JansenSensei
Epic Member
I remember recently advising someone to buy something on Amazon and them saying "Without a warranty?" (or something like that). Up until recently I never really worried about warranties because the stuff I had bought had always worked just fine... until this month.
So I thought I'd share my story with you...
I bought myself an Asus X570 TUF + Wifi motherboard at far lower than RSA prices (even after shipping and import taxes) but I have never installed a mobo before so I took it to Computer Corporation to swap out my motherboards. The guy took the mobo out of the static bag, cleared the residual thermal paste found inside the CPU socket, unscrewed and flipped the CPU fan brackets around so they actually face the right way around for the fan to connect to it, pointed out all the places where he could see screws were already used on the motherboard, highlighted the place where you can clearly see a GPU had been pressed up against the board.... then he installed it, found it wasn't posting at all and then wrote me a report listing all the stuff he found that proved Amazon had sent me a used and defective motherboard.
So I contacted Amazon, told them this via a chat window and arranged for a replacement. They said I had to send the original back to them (had to be in their possession within 31 days from the date on which return was arranged) or else I would have to pay for the replacement board also. I pointed out how expensive shipping is from RSA to the USA and that I didn't think it fair that I had to pay to return the broken, used item they sent me. They agreed and footed the return bill in addition to sending me a replacement. No replacement charge, no shipping, no import duties. Nothing out of my pocket at all.
They sent me a link from where I could print off the return waybills for DHL as well as the purchase invoice and said they don't even need me to send them the report from Computer Connection since what I have already written in the chat window is recorded and is all they needed. Couldn't be simpler!
Then came the problem...
We had to call DHL so many times over so many days and they STILL had no idea what a "collection" meant. They had all manner of questions and stories and [insert lots of headaches here]. Eventually I chatted with Amazon support again and said to them "I am having a lot of hassle trying to get DHL to collect the parcel and they are wasting my 31 day deadline. Can you PLEASE speak to them from your end and see if you can get this sorted out? Even though you already gave me the return waybill and the return has already been arranged, they can't do the collection without ME knowing YOUR account number with THEM, apparently. I contacted you before, you gave it to me already, I gave it to them already and they are still not sure how to come collect a parcel. Can you please help?"
While I was asking the support agent for help I had to ask him "Could you please stay on the chat for a few minutes? DHL is outside delivering the replacement motherboard you sent me. We can continue to arrange the collection when I get back". Two days later DHL finally collected the parcel (no, they didn't collect it during the delivery. That would have been too easy) and a week later it arrived at Amazon and I received an email telling me the return is complete.
TL;DR version...
I bought a brand new item but they sent me a broken, used item instead...
They paid the shipping to get the replacement to me as well as the return shipping for the broken one...
Getting a replacement from the USA was literally faster than getting the broken one shipped from inside town to the edge of town via DHL!
I literally had the replacement mobo from the USA installed and up and running inside my box before my defective board was even collected for return!
So, to anyone worrying about warranty issues from items bought on Amazon I have only one thing to tell you:
Customer support in the USA is nothing at all like customer support in RSA! When I told them how locally I would most likely still be listening to elevator music, waiting for someone to take my call while they have already arranged to pay for 2 items to be shipped on their dime from two countries and how every time I contact them for anything I am left amazed at their level of customer support, the guy just said to me:
"It is our duty to keep our customers happy"
When was the last time someone in RSA said THAT to you? So how does THAT make you feel about international warranties vs local warranties?
Me? I will buy from WootWare for convenience sake but when buying expensive items I would gladly buy from Amazon with zero fear!
p.s. I ordered the item from Amazon the day after I placed an order with WootWare for an item they had on sale.
Expected delivery date from USA: 15 December
Expected shipping date from Woot: 6 January
I love me my Amazon!
So I thought I'd share my story with you...
I bought myself an Asus X570 TUF + Wifi motherboard at far lower than RSA prices (even after shipping and import taxes) but I have never installed a mobo before so I took it to Computer Corporation to swap out my motherboards. The guy took the mobo out of the static bag, cleared the residual thermal paste found inside the CPU socket, unscrewed and flipped the CPU fan brackets around so they actually face the right way around for the fan to connect to it, pointed out all the places where he could see screws were already used on the motherboard, highlighted the place where you can clearly see a GPU had been pressed up against the board.... then he installed it, found it wasn't posting at all and then wrote me a report listing all the stuff he found that proved Amazon had sent me a used and defective motherboard.
So I contacted Amazon, told them this via a chat window and arranged for a replacement. They said I had to send the original back to them (had to be in their possession within 31 days from the date on which return was arranged) or else I would have to pay for the replacement board also. I pointed out how expensive shipping is from RSA to the USA and that I didn't think it fair that I had to pay to return the broken, used item they sent me. They agreed and footed the return bill in addition to sending me a replacement. No replacement charge, no shipping, no import duties. Nothing out of my pocket at all.
They sent me a link from where I could print off the return waybills for DHL as well as the purchase invoice and said they don't even need me to send them the report from Computer Connection since what I have already written in the chat window is recorded and is all they needed. Couldn't be simpler!
Then came the problem...
We had to call DHL so many times over so many days and they STILL had no idea what a "collection" meant. They had all manner of questions and stories and [insert lots of headaches here]. Eventually I chatted with Amazon support again and said to them "I am having a lot of hassle trying to get DHL to collect the parcel and they are wasting my 31 day deadline. Can you PLEASE speak to them from your end and see if you can get this sorted out? Even though you already gave me the return waybill and the return has already been arranged, they can't do the collection without ME knowing YOUR account number with THEM, apparently. I contacted you before, you gave it to me already, I gave it to them already and they are still not sure how to come collect a parcel. Can you please help?"
While I was asking the support agent for help I had to ask him "Could you please stay on the chat for a few minutes? DHL is outside delivering the replacement motherboard you sent me. We can continue to arrange the collection when I get back". Two days later DHL finally collected the parcel (no, they didn't collect it during the delivery. That would have been too easy) and a week later it arrived at Amazon and I received an email telling me the return is complete.
TL;DR version...
I bought a brand new item but they sent me a broken, used item instead...
They paid the shipping to get the replacement to me as well as the return shipping for the broken one...
Getting a replacement from the USA was literally faster than getting the broken one shipped from inside town to the edge of town via DHL!
I literally had the replacement mobo from the USA installed and up and running inside my box before my defective board was even collected for return!
So, to anyone worrying about warranty issues from items bought on Amazon I have only one thing to tell you:
Customer support in the USA is nothing at all like customer support in RSA! When I told them how locally I would most likely still be listening to elevator music, waiting for someone to take my call while they have already arranged to pay for 2 items to be shipped on their dime from two countries and how every time I contact them for anything I am left amazed at their level of customer support, the guy just said to me:
"It is our duty to keep our customers happy"
When was the last time someone in RSA said THAT to you? So how does THAT make you feel about international warranties vs local warranties?
Me? I will buy from WootWare for convenience sake but when buying expensive items I would gladly buy from Amazon with zero fear!
p.s. I ordered the item from Amazon the day after I placed an order with WootWare for an item they had on sale.
Expected delivery date from USA: 15 December
Expected shipping date from Woot: 6 January
I love me my Amazon!
