God Damn It!!

[Kill-Switch]

Just venting here, feel free to ignore.

Send my motherboard back to where I bought it from , it's one of the sites that isn't allowed to be linked from here (clue it has over and clockers in the name LOL). Well I was pointed to their returns policy before I sent it back and all was supposed to be fine. Got a call today saying that as it's been in a Vapochill it's warrenty is void, and then was told it's their on the site ... in the Vapochill section not the returns policy section!!

So the guy said as it was warrenty void he wasn't under any obligation to test the motherboard ... and in fact wouldn't test it. But get this, I am being charged a £20 testing fee!!! What the feck!? I am being charged a testing fee even though they won't test it!!!

The guy said the ywere just going to turn around and send it back to me ... at my expense. So all in all over £30 would charged and not a damn thing done. I quickly told the guy that I knew the problem and it was the BIOS being corrupted, he said he would replace the BIOS chip before sendin it back to me.

To be honest I don't expect them to change the BIOS chip at all and will end up with my motherboard back not working and over £30 down for my troubles (not to mention the £20 I paid to send it back to them in the first place!!).

Right now I feel like going off on one, but at the end of the day it won't solve anything. Needless to say I won't be shopping at that place again .... b'stards!!

[Player0]

I dont think we have a ban on any sites not being listed on here. Or maybe thats a pclincs thing :)

[Kill-Switch]

Wasn't too sure about it, all I know is overclockers.co.uk apparently has a blanket ban on linking to any other site, thus PCLincs ban advertising their site. I figured that since they [overclockers] don't allow linking (or mention of other sites) that they don't deserve to be linked to really.

*Realises he just did what he said he wasn't doing* LOL

Anyway their returns poloicy is very dodgy which they apparently twist and bend to their liking in order to not refund or replace defective goods. I know this now as I've found plenty of other people talking of similar occurances.

[Kill-Switch]

Update
Well after venting and feeling I was getting nowhere I went to the local citizens advice for ... umm ... advice :D I was put in touchwith a solicitor who whole-heartedly agrees with me and pointed out the legalities regarding making customers aware of returns policies and all that legal stuff. To cut it short I was informed that what the afore mentioned store had done (and was doing) was illegal and a breach of consumer rights!!

I emailed the company informing them of my position and the fact I had legal councel who had explained my rights and their breaking of the law. I proposed we come to some agreement in order to prevent legal action and getting other people involved (such as trading standards). I didn't hear anything back from them.

Today I got my motherboard back, and of course it still doesn't work and the BIOS had not been replaced. So I got on the phone to them ... they sure knew who I was and the whole company had been under pressure to sort their website out and to figure out what to do (contacring me would have been a start). I once again explained the legalities of the situation to which the guy agreed (but stood by the companies policies) and explained why they had the policies in place. A possible solution was reached ... the guy told me to put the motherboard in a dishwasher .... you read that right, a DISHWASHER. No cleaning agents, just water. He informed me this would remove all traces of the thermal compound. All I had to do then was dry it out and RMA it back to them as nobody would be able to tell it had been in a Vapochill. From here they could send it back to Abit and I'd get a replacement.

He did say that they used to accept motherboards and CPUs that had been in Vapochills before, but had stopped due to some manufacturers refusing to take them back. Also he said that a lot of places will accept them as they just do as he had suggested and wash the components before sending them back to the manufacturer.

Now why couldn't they have just played nicely and done that for me huh? Anyways I have a motherboard to wash :D

[Kavett]

ROFLMFAO~!~!~!~! you have to tell me how the washing pans out.

[Kill-Switch]

Well I didn't do the dishwasher thing as I don't own a dishwasher and don't know anyone who does ... we're common folk you see, we use our hands and soapy water to clean our dishes :)

All I did was put some warm/hot water into a large bowl and submerged the side of the board with the socket on it. Then I used a hard bristled brush thing to scrub the hell out of the socket. I have it about 90% clean ... I think I'll do it one more time and leave it at that, then I'll RMA it (again).

[Kill-Switch]

Update

Yes the saga continues Today I finally got a motherboard back!! Woohoo. It appears to be a new board, it's definately not the one I sent back that's for sure. They sure made sure they only replaced the board, all the other parts and documents are the ones I sent back to them in the first place ... so what's the point in them demanding they be returned also if they are going to send them back to you anyway?

Unfortunately all I can do today is test it out for a brief period as I am awaiting Asetek sending my some thermal compound so I can get the Vapochill back up and running (the thermal compound supplied is only enough for one usage so if you have to go through this kind of crap you need to buy more).

I will still gripe about the unmentionable store this thread is flaming (again). It really REALLY bugs me that they tell you to pack return goods in an inch (or 2) of bubble wrap and box it securely before returning it. The board I got today was in a box twice the size of the motherboard box with no other protection!!!

Oh well, I have what appears to be a new motherboard so will test it out using a standard HSF to make sure it posts. Will let you know what happens

[evilmatt]

I ve bought from [the computer website shop that cannot be named] myself on many occations and have had stuff that I needed to rma to them

the only really annoying thing I had was, I got a shuttle nforce 2 that fried and they spent ages to get a replacement mobo from shuttle (why they couldn't just give me a new box I don't know or even just swap the mobo round with another one) I got a bit annoyed with them after 1-2 months of nothing and me phoning them up to ask where the thing was and them saying it'll be in by the end of the week many times.

they did get round to replacing it in the end (it turned up just the shuttle packaging (ie no outer box or bubble wrap) with a shipping label slaped on it) but it took a while.

I did buy from them again but I'm more warry of them.