once again I'm forced to read post after post about someone having a tough time getting an RMA number from some company... and having dealt with EPSON today, I felt the urge to share some tricks with my friends here. simple yet effective tricks that can save you hours and a bottle of asprin when something goes wrong.


1: if you bougth it on the web, you are NOT required to send it back to the company you bought it from... silly to send it to newegg and have to play with thier idiocy. also manufacturers are more likely to "upgrade" for your troubles, and they get the chacne to take a look at problems to improve future products.

2: step away from the online RMA form.

3: get on the compay website, look for CONTACT INFO. this doesn't have to be RMA or tech supprot departments either. I find calling the corporate offices works even better in this case.

4: be polite but firm. you are thankful that the company is taking thier time to help you. let them know this. they'll work even harder to keep you happy.

5: have the serial number of your problem product on hand. they'll want it.

6: tell them the trouble shooting steps you went thru to determine the need for RMA. however do not tell them if you did something stupid that led to this problem. they tend not to be as helpful then.

7: YES you read the FAQ (lie if need be here), YES you have the recipt (you should always keep these on file)

8: write down who you talked with, write down the address they tell you to ship your item to, and most importantly get the RMA number correct.

9: thank the people on the phone. remind them that you're thankful for thier help. kissing thier behinds is a good thing.

10: ship insured... and NOT via UPS. UPS will not ship electroncics without you paying them to pack it... even if it IS broken to begin with. get a tracking number (some companies require it). also recomend not shipping via DHL (Destroyed Heaved or Lost).


if you need any help on specifics on companies please PM or IM I'd be glad to help out.

Nicely done! sticky!

Used their service once. Will NEVER use it again. Though I got a free case of Bawls out of it (finishing 48 bottles of Bawls in less than 2 weeks is a BAD idea....)

beautiful! read it twice.

good guide! RMAs usually are a LOT easier if you try than people make you think. I read marketing books and one of the biggest sales things is that your customer is NOT your enemy. You are helping them with your product. This is why you must convey a message to a customer instead of convincing them. They should be like your spouse.

Yay, I will RMA tommarrow. Hope I don't need a reciept...

never needed a recipt for AMD or Intel.

Done

simply put. meh sometimes acting a little noobish helps you get an rma, did it before and got a rma in an instant for plextor

Oh I like this...

AMD is making me grab a reciept. Also to RMA to AMD by phone its long distance (408-749-3060). I also know thier fax number (408-774-7492)

Nice list.

But isn't it better to RMA a proccessor or motherboard back to were you bought it from if you went and overclocked it to much and wreaked it?

i agree with everything here, especially bragging about how great their product and he/she has been, i used to work a phone doing customer service, and as wrong as it may be, i have seen a beligerant customer get NO warranty service

i am not sure about the UPS statement though, my company ships millions in electronic components every year from pc's to individual circuit boards and we do all of our own packing, i also have had no issues shipping pc parts to people i sell to on ebay




i thought so too, but it turned out in Monarch's case, instead of giving me a new replacement immediately, they simply shipped my mobo off to Abit for me, all it did was serve to put a monkey in the middle, making it take about a week longer

let me just add that in most companies, the VP of Sales can get more done than anyone, if there's one thing sales knows, it's that happy customers make good business, which makes good $$$, which is the ONLY reason said company is in existance, if the tech support person gives you a hard way to go, be nice, and ask to speak to the VP of Sales, explain NICELY that the way you feel you are being treated makes you wonder why you or anyone else you come in contact with should ever buy another one of their products........that the sales equivalent of "talking bad about their momma", you will likely end up getting satisfaction

i must admit that RMAing to ebuyer isn't much good. i sent them a requeast about a DOA Lite-on DVD drive. they asked me lots of questions about what i did, then when i sent it back, a got a nice email back telling me that it was DOA. A week later, i got another email telling me i would get a refund (not a replacement as was originally agreed in the RMA request conformation. no doubt this was to save them extra shipping costs).

i will bear this post in mind this in future.

