How to RMA a visiontek geforce 3 ti200?

[amdskip]

It has a lifetime warranty and I'm having problems with it. I can only get like a 2500 3d mark on it using my soyo dragon + and 1800 XP. I put in my geforce 2 ultra using the same drivers not overclocked and got 4500 from the first test.

 

[amdskip]

 

[MTDEW]

Good luck!

Ive been trying to RMA a Visiontek GF4 Ti4600 for over a month now, I never get an answer when I call them.

Filling out the forms on their site gets me NO REPLIES!

Emailing them has gotten some replies, but they just keep asking me to try stuff Ive already tried a zillion times & told them I did in the SAME email they replied too!

Ive got a Gainward GF4 Ti4600, a Gainward GF3Ti200 & a VGA Chaintek GF3 Ti200 that work in all three of of our sytems at home, but the visiontek doesnt.
I keep telling them that, and it doesnt help.

I even came right out and asked.
"Are you gonna honor the lifetime warranty or not?...YES or NO?"
Then I got an automated reply

Thank you for your recent email to our Tech Support team. Due to the large volume of inquiries we recieve, we may not be able to respond to all questions submitted in a timely fashion. We apologize if this has caused you any inconvenience. If you have an issue that still has not been resolved, please resubmit your message or call our tech support line at 1-866-883-5411

GOOD LUCK getting through to that number, youll be on hold for an hour or more!

BTW: my problem is that the card locks up in any 3d application & under display properties it says Graphics Processor:Geforce4(Unknown)
When it should say Graphics Processor:Geforce4 Ti4600

Clean install of WinXP Or WinMe doesnt solve the problem nor do ANY bios settings.
ALL my other Geforce cards work & install flawlessy in all my systems EXCEPT my visiontek card.
As a matter of fact, when I go to install the detonator drivers, winXP & WinMe BOTH said "The driver you have chosen doesnt support your hardware".

My mobos are
MSI KT3 Ultra
Epox 4SDA+
Epox4BDA2+
So, it cant be a chipset problem, ive got em all covered.

And Ive tried an enormous amount of different detonator drivers & the result is the same everytime, all my other cards work & the Visiontek doesnt!

Ive got a $400.00 paperweight! (And One UGLY free Tshirt)

 

[MTDEW]

Finally got an RMA reply from visiontek tech support via email.

I just sent them my name/info etc.. & theyre gonna send me an RMA number.

Still a bit disappointed I had to threaten to file a complaint to the BBB just to get them to
honor their lifetime warranty though.

Well hopefully my issue will be resolved sometime next week.

Good Luck.

 

[Pothead]

Just great! My GF3 Ti-200 just died on me. I sent an email to techsupport, no reply for a week now. Woderful!

 

[MTDEW]

Hah
they asked for my info
address, email etc & said theyd get back to me about RMAing my card & i havent herad from them since.

That was on 7-20 according to my last post date!

Pothead, is yours a Visiontek also?

 

[txgixer]

Shiat

You guys are not giving me warm fuzzies in the event my 4400 takes a titanic :Q

 

[Pothead]

It's the one a lot of us got at the BB Thanksgiving/Black Friday sale. It started giving me green steaks down the screen and red dots and letters. I tried it in another system and does the same thing.

I'm going to have a fun time with Visiontek! Just great! I think a lawsuit is in order, as the crazy Anandtechers in Hot Deals forum would say....

 

[bsauerbr]

Originally posted by: Pothead
I sent an email to techsupport, no reply for a week now. Woderful!

Seems like 1 week is the magic number, and Friday was the magic day for me. When the fan on my GF3 Ti200 died, I sent an email on Friday, got a reply from Visiontek to supply name/address and did so the same day. It wasn't until the following Friday that they told me "We'll get a fan right out to you".

By that time, I had already replaced it with a Crystal Orb.

