Thanks to Anand and the great Leadership at EVGA for resolving this issue. I received a call from the Director of Technical Marketing at EVGA regarding the issue.
He explained to me that the first 470 arriving was indeed a mishap and that was something they are resolving internally. Sometimes mistakes happen despite even the best practices and processes. They are doing their best to ensure this doesn't happen again.
The second card was submitted as an RMA instead of as a step-up. So the reason the card looked used is because it was indeed recertified, which is what you get when you RMA your product. The card was in good condition; just not new condition.
The final card I received was indeed a new card, complete with accessories. I'm happy to say it's performing very well, and running just as hot as they say
Some things to note here:
• Both cards #2 and #3 were sent overnight with return shipping labels. EVGA did this before anything was really escalated.
• Cards are boxed right at EVGA in the US, which gives EVGA an opportunity to test the cards. This identifies both defects and candidates for the "Superclocked" editions. If your new 480 looks like it was installed (marks on the DVI or PCIe slots), it might have been by EVGA.
Aside:
If you want a card that overclocks like a champ, go with the EVGA SuperClocked edition. These have already been validated to perform well at speeds higher than stock. Not all cards are tested, either, so buying the vanilla edition means you could have gotten one that failed that test or didn't get tested at all. It's still a crapshoot. It's all supply and demand too, so normal binning rules apply. Either way the lesson here is the same: Buy the superclocked edition if you want to overclock.
• I was told the residue on the cards is how they come back from the factory. I'm a little skeptical about this one, since my "new" 480 had a pretty clean PCB. I will say there was a little residue there, but you had to look really hard (as opposed to the recertified one which looked dirty). Not terribly important, though, since card #2 was already verified an RMA.
• I always got someone to talk to who was native English speaker When you're frustrated with a product, the last thing you want to do is stumble through a poorly translated conversation. Noteworthy whenever discussing the quality of customer support.
EVGA is indeed all its cracked up to be. They maintain a high level of customer support while also maintaining competitive prices - that alone is amazing. While it did take a call from Anand to get someone to explain to me "how and why," I did end up with a new 480 at the end of the day.
He explained to me that the first 470 arriving was indeed a mishap and that was something they are resolving internally. Sometimes mistakes happen despite even the best practices and processes. They are doing their best to ensure this doesn't happen again.
The second card was submitted as an RMA instead of as a step-up. So the reason the card looked used is because it was indeed recertified, which is what you get when you RMA your product. The card was in good condition; just not new condition.
The final card I received was indeed a new card, complete with accessories. I'm happy to say it's performing very well, and running just as hot as they say
Some things to note here:
• Both cards #2 and #3 were sent overnight with return shipping labels. EVGA did this before anything was really escalated.
• Cards are boxed right at EVGA in the US, which gives EVGA an opportunity to test the cards. This identifies both defects and candidates for the "Superclocked" editions. If your new 480 looks like it was installed (marks on the DVI or PCIe slots), it might have been by EVGA.
Aside:
If you want a card that overclocks like a champ, go with the EVGA SuperClocked edition. These have already been validated to perform well at speeds higher than stock. Not all cards are tested, either, so buying the vanilla edition means you could have gotten one that failed that test or didn't get tested at all. It's still a crapshoot. It's all supply and demand too, so normal binning rules apply. Either way the lesson here is the same: Buy the superclocked edition if you want to overclock.
• I was told the residue on the cards is how they come back from the factory. I'm a little skeptical about this one, since my "new" 480 had a pretty clean PCB. I will say there was a little residue there, but you had to look really hard (as opposed to the recertified one which looked dirty). Not terribly important, though, since card #2 was already verified an RMA.
• I always got someone to talk to who was native English speaker
When you're frustrated with a product, the last thing you want to do is stumble through a poorly translated conversation. Noteworthy whenever discussing the quality of customer support.EVGA is indeed all its cracked up to be. They maintain a high level of customer support while also maintaining competitive prices - that alone is amazing. While it did take a call from Anand to get someone to explain to me "how and why," I did end up with a new 480 at the end of the day.
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