Gravy that's a good point. that's why I don't suggest starting with the support / RMA department. call corporate HQ. if that call gets transfered over they KNOW something is up in the call center. that way it's not an outside call, and lord knows which higher ranking member of the food chain you've already talked to.


as far as Abit's RMA... that may have been a better way to go, dealing with the lower forms of life @ the Hseng Tech facility gets old fast. that's one of the reason I refused to carry anything by Abit, Soyo, ECS, PC chips, Matsonic or any of thier other siblings. once I saw that address to send sales requests to, I put them on the black list.

ya dont bother even going onto there web site for help unless your getting there number....the only way i will do businis besides ordering stuff is over the phone...(imo thats the only way to get stuff done with some company's)

phone is the way to go.

Anyone have any experience with Apple? Especiall on water damage =\

For more info on my problem: http://forums.overclockersclub.com/I'm...pod-t59029.html

Who should I RMA to? My Dad's micro-ATX board overheated. The CPU is still good, but capacitors are leaking. Not OC'd, but the problem was that Circle Pine Computers didn't put in a case fan. Should I RMA to Cirle pine, or Aopen(mobo company)

EDIT: everything was at stock, it was built by circle pine. I made no modifcations.

I had a Intel 3.2C go bad from O.C.ing to much, I had no problem doing it on the net they sent me a new one. I had a 36gb Raptor go out and done it on the net, mine was on the way and there new one was on the way at the same time. I had a P4C800 Deluxe I bought at Frys die from water damage, (peltiers and Danger Dens system)I bought another M.B. and the serial# jumped of one on to the dead one and I returned it and got another M.B. no problem. Along with the water damage an ATI 9800 All in Wonder died I done it on the net, sent it to them with no HSF and they sent me a new one. I guess I was lucky.

Good list of manufacturers technical support numbers if you cannot locate one:

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/m...y_Code=MFGPages

water damage is REALLY tough to tell in electronics. I suggest making sure you don't have any soap residue and play dumb with em. it should get it RMA'd.

From what I read, he already got it RMA'd.

EDIT: warranty on the board went out a little under a year ago

UPS were good for my brother's iPod rma (quick and free ) but ParcelForce (in the UK) aren't a good choice to send with. They are okay for recieving stuff (cheap) but they never turn up when you ask them to.

i just RMAed my mp3 player and a pair of headphones to new egg over the net..no problems here so i guess im lucky...

i would like to believe im not lucky and that newegg is just awesome
but im not sure after reading all this :s

I would like to RMA my x700 ,but after i took off the stock HSF, i lost on of the springy screws.Being convinced i couldnt buy one at a hardware store at the time, i ripped out the fan and messed with it.Then got pissed and threw it out..boy do i regret that now.

If you send something in for RMA and it doesn't meet requirements do they send it back to your or just keep it?

you could always find someone that has modded an x700 so heavily that an rma is out of the question... after i removed the shim, epoxied ramsinks onto, and volt-modded my 9800pro, i really didn't have any use for the stock heatsink... so i gave it away... pretty sure for free

I am RMA'ing a CPU I bought, then decided to send back to NewEgg, no problem. AMD on the other hand wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. NOTHING. They told me to contact the manufacturer.

BTW, is it OK to seal packages with duct-tape? It's all I have and I am too cheap to shell out for a new box and tape.

amd IS the manufacturer of the cpu. how could they tell you that. of course there are very strict guildlines they demand you follow before tyring to RMA to them.

Once again, can someone answer this for me:

If you send something in for RMA and it doesn't meet requirements do they send it back to your or just keep it?

My understanding is that you pay return postage. I've never had to do it though, so I don't know for sure.

depends on who you sent it to. Sony for example will want a CC number in order to return it.

AMD will just turn around and send it back with an SOL note

something seems fishy there.

I kinda got a crack on the actual LCD screen and even though the iPod turns on it says "Please contact iPod Support blah blah blah". If I try to RMA it and they say no would they just send it back or would they keep it?

what part of "it depends" don't you get? some companies will either send it back, others will charge you for wasting thier time.

Seriously. They said to take it up with the retailer. I asked, "What if they don't except and RMA?" "I don't know." ????

Oooh Nice!!!! Awesome I have to RMA my router it broke and I used the online form but wasen't my fault because the guy said I had too I think lol

Is anyone going to fix all the spelling mistakes in this sticky? Not trying to bash no one but it should be proper to get stickied right?
And by far Sapphire is the far worst company i ever did a rma with. Their return is over 6 weeks to get a return card.