Beware XFX Video card lifetime warranty

[Scorbing]

Hi everyone!

I would like to share my experience.....

On 2008 March 30th, I bought an XFX video card that was advertised as lifetime warranty from NCIX.com. At this time I was not aware that in fact the card came with one year warranty and that to enable the lifetime warranty, I had to register the card to XFX within 30 days from purchase. Everything went fine until last month because for some reasons, the heatsink fan died making the GPU overheat and 3 capacitors exploded. Then the computer started making lines and colored squares all around the screen and became unstable. Fortunatly the card didn't wreck the whole system, I threw a spare card I had on hand in and everything returned to normal.

Here is a picture of the card:

Here is a picture of one of the capacitors that exploded:

Here is a scan (censored for privacy) of the original invoice:

Here is a transcript of the discussion I had with XFX:

So the reasons why I'm posting this are:

1 - I clearly understand the fact that I'm all wrong because I didn't register the card within 30 days from purchase.... (I bought the product, I paid for it, I installed the hardware, I installed the software-driver, I was happy with the product at this time, sorry I forgot to hire a lawyer to make sure everything was done right)............. so I would like to remind everybody to PLEASE DON'T FORGET THE REGISTRATION and TAKE TIME TO READ EVERYTHING.

2 - From this situation, I understand that XFX's priorities (*) are using legal traps (as marketing strategy) to save a buck over consumer satisfaction........... for this reason I would like to say that I won't buy any more products from this company and I wouldn't recommend it to any of my friends either.

(*) - This card had cost me 110$, probably around 55$ cost to NCIX, probably around 15-20$ to XFX.

Next time you buy a card, buy it from PNY. I bought a PNY 8800GT from BestBuy 1 year and a half ago and it died on me 2 weeks ago. I went to PNY's web site, requested an RMA which they gave to me the next day, no questions asked. They then told me to send the card to them with the RMA number and today I got the replacement card on the mail. No questions asked. PNY gives you a 5 year warranty on their nVidia cards (at least the 8800GT has it). I never registered anything. All I sent was the card and proof of purchase and that's it.

[hjf288]

XFX suck, one of their 6600GTs caught fire luckily it didnt take my system out - I returned it to my retailer and replaced it with a BFG card.. never had problems since..

Tbh its your fault you didnt read the fine print - BFG shove a notice in the box saying REGISTER WITHIN 30 DAYS TO QUALIFY FOR LIFETIME WARRANTY and its also stated on the outside of the box.

They could be more sympathetic tbh considering the timing but the buck does stop with you and hopefully it will stop you buying such a poor brand in future but also register your product promptly

Also Ive had 2 BFG products (7900GT and 260 GTX MAXCORE OC and they are both excellent) as well as the service

[urjoc]

Dude, stop whining.......

Well.... take it this way, I may appear to be whining but in fact.... I'm just making my way costing more than a single card to the company that didn't care about my satisfaction..... over 500 views in a couple hours, there are those who just don't care, those who will buy and put special care at registration, and those who won't buy.... that's life!

ho yeah..... I forgot to put this link I found in my original post..... http://www.ripoffreport.com/Computer-Graph...marke-and23.htm

[Vice]

I think you will find that this little incident wont cost XFX anything as everyone in the thread already knew you had to register because we do this thing called reading the manual.

[hjf288]

Well.... take it this way, I may appear to be whining but in fact.... I'm just making my way costing more than a single card to the company that didn't care about my satisfaction..... over 500 views in a couple hours, there are those who just don't care, those who will buy and put special care at registration, and those who won't buy.... that's life!

But they are right in telling you your out of warranty because you didnt register... which is right..

Unless they were underhanded like not writing it on the box or putting a card inside the box saying you need to register to recieve lifetime warranty then you cant really complain..

[urjoc]

I think you will find that this little incident wont cost XFX anything as everyone in the thread already knew you had to register because we do this thing called reading the manual.

yeah..... but you know sometimes (especially when everything works fine) the working class have no time left to read the manual.... well if you don't know.... XFX probably does!

But they are right in telling you your out of warranty because you didnt register... which is right..

isn't it what I wrote my self on the original post?

[tsupersonic]

Good thing I signed up for the EVGA warranty by registering, I mean it does say it in big print on the box...

[hjf288]

yeah..... but you know sometimes (especially when everything works fine) the working class have no time left to read the manual.... well if you don't know.... XFX probably does!

isn't it what I wrote my self on the original post?

So you cant insinuate they are using dirty tricks or legal traps to dodge their commitment..

They laid it out and you failed to satisfy the requirement.

You surely cant expect to cost them money by slagging the company off because of your own failure.

Now I understand they are a poor quality brand through experience and from reading stuff like your post but you seem to have issue more with their handling of your failure than the actual build of the product.

[urjoc]

So you cant insinuate they are using dirty tricks or legal traps to dodge their commitment..

They laid it out and you failed to satisfy the requirement.

You surely cant expect to cost them money by slagging the company off because of your own failure.

Now I understand they are a poor quality brand through experience and from reading stuff like your post but you seem to have issue more with their handling of your failure than the actual build of the product.

Yes your right, I have nothing to say about the overall quality of their product since it's the first time I have problems with them, and I've own multiples XFX products. If the card would have blown up after 10 years, I just wouldn't have cared (the card in not 2 years old yet!) . It's clearly about their handling of my problem I have something against them.

I'm a car mechanics and I always used to bend on my knees to satisfy my customers. In my career, I've also sold thousands of lifetime warranty brake pads and you never would have caught me seeking for the flaws to prevent honoring warranty. That must be why I expect the same thing in return. I believe it pays in the end.....

[+LogicalApex MVC]

Next time you buy a card, buy it from PNY. I bought a PNY 8800GT from BestBuy 1 year and a half ago and it died on me 2 weeks ago. I went to PNY's web site, requested an RMA which they gave to me the next day, no questions asked. They then told me to send the card to them with the RMA number and today I got the replacement card on the mail. No questions asked. PNY gives you a 5 year warranty on their nVidia cards (at least the 8800GT has it). I never registered anything. All I sent was the card and proof of purchase and that's it.

Sorry. PNY = 1 year warranty unless you register in 90 days to get it extended to lifetime.

http://www3.pny.com/support/media//Files%5...09-01-09_v1.pdf

[Denis W. Veteran]

XFX's warranty is quite comprehensive once you activate it - then again, I think most manufacturers are at the same level now. Damage caused by overclocking is covered (not physical damage though) and the warranty's transferable. (edit: reading the fine print, I can't find any references to overclocking. However, the warranty is definitely a lifetime warranty; it explicitly states: "If you register the product online at http://www.xfxforce.com/ within 30 days of purchase, your limited warranty will be extended for the duration of your life." That answers the point above about companies defining "lifetime" as "market lifetime.")

It's unfortunate what happened in your case; just keep in mind for future hardware purchases to carefully check what you need to do to activate any additional warranty coverage, if applicable.

Edited December 25, 2009 by rm20010

[iamwhoiam]

I think you will find that this little incident wont cost XFX anything as everyone in the thread already knew you had to register because we do this thing called reading the manual.

this.

I think it's silly for someone to complain about something, and get crappy with support people, over which they could have avoided by reading. My last card XFX card had a sticker on the box that reminded me to register the product. I've also had a couple of XFX cards replaced over the years WITHOUT question.

[Gary2MBz]

I got that same cooler for my 7600GT when the fan died. Strangely I registered it 2 years after purchase yet they honored it anyways very strange if you ask me. They actually cooperated with my need too and even though they shipped it a bit late, they sent something that worked. I feel sorry for you and honestly I don't know what to say.

[gnuman]

I don't understand why people don't read their warranty paperwork. It is the end user's responsibility to read the warranty paper work. It is too bad that this happened so you have learned from your mistake. It would be nice if the company did look the other way but they do not.

Belkin routers have lifetime warranty as well, but if you're in Canada like I am it is useless as shipping costs is about the same as the router itself since it is coming from the US.

[+shift. MVC]

I'm a car mechanics and I always used to bend on my knees to satisfy my customers. In my career, I've also sold thousands of lifetime warranty brake pads and you never would have caught me seeking for the flaws to prevent honoring warranty. That must be why I expect the same thing in return. I believe it pays in the end.....

They do bend on their knees to satisfy customers, by providing a lifetime warranty that covers heatsink removal etc. The only stipulation is you satisfy your end of the bargain and register within 30 days (or for PNY, 90 days)

Here are some other video card manufacturers that DON'T have lifetime warranties: Sapphire, Powercolor, ASUS, Gigabyte, Galaxy, Palit, Sparkle and MSI. ;)

[urjoc]

They do bend on their knees to satisfy customers, by providing a lifetime warranty that covers heatsink removal etc. The only stipulation is you satisfy your end of the bargain and register within 30 days (or for PNY, 90 days)

Here are some other video card manufacturers that DON'T have lifetime warranties: Sapphire, Powercolor, ASUS, Gigabyte, Galaxy, Palit, Sparkle and MSI. ;)

Ok let me explain what I think about this....

This card has not been tampered with or overclocked, it got broken after 1 year and 9 months, not because I did something wrong to it, not because of another component that failed, not because it has been exposed to cigarette tar, not because of any lack in taking care of it...... In fact I got broken because of a hardware weakness..... I wonder what's the difference to XFX with the card being registered or not beside making sure I'm the original owner, witch I can prove easily.

