Gigabyte declines RMA request citing "physical damage."
Gigabyte declines RMA request citing "physical damage."
Hello, I wanted to share my frustrating experience with Canada Computers and especially Gigabyte. I knew there were problems with their motherboards, but I thought I was safe. I bought a B550 M.2 months ago for my Gigabyte GPU build and have been in touch with CC, a repair shop, and Gigabyte since then. My PC would not boot, which a trusted repair shop in Langley diagnosed as a motherboard failure. Since I’m in Canada, it took months for them to even deliver the board, and they refused the RMA citing “physical damage.” I barely touched anything after receiving it and now owe around $200. My planned PC build in June is still pending. I’m not getting my money back, but this serves as a warning—don’t trust any retailer or manufacturer. Even though I hate Amazon, they’re the only reliable place for parts here. Stick to MSI and Asus instead.
Oh no, it's really frustrating. I only shop on Amazon because of their easy returns.
I mean... It's Gigabyte, I've heard more bad news than good about their service. Anyway, look into the warranty rules you have. Sometimes they need to show it was your mistake, not theirs. For instance in the EU there are six months where they must prove they didn't harm it, after which it's your fault. Also verify if you can take action against the shipping company if that caused the damage. They're unlikely to assist, but it's worth a shot. The photo you shared seems more like a manufacturing problem. Asus support isn't very strong either, they're roughly the same level as Gigabyte. For motherboards, ASRock has been the top choice for service in my experience, though some boards have poor VRMs. MSI is decent with support and generally good VRMs on most boards. The level of support also varies by location—here Gigabyte works well, but in the US they're terrible.
motherboards generally lack warranty coverage, so even if they replace a faulty board, it’s unlikely to be covered
This situation is really frustrating. It seems like motherboard makers often avoid admitting errors or mishandling return requests—like MSI sending defective boards back. Customer service at Gigabyte frequently miscommunicates issues, and ASUS appears to take pride in blaming customers for defects. It feels like these companies always find ways to justify not providing replacements or working parts.
evga requested a triple deposit during a fan issue (msrpx3). The situation involved a new card, repair deposit, and holding fee. Considering the current GPU market, I chose not to upgrade my fan. Reports suggest they often send faulty parts initially, then replace them after a couple attempts. Exceptions include the 3080ti and 3090 due to AZO choke problems, which get swapped for new ones. Gskill typically issues new cards without deposit, though I doubt warranty coverage applies to motherboards. GPUs are usually sent back to NVIDIA, as the calculations don’t align otherwise.