Okay seriously wtf is the deal with these lifetime warranties?

[n7]

I am in a discussion on another forum, & i thought i recalled a thread here on this.

IIRC, BFG was the only company with a true actual lifetime warranty.

But what about eVGA, XFX, & now Powercolor.

Does anyone actually knows what the frickin' "lifetime" means?

From reading the wording on eVGA's site, it seems to me like it's only product production lifespan, but they word it so oddly, it's hard to know.

Has anyone had to deal with any of these companies with RMAs on cards that are out of production?

How 'bout anyone having any concrete info on the details on these warranties?

Now updated with answers:

BFG: true lifetime, all owners get same warranty
eVGA: true lifetime, only first owner gets warranty if card is registered, great step-up program
XFX: true lifetime, first & second owner get warranty if registered
Powercolor: true lifetime

 

[imported_Kudos]

lifetime warranty's on electronics suck, they're usually just for the product lifetime, if they don't make the product anymore, you're out of luck.

Usually, if its more involved, they'll list it in the small print. It will say somewhere if they aren't making that specific product anymore, you'll get the new model. Sony usually does this. I had a mini disc player and it's been long discontinued, but had a problem with it they couldn't fix so they gave me a new model.

 

[Robor]

BFG: The warranty transfers from owner to owner. I called them on this before selling my BFG 6800GT and BFG verified the info.

XFX: They have a 'double lifetime' warranty. Original owner registers and qualifies for the lifetime warranty. When he sells the card the 2nd owner can register and receive a lifetime warranty as well. You must register the card to receive the warranty.

Note: I'm not sure if either or both of these are 'lifespan' warranties.

 

[aggressor]

eVGA lifetime warranties *do not* transfer, and there is no other kind of warranty implied. You can "cheat" and never register it, but...that's cheating. If you've registered (to 'step-up' for example), the second (and third, forth, etc) owner gets no kind of warranty. It's stupid, and I'm never buying an eVGA card again because of it.

 

[sodcha0s]

From Powercolors website:

PowerColor introduces the PC Lifetime Warranty program . For our retail Graphics Card products purchased on or after January, 24, 2006, PowerColor will provide a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser of each retail product that the product will not suffer, in material or workmanship, from any defect that adversely affects the performance of the product. This lifetime warranty is valid for the life of the retail product, as so long as the original purchaser owns the product, based upon the following conditions:

* PC Lifetime Warranty applies to all X1900 series retail Graphics Card
* Product must be with no physical damage to the PCB, GPU/chipset, or components
* Product must in retail package and have been registered with PowerColor.
* Offer is only valid in the USA and Canada .

A bit later it says:

Product will be upgraded or distributed on a first come first serve basis at the sole discretion of PowerColor if products had been phased out or have limited availability for the PC Lifetime Warranty Program.

Seems theirs is a true lifetime warranty.

 

[JohnAn2112]

BFG's warranty is true lifetime as well. I had a 2-3 year old GF FX 5900 Ultra and I called them up when it died. It was long out of production and they replaced it with a 6800 card.

 

[n7]

Great thanx guys.

On the other forum i was discussing this on, someone phoned XFX & eVGA to clarify, & both confirmed the warranty is true lifetime



So...

BFG: true lifetime, all owners get same warranty
eVGA: true lifetime, only first owner gets warranty if card is registered, great step-up program
XFX: true lifetime, first & second owner get warranty if registered
Powercolor: true lifetime

 

[M0RPH]

Who cares? Within 5 years it's practically worthless.

 

[n7]

Originally posted by: M0RPH
Who cares? Within 5 years it's practically worthless.

What if the warranty was indeed only production lifetime & you bought an X1800XT today, only to find out it's warranty was already over, or over in a few months?

That's who cares :roll:

 

[NoStateofMind]

Originally posted by: n7
Great thanx guys.

On the other forum i was discussing this on, someone phoned XFX & eVGA to clarify, & both confirmed the warranty is true lifetime



So...

BFG: true lifetime, all owners get same warranty
eVGA: true lifetime, only first owner gets warranty if card is registered, great step-up program
XFX: true lifetime, first & second owner get warranty if registered
Powercolor: true lifetime

I don't trust what eVGA says verbally. That means nothing and if they do honor it now it can be changed simply by pointing it out on thier discription of 'lifetime warranty' page. In court, whats in writing means it all, the rest is hearsay.

 

[n7]

Yes, i realize we're putting faith in what someone on the phone said, so it's possible it's untrue.

But until proven otherwise, i'd like to believe them.

 

[Killrose]

I'm glad to see Powercolor provide ATi users with a liftime warranty. They should be able to corner the ATi market with that provided the price of the cards is not overly padded to allow that.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Last time I checked, BFG's warranty was not transferrable between owners.

I believe eVGA's is supposed to cover overclocking and changing HSFs, which I don't think other companies' are willing to cover (unless they factory overclock them and then only for that speed).

 

[BoomerD]

I just e-mailed BFG on their warranty, because I was looking at a couple on E-Bay, and here's their reply:
"Our cards only carry a warranty for the original purchaser."

 

[loafbred]

I just sold my BFG 6800U on ebay a couple of weeks ago. I had only used it with a CRT, and the buyer is using DVI. DVI wouldn't work for him. BFG quickly replaced his card, and it's working properly now.

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17
Last time I checked, BFG's warranty was not transferrable between owners.

I believe eVGA's is supposed to cover overclocking and changing HSFs, which I don't think other companies' are willing to cover (unless they factory overclock them and then only for that speed).

Not according to what I was told. I called the BFG support number (25 minutes spent on hold by the way) and asked this exact question when I sold my BFG 6800GT OC. I was told the warranty did transfer.

 

[Topweasel]

Originally posted by: Robor

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17
Last time I checked, BFG's warranty was not transferrable between owners.

I believe eVGA's is supposed to cover overclocking and changing HSFs, which I don't think other companies' are willing to cover (unless they factory overclock them and then only for that speed).

Not according to what I was told. I called the BFG support number (25 minutes spent on hold by the way) and asked this exact question when I sold my BFG 6800GT OC. I was told the warranty did transfer.

I had a Roomate send in his 5900 to BFG, they never asked fo rhis reciept at all, said of course it was covered when he asked whether it was still covered do to end of production. If they don't ask for reciept then they can't confim that you wouldn't be the original owner.

 

[sodcha0s]

Originally posted by: M0RPH
Who cares? Within 5 years it's practically worthless.

Really? Let's say 5 years down the road, you pop that card in a spare rig, and WHAM, it's borked. According to the lifetime warranty, you make a claim and get a brand spanking new current gen card, because your old dinosaur of a card is no longer being made. Now, is it still practically worthless?