Warning-ATI Warrantee lost

[njrich2]

Wow. Just got off the phone with Debra (1:20 pm Eastern Time Monday 1/19/04 Martin Luther King's birthday) at the number listed on the HL2 game promotion site. I bought one of the cards that has the HL2 promotion coupon and I asked her straight out, if I scratch off the card to get the number, "do I loose the warantee on the card." And she said yes (her words). She added that if the card becomes defective in 6 or 7 months, you can not return the card if you scratch off and reveal the code. Pretty crappy if you ask me. I had planned to download those other games right away, but I might wait a while. My experiences have been if something electronic is defective, it usaully does so fairly soon after you start using it. Just thought I would share this with you peeps (but you probably already knew). Bummer njrich2

 

[rbV5]

Yea right. When I RMA'd my AIW card a couple years ago...they replaced the card, not the entire package. You either asked the wrong question, talked to the wrong CSR, or are FOS.

 

[Rage187]

I think you are FOS also.


That little tidbit would have already surfaced on these boards 3-4months ago.

By now there have been 1000's of Ati RMA's w/ the HL2 promo.

 

[Keysplayr]

Sounds like there was a miscommunication somewhere there. What exactly does scratching the coupon have to do with the card itself and its warranty?
Nothing. Your card should be under warranty for its full term no matter what dude. If you buy from ATI I think the warranty is 3 years. Sapphire and Powercolor I think have only a 1 year warranty. So I think this "Debra" is either clueless, or misunderstood you.

 

[kylebisme]

...or you missunderstood her. regardless, this is a non-issue.

 

[rbV5]

Wow. Just got off the phone with Debra (1:20 pm Eastern Time Monday 1/19/04 Martin Luther King's birthday) at the number listed on the HL2 game promotion site

Do you hve a link? I see no number Here.

 

[Pete]

By "warrantee," did you mean that you couldn't return the card once you'd revealed the HL2 number? That would make sense.

 

[Rage187]

Maybe you meant the serial number on the card itself.

 

[rbV5]

From ShopATI:
Link

Half Life 2 Offer (coupon included inside your ATI graphics board gift box product)
If you would like to test your newly purchased "Graphics by ATI" card and are not sure if you will keep it, please DO NOT scratch the Half Life 2 activation key on the Half Life 2 coupon. If the key is revealed, you CANNOT return or exchange the product.


Doesn't say "Warrantee Lost", says "Can't Return/exchange" in other words, once you use the HL2 key, they won't refund your money or exchange it for another product. Sounds reasonable to me, and likely what you'd have to deal with buying from any Vendor. Warranty would still be good.

Edit: Fixed link

 

[Rage187]

I think they mean the store you purchased it from?

 

[rbV5]

I think they mean the store you purchased it from?

ShopATI is "their" store, and that is "their" store policy, but I'd be suprised if another vendor had a different policy.

 

[njrich2]

No miscomunication on my part. I repeated my conversation word for word. I just saw the phone number under the FAQ and thought I would ask before I downloaded. I would like to hear from someone who has downloaded and successfully and returned a card because of a problem. Not just a buch of second guessers.

Number is here: https://www.atihl2offer.com/faq.asp

If you are right and "she" was wrong, I'll try calling again in a few weeks to see if their "story" changes. It is very possible that a first level "customer service rep" may have gotten a wrong script to repeat or misunderstood. But I'll wait until I hear otherwise.

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: njrich2
No miscomunication on my part. I repeated my conversation word for word. I just saw the phone number under the FAQ and thought I would ask before I downloaded. I would like to hear from someone who has downloaded and successfully and returned a card because of a problem. Not just a buch of second guessers.

Calm down. What they have told you, in the shop or whatever it is, makes no sense, that's all. People here is trying to help you.

 

[rbV5]

I would like to hear from someone who has downloaded and successfully and returned a card because of a problem. Not just a buch of second guessers.

It's all spelled out for you. You will not be able to return or exchange the card to ATI(if you purchase the card from ShopATI) once you scratch the HL2 activation code. It has no effect on the warranty of the card itself. ATI only offers "returns" up to 30 days on "any" card anyway and then only if it is in resaleable condition, and no returns on accessories ever. If you want to maybe return the card, simply don't mess with the HL2 coupon...after 30 days, it is a moot point, they wouldn't accept a return anyway.

I have successfully RMA'd a defective card after over 1 year of use to ATI. They sent me a new card without any hassle at all.

From the FAQ link you offered:

To get the Valve Premier Pack, eligible customers will need:

An Internet connection
To sign up for STEAM (Valve?s online content delivery mechanism)
To agree to the STEAM Subscriber Terms and Conditions
To install the STEAM client and use the Activation Key (from the ?scratch box? on the Half-Life2 coupon) to activate the Valve Premier Pack

Do you get it now? Scratch the box to get the Valve Premium Pack...can't return the card. Just like she told you.

 

[newb54]

Originally posted by: Pete
By "warrantee," did you mean that you couldn't return the card once you'd revealed the HL2 number? That would make sense.

Yeah Pete has it right. Once you scratch the HL2 coupon you can't return the card to the store you bought it from. This prevents ppl from getting free HL2's by buying then returning the card. However your card is still under warrantee.

 

[njrich2]

Originally posted by: newb54

Originally posted by: Pete
By "warrantee," did you mean that you couldn't return the card once you'd revealed the HL2 number? That would make sense.

Yeah Pete has it right. Once you scratch the HL2 coupon you can't return the card to the store you bought it from. This prevents ppl from getting free HL2's by buying then returning the card. However your card is still under warrantee.

Based on what you are saying, as long as you don't scratch off the card, the warrentee is fine. Scratch off the card, no more warrentee (e.g can't return the card if there is a problem). You are right. Simple enough.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: njrich2

Originally posted by: newb54

Originally posted by: Pete
By "warrantee," did you mean that you couldn't return the card once you'd revealed the HL2 number? That would make sense.

Yeah Pete has it right. Once you scratch the HL2 coupon you can't return the card to the store you bought it from. This prevents ppl from getting free HL2's by buying then returning the card. However your card is still under warrantee.

Based on what you are saying, as long as you don't scratch off the card, the warrentee is fine. Scratch off the card, no more warrentee (e.g can't return the card if there is a problem). You are right. Simple enough.

No, no, no. You seem to be misunderstanding. If you scratch off the card (and redeem your HL2 voucher), you can no longer return the card and get your money back. You still have warranty coverage.

 

[Pete]

There are two distinct concepts being mingled here:

1. A warranty covers replacement after hardware failure. You can scratch off all the registration numbers you want and you'll still be covered under warranty if the card fails.

2. A return/exchange is separate from the warranty. You're basically losing the chance to return or exchange the card once you reveal the HL2 code, b/c the card is no longer in "like new" condition. But the warranty is still good.

It's really not that hard to grasp. I think both you and Debra are confusing warranty service on a retail ATI card (ATi's problem) with the store's return policy (the store's problem, obviously).

 

[Cerb]

Here's the key words:
1. Return - $$$ back. Scrathc the coupon off and it's no good.
2. Exchange - return for different product, put store credit towards it, whatever. Maybe you got the wrong thing, etc.
3. Replace - card blows up. Oh sh!t! RMA to ATi, get a new one in a white or brown box in the mail within a week or so.
You lose #1 and #2, but the important one, #3, is valid.

 

[Blastman]

First year Graphics card warranty philosophy 101 ? ? hahahahaha.

 

[Bad Dude]

She probably means that you cannot return the card if you scratch the card off.

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: Matthias99
No, no, no. You seem to be misunderstanding. If you scratch off the card (and redeem your HL2 voucher), you can no longer return the card and get your money back. You still have warranty coverage.