 

[podingX]

errr...when i emailed visiontek @ support@visiontek.com for a fan replacement, they replied right away [within 1 day] and they asked for my address...but anyway, i ended up getting a heatsink for passive cooling cuz crystal orbs are too loud for me

 

[MTDEW]

I got my RMA # today, I sent the card next day certified mail.

Ill post when I get a new one back, so hopefully it'll put others minds a little more at ease.

 

[SifuShawn]

Lots of luck, here is my experience with Visiontek and thier POS tech support / RMA dept:

Based on articles I had read and the fact that Visiontek had produced the
Nvidia 4600 reference cards tested by many reviewers, when it came time to
replace my aging Asus 6800 DDR (geforce 1 DDR) I laid down the $400 for this
top of the line card from Visiontek.
With wide eyed anticipation I went home and installed it in my newly
upgraded system (Asus A7v333, AMD XP 2000+, 512 MB 2700 DDR Ram, 500 Watt
PSU) 10 minutes after firing it up I was pulling it out and taking it back
to the store where I bought it. This retailer has a 14 day return policy and
when I got there they were closed so I had to go back the next morning for
the replacement.
New card in hand and a little skepticle I installed the replacement, it
posted, it ran I let it burn in for a day just to be on the safe side.
Everything seemed fine, I ran 3d mark and it was smooth great frame rates
good score etc...
I was a happy camper but very busy and unable to really use the card for the
next week except for email and a few other internet related tasks. I did
notice on 2d and text this card was much clearer than my old DDR card.
Then I had some time to myself and decided to run 3d mark again just to make
sure everything was OK (this was 12 days after getting the original card)
halfway through the first test in 3dmark I had a black screen. The system
would not post on restart. Reinstalled the old card and it was working
again.
So now I'm back to the store again on my last day for a replacement,
returned back home installed and I'm up again. 3dmark worked but no time to
play. System was fine for the next couple of days and I try to play unreal
it dies again.
Now I'm out of luck to return it it's a weekend so I wait and call Visiontek
and get an RMA number.

I send the card back via UPS red and wait for 2 weeks with no contact from
Visiontek. Finally I called and told that they would check into my RMA and
email me back. The email came a few hours later, telling me my board was
defective and will be replaced (good news) but they are out of the card, it
is on back order, and will be replaced when the recieve more cards.
I sent 3 emails back to them over the course of the next 2 days, all with no
reply. I called and tried to speak with the tech support or customer service
manager, neither were in so I left a message for them to call back, that was
5 hours ago and still no call.
I did get an email telling me that they were sending out replacement cards
daily and that mine should be sent as soon as they can get to it.
I called again this afternoon and was told that the tech support manager
would call back "before he left for the day" as that was required of them.
WOW guess what no f ing phonecall again!!!

Is this an isolated incedent? Am I expecting too much from a card that I
only paid $400 for? ARE THESE ASSHOLES FOR REAL....?
Has anybody had a similar experience with Visiontek?

At this point I am totally Pi_ _ed off and wish I'd never even heard of
Visiontek.
If you buy a card from Visiontek be prepared for the same crap!

 

[Pothead]

I feel your pain....I RMAed mines a few days ago...hopefully I will get my card in a timely manner.

 

[Pothead]

I RMAed my card last week and I better get a F*cking card back!!!!!! Why couldn't visiontek go out of business next week or something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[onza]

visiontek i hear has gone belly up..

onza

 

[MTDEW]

I sent my Ti4600 back to Visiontek on 8-03-2002 (I sent it next day certified)

And I recieved my new card today 8-28-2002

If they woulda waited another week or so, the card woulda been worth HALF of what I paid for it. LOL

Just glad to have my new card.

But rest assured I will NEVER buy a Visiontek product again.

Gainward gets my vote when it comes to geforce cards.

 

[DeathKnightMaF]

But rest assured I will NEVER buy a Visiontek product again.

Um, they went belly-up there slick so you'll never really have the opportunity to buy one of their products anymore. This board seems to be not so with the times.

Also, doesn't the fact that they were having business problems way before their recent acuisition by the banks give you a clue as to why you were having problems getting an RMA?

 

[MTDEW]

Last info I heard was:

An Assignee / Trustee has been appointed, and will attempt to maximize the value of the company's assets. His belief is that the assets have a higher value as a "turn-key" operation than in a liquidation. The Trustee is continuing to operate the company to determine if a sale is a viable alternative to a liquidation, and he is currently talking to interested parties. The company is continuing to take orders, ship products, and honor rebates."

So it seems the Visiontek namebrand may not necessarily be a thing of the past.

Also, doesn't the fact that they were having business problems way before their recent acuisition by the banks give you a clue as to why you were having problems getting an RMA?

I would think having problems getting a RMA or a reply from their tech support contributed to theyre troubles, not a result. lol
Either way, it doesnt matter now and theyre tech support was marginal at best.

Anywhooo I see your point.

Just thought id post i got my RMA'd card back to let others know that the company seems to still be honoring their warranties.
For the time being anyway.

If someone buys out the company , Id have to hear an EXTREME amount of positive feedback b4 purchasing from them.

I can see how you dont quite understand some peoples frustration when we're talking about RMA's on video cards that cost more than your whole Duron/pc133 setup.
Now thats SLICK!

Boost your post count somewhere else, try off topic, we're trying to keeep each other informed as to what happening with our RMA's.

 

[DeathKnightMaF]

Actually, here's some more recent info:

This is rather odd, we have heard from several sources, including PowerLeap, the CPU upgrade and adapter people, that Equity Partners, Inc. working on behalf of Visiontek is actually faxing out invitations to other companies that is basically soliciting potential buyers for what is left of VisionTek for $150 Million. That much we know from PowerLeap.

Now, unconfirmed rumors from the retail market say that after the current stock of VisionTek cards are gone off the shelves, they will no longer stock the VisionTek brand ever. This makes things even harder on VisionTek, whom?from what is going around the rumor mill, will essentially only have their name, what equipment they do have left and a building for $150 Million, which is not what you would call a bargain. So with rumors of no channel sales to offer, no partner to make their cards, and barely more than the shirts on their backs ( a $150 million dollar shirt according to the fax ), things are looking pretty grim for VT all the way around.

Take it for what it is though. You can find it at HardOCP

I would think having problems getting a RMA or a reply from their tech support contributed to theyre troubles, not a result.

Contribution? They've been in a financial downfall for a while now starting with plans to move all manufacturing overseas and closing up shop in the US, having to lay off all workers and them not receiving their severance packages, and now being owned by the banks basically. So yes, your troubles were certainly a result of all of this.

I can see how you dont quite understand some peoples frustration when we're talking about RMA's on video cards that cost more than your whole Duron/pc133 setup.

Little outdated there bud. Try this link. You were saying?

Boost your post count somewhere else

Boost my post count? If I was worried about something like that wouldn't you think I'd have a significant number higher than 176 since Jan. 2001?

 

[MTDEW]

Interesting info.

Just a "personal" , general feeling that if they had done better business practices , then they wouldnt have had troubles in the 1st place.

Normally dont bash other people on the forums, but insulting someone by calliing them slick is not constructive to the thread.

And im not gonna be insulted trying to share info on this board.

3dmark stats in your link look much better.

Is that a Visiontek card? lol

Not sure if they made it to the Ti4200, pretty much gave up looking after i got my ti4600's until the recent Ati9700 info.

 

[MTDEW]

Back to the "actual" topic.

So any info if theyre still honoring warranties?
Or was i just lucky?

 

[DeathKnightMaF]

Actually, it's from PNY who seems to have the Nvidia showing at major retailers now that VisionTek's bit the dust.

They probably aren't honoring warranties anymore and they also stopped honoring rebates not too long ago.