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Graphics Videocardshop: Absolute Mess

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Madness_3d, 18 Mar 2011.

  1. Madness_3d

    Madness_3d Bit-Tech/Asus OC Winner

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    As a summary for those who are scared by lots of text :)
    Card 3

    [​IMG]

    Card 4

    [​IMG]

    A good few years ago I bought an XFX 7800GS. It was an amazing upgrade at the time and worked absolutely flawlessly. I sold it to a friend and it still works in one of his machines today. Encouraged by this card I upgraded to an XFX 8800GTS 320 XXX, this also worked perfectly, overclocked nicely and is still working in as a dedicated GPGPU today.

    By this point I was so pleased with my XFX cards I even themed a case mod around the XFX name.

    I upgraded from this card to an XFX GTX 260 XXX (192sp). It had a deteriorating problem (instability under load) which unfortunately took over a year to get to a point where it was repeatable enough to apply for an RMA. In the meantime, I purchased a new XFX GTX 260 XXX (216sp) from Videocardshop with the hope that with the dodgy card as the non primary GPU the stability issues would go away.

    This new card however was, DOA (1/4/10). I RMA'd it promptly and after three weeks Videocardshop got back to me and told me they couldn't get me another one, so offered me a refurbished GTX 280 (21/4/10).

    In the meantime I'd established a completely reproducible test for the fault on my original 260. So I RMA'd this and it eventually was diagnosed as faulty by the XFX RMA Centre. I got a £140 refund back which I put towards a second XFX GTX 280 from Videocardshop. (ordered 21/5/10, despatched 1/6/10)

    Everything was fine for a few months, then I started getting weird colour screen locks, both when starting applications (that used SLI) and (if they started) when under heavy load. The display would freeze with whatever I was running and there would be pink squares all over the image. I eventually pinned it down to one of the two cards and RMA'd it to Videocardshop (23/1/11). They couldn't reproduce the fault. So I sent them pictures of the fault occurring with just that card.

    They replaced it with another XFX GTX 280 (18/2/11) after much insistence on my part and when I received the replacement it was even worse. The replacement locks on boot to a full coloured/squares screen (when primary gpu or lone). I tested the replacement in a completely different machine and it exhibited exactly the same fault.(6/3/11)

    So even after months of waiting for replies and being without a fully working graphics card setup, they say "they cannot agree it is faulty" (7/3/11), because they "tested it" before they sent it to me. They have, however, offered me a £75 "trade in" for each card (9/3/11), which given they cost me a combined £330 less than a year ago I feel is a joke. Having had 3 GPU's from Videocardshop (of which only one works) I have kindly asked them for a refund for the faulty gpu and a partial refund for the working one from the original RMA. I'm not willing to go on with constant issues and get a replacement from them which probably won't work or will probably break after a few months.

    They have now asked me to pay to send the card to them, saying they will test it (presumably with the same tests that didn't show the issue before) and if it doesn't show the fault they're just going to send it back to me, and there is no way I'm getting a refund. (and I'll have to pay the shipping back as well) (I had to wait a week from my last email just to get this reply from them)

    I've really lost faith in XFX Cards or more specifically Videocardshop's stock.
     
    Last edited: 31 May 2011
  2. [PUNK] crompers

    [PUNK] crompers Dremedial

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    I have a GTX280 from Vcs, the initial one was faulty and went straight to 100c under load. I sent that back and got a new one, which has been fine, although it has always run very hot and seems to be a very early revision. Recently I've been having a few problems which could be GPU or PSU related, but I'm outside my one year warranty.

    Tbh I wouldnt buy a card off them again, its clear the stock doesn't get checked thoroughly and although there are savings to be made its not worth the headache of constant RMA's if you happen to get a bad egg/string of bad eggs. You pays your money you takes your chance I guess
     
  3. murraynt

    murraynt Modder

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    Sorry, but what shop is RL?
     
  4. Madness_3d

    Madness_3d Bit-Tech/Asus OC Winner

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    Thanks crompers, that just reinforces what i'd kind of worked out. I just don't want to deal with these people, or their stock anymore
     
    Last edited: 31 May 2011
  5. [PUNK] crompers

    [PUNK] crompers Dremedial

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  6. Madness_3d

    Madness_3d Bit-Tech/Asus OC Winner

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    Wow, So Videocardshop is a front for the XFX RMA Centre? That's not all that good. I was about to get onto the head of XFX as a colleague has him on messenger :) We shall see, this close from dropping a bomb on two EVGA 570's right now, I just feel like I've been taken for a ride.
     
  7. Ph4ZeD

    Ph4ZeD What's a Dremel?

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    Dunno why people would buy cards from a mickeymouse outfit when places like Scan/eBuyer are around?
     
  8. adidan

    adidan Guesswork is still work

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    They are partnered with the Overclock.net site. You may want to approach them on the forum there as well as I think users on there get a discount and so would get a bit of a response I would imagine.
     
