fordke@ingr.com (Keith Ford x8614) (08/20/90)
Here is my follow-up to my posting about having video problems with my ATI VGA 1024 (Wonder) when the hard drive was accessed. I called ATI and explained the problem. They said it was a known problem and that my board required a modification. I asked the tech support person I was talking to what I needed to do. She said I should ship the card to the address in the manual. I did this and waited three weeks. I called to get a status report. The tech support person I talked to said they did no follow up on RMA's until 30 days. I told the fellow that I had not been told to acquire a RMA number. He said, "Uh-Oh". I asked what would have happened to my board. He said it would probably be returned to me. I said that it had already been three weeks. He said it might have gotten stuck at the border. I'm going to wait until week #5 and try again. As best I can tell, there are three possible endings to this story. From best to worst: (1) the board shows up at my door step repaired, (2) the board shows up in the same condition as sent, or (3) the board is lost. I'll keep you informed, watch the net. My only advice is to know what you need to do before you ask what that is. :-( -- | ...!uunet!ingr!fordke | Micro Magic BBS (1:373/12 - 205/830-2362) | fordke@ingr.com | IBM/Apple2/Trackstar/Echoes/OBUL/ODIN | "and the Trees are all kept equal by hatchet, axe, and saw." -Rush
jgarland@kean.ucs.mun.ca (08/20/90)
Kieth Ford writes of a sad, potentially expensive horror story about returning a board without an RMA (the importance of which was never communicated to him)... > I'll keep you informed, watch the net. My only advice is to > know what you need to do before you ask what that is. :-( ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ One source you can use is Computer Shopper...it lists the return policies of all of its advertisers in a table in the back. Hope things turn out for the best. John Garland jgarland@mun Bitnet jgarland@kean.ucs.mun.ca Internet
guy@contact.uucp (Guy Lemieux) (08/23/90)
In <11797@ingr.com> fordke@ingr.com (Keith Ford x8614) writes: >Here is my follow-up to my posting about having video problems >with my ATI VGA 1024 (Wonder) when the hard drive was accessed. >I called ATI and explained the problem. They said it was a known >problem and that my board required a modification. I asked the >tech support person I was talking to what I needed to do. She >said I should ship the card to the address in the manual. I did >this and waited three weeks. I called to get a status report. >The tech support person I talked to said they did no follow up >on RMA's until 30 days. I told the fellow that I had not been >told to acquire a RMA number. He said, "Uh-Oh". I asked what >would have happened to my board. He said it would probably be I suppose the person you originally talked to really should have told you that you needed an RMA number to return the merchandise. Perhaps she said something (which you inadvertantly ignored) or maybe she just forgot to tell you. I'm surprised *you* didn't ask if you needed one; whenever one has to ship back to the manufacturer almost ** ALL ** of then want you to get an RMA number first before you ship the thing back. (Think about working for such a company and all of the returned merchandise you could be receiving--wouldn't YOU want something like an RMA so YOU would already have an _accurate_ description of the problem (as written by your phone tech support, not some lame user) as well as all other _pertinent_ information in a _legible_ form (like where to ship the fixed part back to, etc.)). As far as waiting 30 days for a status report--I think that's reasonable considering that most of their stuff probably comes from the States. They want sufficient time to pass for the product to be shipped from you to them, they fix it, and shipped back *before* they start doing extensive tracking down of the item. This keeps costs down as well as their prices. >returned to me. I said that it had already been three weeks. >He said it might have gotten stuck at the border. I'm going to I find this is usually the case (stuck at the border, that is). >wait until week #5 and try again. As best I can tell, there are >three possible endings to this story. From best to worst: (1) >the board shows up at my door step repaired, (2) the board shows >up in the same condition as sent, or (3) the board is lost. >I'll keep you informed, watch the net. My only advice is to >know what you need to do before you ask what that is. :-( Ok. Please note that I am NOT FLAMING YOU, nor do I WORK for ATI or have ANY affiliation with them other than being a satisified customer. I haven't had a problem with them yet, nor have my friends. I am just trying to reassure you of the possible state of your card before you panic (?) as well as letting the net know that ATI may not really be as bad as your article lead them to believe. Enuf said! -- Guy ENG SCI University of Toronto guy@contact.uucp 9 T 2 Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering