old it needed to go straight to DFI. Even though you might not have done anything to it purposely. DFI could be looking at the problem and seeing it was causes by someone.

 

[SMOKE20]

A freind of mine had a similar problem actually and that's why I haven't yet ordered anything for my new A64 build! Everyone here recomends that board, but my freind had his die 9 days in, it only killed the motherboard though. He called the Dist. who told him to contact DFI directly because they were tough to RMA to. They gave him a phone number, he called DFI, support was fine, told him to send in the board.....10 days later calls since he had heard nothing. DFI tech support tells him they have determined it was not their problem but that the board could be repaired at his expense if he chose to. He asked why it was not covered by the warranty, they said the board was probably installed incorrectly!?!

Now my friend is no "novice" and has built several systems including several for friends of ours. He argued with them to no avail, then asked how much it would cost to repair the board, they said it would run around $90 plus return shipping!

We kinda' figured this was an isolated incident but I still decided to steer away from DFI.......but now I'm not so sure. Two of the same type incidents with the same basic result....

 

[Andres3605]

Thast sucks, i hope you can resolve it

 

[VirtualLarry]

Hmm. I wonder.. could a wrong (possibly even factory-default!) jumper setting be the "man-made" problem here? Or a failure by the end-user to flash to the newest BIOS, before installing the CPU? (Which really should be DFI's fault - components should work "out of the box", or be considered "DOA". IMHO the user shouldn't have to jump through major hoops just to get basic functionality working... but we all know how it is on the bleeding-edge of tech.)

 

[fishmonger12]

damn. i thought gigabyte's service was bad. thanks for the heads up.

 

[clarkkent333]

This type of service seems to be becoming the norm these days. I recently had the same type of problem with Abit. Is there any company that does have good service?

P.S. - Sorry about your problems with them. I'd get them to provide you some sort of factual evidence (test reports, pictures) that proves its your fault. Not enough people follow up on these things and the manufacturers get away with it more often then you'd think.

 

[Bonesdad]

Originally posted by: ISS8634
This is somewhat OT but I feel there is a need for all DFI users to take note.

I bought a NF4 Ultra D 2 months ago and it died, killing the CPU as well. Thus I sent it back to the distributor and they send it back to DFI. No excahnge policy considering its only 3 days old.

Today, I just receive a call from the distributor. They told me that DFI has determined that the problem isn't a design fault but rather man made. Thus, I have to pay for the repair fee. If I choose not to proceed, they will not repair it and they will send it back. When I ask the person whats exactly is this man made problem, he couldn't tell me. He said: DFI just said its a man made problem and not a design fault.

I have no idea how on Earth they determined its a man made problem. I don't even have any idea what I have done to the board. It just hung during a restart with a continous beep. Next thing I know is that both the board and the CPU are dead.

DFI users should take extra care with their boards.
ISS is online now Edit/Delete Message

Did you notice any physical damage to the board when you got it? There is a problem in the packaging of this board...the audio module crushes components on the motherboard. Were there any bits of plastic in the static bag when you first opened the box? Any bent pins?

Go to DFI-Street.com and get on the forums there. Chat with Angry_Games (a dfi tech support specialist) to see if he can find out more for you. Given the problems this board has with it's packaging, I would be very suspicious.

I actually had to RMA a board due to broken switches on the board. DFI wouldn't step up to the plate and admit the problem fast enough for me, but Monarch did. I have a new board in good shape now. Only I can't use it...my Leadtek video card was also DOA.

 

[jmagg]

This type of service seems to be becoming the norm these days.

Hear Hear.

I'm also finding that warrantys these days, are not worth the paper that their written on. Not only on computer oriented products, but across the board. Its time we demand that warrantys are honored, not just expressed.

 

[RGone]

Hi gentlemen. You can see that I am listed first time poster and that is alright too. It has been a good while and could nOt remember anything of my old registration> so just re-upped with my current screen name used most everywhere.

I have answered this particular posting in a number of forums now and having been advised of the same post being here at Anand; felt it a good idea to come and post as well. What I present for your informatin and viewing is a compilation of the various postings that I have made to other venues. In prinicple it follows thusly.

Bear in mind that most may know that I am a sub-contractor for DFI and myself and another tech, known as AG do handle the brunt of the tech support for the "enthusiast' style DFI products.

Is his post an important note on warranty policy? And in what region of the DFI organization? It sounds to me like he is in the European region and not the DFI at SJ CA region that I am from.

Yes, you are correct this is RGone and as usual I come thru many forums besides just ours at the street to see if there is anything that I need to see if can be handled straightened or tweaked.

A user asked that someone from DFI respond to the thread that ISS8634 started in the street forums and this is excerpted from that reply I made.

You can read that thread at www.dfi-street.com. I did in fact post in it about DFI and global divisions. Paul Gamble and now "Mastakilla" have both made very insightful observations in their posts.

One thing Paul Gamble brings to light is that unless you have been there, you really have no place to talk. I agree with that idea as the UsA region and the other regions of the world likely function in slightly different ways due to "laws" in place in the countries. Maybe other factors apply as well of which I am not even aware.

Now for how a board can be looked into for failure; I have been home in Mississippi for about 3 weeks from my trip to the offices of DFI in CA. While in CA; I got the tour around the place and I saw the section devoted to board repair AND the equipment and literature devoted to repair and the current technician in place out there. Guess what? That section is much more sophisticated than you or I can imagine at first thought. Can you imagine as a technician and seeing a group of defected boards and had opportunity to see the patterns as they develop; well I tell you that you would very likely see and know what caused the problem. I did it for years in the automotive trades and I did it in setting up race car suspensions. The symptom requires a response that is learned from seeing the symptoms and the specifications.

So from my small view of DFI facilities in the USA and their staffing and view of the problems that usually repeat themselves, the diagnosis of the problem origin is more likely than you first imagine. But at any rate there is little cause for overall alarm to users in the USA as we have our own legalities and technical expertise that is employed in this arena.

Just about everyone of you in this forum that lives in the DFI SJ region know that AG or myself when approached civilly will help you in any way that is reasonable for us. AG has had 5 user boards shipped to him in the last 10 days and he has worked with the customer/user to diagnose and confirm the problem. Oh by the way in the case of the NF4 boards he had it was the memory or power supply causing the problem.

DFI is a company and does business around the globe from various offices and I in the SJ region do not speak for Europe nor they for me. But as for us in the USA, we are business as usual for trying our best to serve legitimate customer concerns to the best of our ability and resources to do so.

In closing gentlemen and thank you for your attention; let me direct you to that last paragraph and my words that I speak not for others nor they for me. Again, thank you gentlemen.

RGone...

Sometimes I realize it is best to let sleeping dogs lie. But it does seem to me at this time, that you deserved some response from those of us who eat, sleep and breathe DFI motherboards and heck computers in general.

Thank you. RGone...

 

[Ben88]

I don't see what that last post has to do with warranty issues???

 

[charles555]

DFI has fantastic tech support.

I just got off the phone with Donna at their San Jose,CA motheroard division. Sh is shipping out a back I/O plate today for free; NO QUESTIONS!

I left her message today and within 3 hours she called me back and left a message saying she just needed my address and board model.