- Apr 24, 2001
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Not naming the company - at least not yet! - for maximum objectivity (and to avoid fanboyism).
Just trying to see how others would react.
Imagine this scenario.
You buy a video card, but you don't open the box right away. You keep it on a shelf in reserve, until you need it.
Then COVID comes, and there's a worldwide GPU crisis.
One day you build a new computer and you need a video card to put it all together.
You take the spare card from the box for the first time, put it in the computer, turn it on and start installing Windows.
Mid-way through the installation, the screen goes dark.
The GPU has simply stopped functioning, none of the outputs work (it's a silent model, so no moving parts either).
The manufacturer's warranty terms are as follows:
"36 months from the date the product was first purchased by an end-customer (“Date of Purchase”). If proof of purchase cannot be provided, the manufacture date will be deemed to be the start of the Warranty Period. "
You bought the card in 2019, so you assume you're covered. You have the original receipt from the store and you send a scan/picture of it to the manufacturer, as proof of purchase.
You contact the manufacturer. The online RMA form asks for details, including the serial number.
They inform you that the serial number shows a manufacturing date of 2014, so as far as they're concerned, the card's warranty has expired.
You ask for clarifications and point out the terms of the warranty (36 months from purchase).
Your case is escalated to Tier 2 customer support.
The company's response is that the retailer sold you an older model, already out of manufacturer's warranty in 2019, so the retailer you purchased it from became responsible for the product's warranty.
Of course, the retailers' warranty was only good for a year, and the store has closed (like many others during the pandemic).
Bottom line: Repairing or replacing the card will cost you, either way.
Do you accept the manufacturer's response?
Just trying to see how others would react.
Imagine this scenario.
You buy a video card, but you don't open the box right away. You keep it on a shelf in reserve, until you need it.
Then COVID comes, and there's a worldwide GPU crisis.
One day you build a new computer and you need a video card to put it all together.
You take the spare card from the box for the first time, put it in the computer, turn it on and start installing Windows.
Mid-way through the installation, the screen goes dark.
The GPU has simply stopped functioning, none of the outputs work (it's a silent model, so no moving parts either).
The manufacturer's warranty terms are as follows:
"36 months from the date the product was first purchased by an end-customer (“Date of Purchase”). If proof of purchase cannot be provided, the manufacture date will be deemed to be the start of the Warranty Period. "
You bought the card in 2019, so you assume you're covered. You have the original receipt from the store and you send a scan/picture of it to the manufacturer, as proof of purchase.
You contact the manufacturer. The online RMA form asks for details, including the serial number.
They inform you that the serial number shows a manufacturing date of 2014, so as far as they're concerned, the card's warranty has expired.
You ask for clarifications and point out the terms of the warranty (36 months from purchase).
Your case is escalated to Tier 2 customer support.
The company's response is that the retailer sold you an older model, already out of manufacturer's warranty in 2019, so the retailer you purchased it from became responsible for the product's warranty.
Of course, the retailers' warranty was only good for a year, and the store has closed (like many others during the pandemic).
Bottom line: Repairing or replacing the card will cost you, either way.
Do you accept the manufacturer's response?
Last edited:
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