I think this registration thing is only a marketing trick to make people buy the product then get away without the responsibility since I assume I'm surely not the only one who got caught like this......

May you have a look at this link witch is one of many XFX cards NCIX sells:

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=44932&am...manufacture=XFX

at the bottom you can find the infos about the warranty and it look like this:

First 30 days limited warranty through NCIX.com. The remainder of the lifetime warranty is provided directly by the manufacturer.

Double lifetime available on most XFX products. Warranty available directly from XFX.

* Lifetime Warranty

* Transferable Protection

* Modder Friendly

For more details, Click here.

where it says "for more details click here", if you click the link, it's gonna open this link:

http://www.xfxforce.com/web/support/showWa...rationId=730964

witch is a broken link (404 - file or directory not found).....

Also if you look at the original invoice on my original post, you'll find out that there's absolutely nothing about registration required....

If I would have known about this thing back in 2008 when I installed the card, I surely would have registered. If I would have seen on the box that it needed registration for the lifetime warranty to be enabled, I would have done it, even if I don't personally agree with those practices.

I admitted it from the beginning that I did a mistake not reading the literature (and by the way not registering), next time I'll be more vigilant. But for me it's unacceptable how fast this card died and if XFX would have handled my in a case a different manner, it would definitely have influenced my own perception of the company.

[Unrealistic]

Stop arguing with people and do what I told you....This thread is pointless if you are just going to argue with people about this.

We've told you where you are wrong and what to do...now please do it and post results, or this is a big waste of everyone's time.

[jnelsoninjax]

I have owned nothing but XFX branded video cards because of there wonderful support and warranty. I have had multiple cards replaced and never once did they refuse to issue an RMA because the card was not registered (on at least 1 occasion it was not prior to the trouble), so I do not see why there is any issue here, but I do know a way that you can get the card fixed, it is rather simple, seeing as the warranty is 100% transferable, 'give' the card to a friend/family member, have them register the card as purchased from you, then have them request the RMA, there should not be any issue with it then.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

<snipped>

...I wonder what's the difference to XFX with the card being registered or not beside making sure I'm the original owner, witch I can prove easily.

I think this registration thing is only a marketing trick to make people buy the product then get away without the responsibility since I assume I'm surely not the only one who got caught like this......

These new warranty registration schemes serve a dual purpose for the manufacturer, but not of equal importance.

1. It can shave off some warranties (like yours).

This is the least important incentive imho. Without clear data from hardware companies I can't say for certain, but with the size the put it on the box and the cards they include reminding consumers to do it along with the ease of doing so it seems safe to conclude that almost everyone registers easily. If the companies primary goal was to shave off warranty eligible customers they would use a process similar to that of the rebate industry. A process that promotes breakage.

They could have you cut out the UPC and mail it to x-place withhin x-time (but not too early) with your left thumbprint and all that jazz...

They don't because they want you to keep you warranty (and the vast majority do). They just want to turn you into their cop.

2. You are their cop.

This is the main reason they want you to register your card. They want that proof of purchase you have. By mandating you register and send them a copy of your proof of purchase they now get a wealth of information on you and their customers (you're their customer's customer as they sell to retailers who sell to you). This allows them to in turn police their customers.

I don't remember the date, but if I'm pressed for it I'll cite the case... In the early 2000's the Surpeme Court changed the rules. Allowing companies to enforce minimum pricing among retailers. The argument was it could allow a manufacturer to even the playing field between online and brick and mortar. Regardless of why it was done... Manufacturers can now control the price of their products in a way they never could before. The only problem is they can't watch every website all the time.

By giving you a nice incentive to cover your video card for "life" in exchange for your proof of purchase they end up with that information. They have data from you saying exactly how much you paid for the goods. They can then use that information against the retailer to ensure the pricing is set where they want. A shoddy reseller can't deep discount BFG cards without approval because BFG will find out thanks to you.

This is made more evident where the video card warranties default to really long periods of 1 or 2 years without registration. I'm sure the majority of cards that do fail do so within the first year and even more are replaced within 2 years.

<snipped>

If I would have known about this thing back in 2008 when I installed the card, I surely would have registered. If I would have seen on the box that it needed registration for the lifetime warranty to be enabled, I would have done it, even if I don't personally agree with those practices.

I admitted it from the beginning that I did a mistake not reading the literature (and by the way not registering), next time I'll be more vigilant. But for me it's unacceptable how fast this card died and if XFX would have handled my in a case a different manner, it would definitely have influenced my own perception of the company.

I'm sure it was on the box or in the 1 page warranty statement (though I haven't seen any company do it without making it very clear to you as they want you PoP as I stated above).

You can replace your card for an OK rate now. It is unfortunate what happened, but I'm glad you're speaking out. It has the benefit of helping others and it might help companies be more honest about their intentions by geting more serious about their notice. I don't remember if this was the case or not, but I think BFG reminds you on the sticker that seals the video card in the anti-static bag. If they don't well that might be the next step for the card makers.