  9. [PUNK] crompers

    [PUNK] crompers Dremedial

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    I've certainly learnt my lesson, but when I bought mine 280 they were still £300 at scan, I got it for £240 and it was basically either that or a GTX260 so I opted to take a chance
     
  10. Madness_3d

    Madness_3d Bit-Tech/Asus OC Winner

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    Bought my two from there because by the time I was buying, 260 stock was low on the ground, especially 260 XXX stock.

    I'm going to call them and ask to speak to the boss on Monday, If that doesn't get me anywhere I'm getting on to Gavin Pitt (Head of XFX UK Sales & Marketing) and I'm going to get an Engineers report produced by RL. This has been going on since before Xmas now and If they think they can just take the mick like this they are sorely mistaken. I'm not going to let this lie.
     
  11. Madness_3d

    Madness_3d Bit-Tech/Asus OC Winner

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    Just thought I'd bring this back to confirm that Videocardshop have finally identified a fault with the card
    I've made it clear several times that I don't want a replacement I want a partial refund. But alas the next message was
    So I sent the following reply

    Which I thought made my position very clear. but alas I got this message back...
    So I sent back

    I've cut the "Hi's" and "Many Thanks's" there but you get the idea. It's descending into a real mess and It doesn't look like i'm going to get anywhere. I called them and was promised a proper reply by the end of the day. The lesson here people is avoid these people like the plague.
    I am currently RMA'ing some razer headphones back to scan and that has gone perfectly. No problem. I have also just asked NZXT for a new front panel circuit board and light because they were faulty on my new case, and they have sent them out no questions asked. Why can these people not just get it into their head that I'm not happy and want a fair amount of my money back.
    /rant
     
  12. Instagib

    Instagib Minimodder

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    I think the main problem here is the cards in question; XFX got dumped as an nViadia partner just as fermi came out. NVidia said it's due to xfx's choice to sell AMD cards also (what about ASUS and gigabyte?) Regardless of reasons, XFX were making a mess of nVidia cards all over the place. 9000 series and 200 series cards hit the market from XFX that were next to useless. XFX obviously needed to get some money out of them and flogged them onto little operations like this, who in turn operate flakey returns policies. Basically it's no one wanting to be left out of pocket with these cards so they try to offload them on unsuspecting customers like yourself.

    On a side note, there's some XFX x58 boards out there that are in exactly the same position; knackered refurbs that won't work. Avoid like the plague.

    On a second side note, i owned a XFX GTX285 XXX until recently, and i was very happy with it for 2 years, and my brother is very happy with it now. But i bought that before i knew about XFX and i must of got lucky with that particular card (although it will not OC at all).
     
  13. Bloody_Pete

    Bloody_Pete Technophile

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    I think this looks like XFX are rubbish. I build a machine for my best mate last year and I got him a 5870 for it, which he had no end of issues with! He RMA'd it (to Aria) and now doesn't trust it so much it just sits in it's box... (he bought a Sapphire 5870 to cover him during the RMA process). XFX are just shoddy, it's why their so cheap. I now don't trust anything they sell, which is worrying as they do appartently good PSU's...
     
  14. Madness_3d

    Madness_3d Bit-Tech/Asus OC Winner

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    Agree with you there. Had an XFX 260 from scan that was next to useless, a DOA XFX 260 from scan, a DOA XFX 260 from videocardshop, and two faulty GTX 280's from videocardshop.

    I have to agree, however I'm pretty sure their PSU's are manufactured by Seasonic. I've got a 750w in my Folding rig and have had no problems.

    I've not heard back from them and their not picking up their phones so I guess they are just going to ignore me for another few weeks
     
  15. Madness_3d

    Madness_3d Bit-Tech/Asus OC Winner

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    They mailed me back
    I hit them with this

     
  16. j_jay4

    j_jay4 Minimodder

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    Talk about :wallbash:, I feel for ya, I hope they see sense. Good luck and thanks for letting us all know so hopefully we won't make the same mistake. It isn't doing their reputation any good.
     
  17. Madness_3d

    Madness_3d Bit-Tech/Asus OC Winner

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    Thanks for that :) It's really frustrating me tbh but i'm stubborn and I'm not going to let this lie until I get my money. If you look at their facebook page there are even people on there complaining about trying to get rma's sorted. :wallbash:
     
  18. adidan

    adidan Guesswork is still work

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    Good on you, my type of approach. :thumb::D
     
  19. N17 dizzi

    N17 dizzi Multimodder

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    More power to you... keep us updated as to how it turns out.

    I recently had a nightmare situation with a Dell panel with a pixel fault and I didn't stop until it was satisfactorily resolved. It took 5 replacements and an e-mail to Mr. Dell (thanks goodbytes) but I got what I was entitled to in the end.

    Hope it works out :thumb:
     
  20. Austin

    Austin Minimodder

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    :thumb: I hope it gets sorted too. RMA's are always horrible. I don't think I've ever bought from there before but I know I have considered it in the past. As for XFX I always thought of them as one of the best brands but I've been so busy the last 2 years I've kind of fallen behind. Is the general consensus XFX gfx cards are really problematic and flaky?
     

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