[+shift. MVC]

May you have a look at this link witch is one of many XFX cards NCIX sells:

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=44932&am...manufacture=XFX

at the bottom you can find the infos about the warranty and it look like this:

where it says "for more details click here", if you click the link, it's gonna open this link:

http://www.xfxforce.com/web/support/showWa...rationId=730964

witch is a broken link (404 - file or directory not found).....

Also if you look at the original invoice on my original post, you'll find out that there's absolutely nothing about registration required....

If I would have known about this thing back in 2008 when I installed the card, I surely would have registered. If I would have seen on the box that it needed registration for the lifetime warranty to be enabled, I would have done it, even if I don't personally agree with those practices.

I admitted it from the beginning that I did a mistake not reading the literature (and by the way not registering), next time I'll be more vigilant. But for me it's unacceptable how fast this card died and if XFX would have handled my in a case a different manner, it would definitely have influenced my own perception of the company.

Whether or not NCIX provides the correct link on their website has no bearing on the quality of XFX as a company.

Might I note that XFX doesn't make the capacitors they use in their video cards, so in that regard your argument could apply for any video card manufacturer.

[urjoc]

I consider myself as a regular buyer at NCIX..... I just added the totals from the pile of invoices I have here from the past three years and it gives me 9215$ with transport ans taxes.... I never "price matched" anything..... on 2009 August 24th, I paid 50$ to become VIP Member, then on 2009 November 11th, I paid 150$ to become a Premier Partner. As of today, I recovered 40% of the cost of both memberships. I've asked them if they could be of any help, I'm still waiting for a reply......

As for the capacitors...... Firstly I think that if the fan wouldn't have stop spinning, they would still be in great health today..... Secondly, do you actually mean that in the case my registration would have been in correct order, the company wouldn't have paid for exploded capacitors on lifetime warranty since they didn't make them?

Edited December 26, 2009 by urjoc

[Argi]

XFX's "lifetime" warranty is actually only 2 years outside of NA I believe (at least in Aus.) - pretty good.

[urjoc]

These new warranty registration schemes serve a dual purpose for the manufacturer, but not of equal importance.

1. It can shave off some warranties (like yours).

................

2. You are their cop.

................

You can replace your card for an OK rate now. It is unfortunate what happened, but I'm glad you're speaking out. It has the benefit of helping others and it might help companies be more honest about their intentions by geting more serious about their notice. I don't remember if this was the case or not, but I think BFG reminds you on the sticker that seals the video card in the anti-static bag. If they don't well that might be the next step for the card makers.

Thanks for those explanations.

Stop arguing with people and do what I told you....This thread is pointless if you are just going to argue with people about this.

We've told you where you are wrong and what to do...now please do it and post results, or this is a big waste of everyone's time.

I've sent the link to this discussion to both retailer and manufacturer. I assume both are closed for Christmas. I may have a feedback next week.

[+shift. MVC]

I consider myself as a regular buyer at NCIX..... I just added the totals from the pile of invoices I have here from the past three years and it gives me 9215$ with transport ans taxes.... I never "price matched" anything..... on 2009 August 24th, I paid 50$ to become VIP Member, then on 2009 November 11th, I paid 150$ to become a Premier Partner. As of today, I recovered 40% of the cost of both memberships. I've asked them if they could be of any help, I'm still waiting for a reply......

As for the capacitors...... Firstly I think that if the fan wouldn't have stop spinning, they would still be in great health today..... Secondly, do you actually mean that in the case my registration would have been in correct order, the company wouldn't have paid for exploded capacitors on lifetime warranty since they didn't make them?

In this case, there's not much NCIX can do about it since it's been a year already, regardless of whether or not you're a Premier Partner or not. I'm sure MAYBE (a big maybe at that) if you contact the right people SOMETHING could be done, but I very highly doubt it.

What I'm saying about the capacitor's popping is tough luck. It could happen to anyone, and saying how it happened in such a short period of time is irrelevant to your original complaint regarding XFX's customer service and their policy with reference to registering your product within 30 days to be eligible for lifetime warranty. **** happens.

What I am trying to explain to you is speed at which your video card dies does not make XFX a bad company. If you registered then they most likely repair your card or replace it with the equivalent performing GPU available at the moment (you might get lucky and get something higher, but rarely). They handled the situation the way they are supposed to handle it for those that have not registered within 30 days, and your card just happened to be outside of the standard 1 year warranty period.

Only thing you can really do now is contact as many people you can that might be able to do something about it.

[urjoc]

We've told you where you are wrong and what to do...now please do it and post results.

Manufacturer's answer : "Hi, if you have any other questions please let us know. Regards, Daniel"

Reseller didn't reply (yet).