A couple of months ago, my venerable NVidia GeForce 8800 GT graphics card finally decided that enough was enough and, without ceremony, simply cut out around twenty minutes after loading up Dragon Age: Origins. After two years of faithful service and thousands of hours of gameplay, my card was dead. Bereft, I jumped to my laptop and began pricing up a replacement but was dismayed to find that my meagre finances would barely stretch past a new entry-level card; I would essentially be paying £70 to keep the same level of graphical performance I had before my 8800GT failed. Needless to say, I felt a little sore about it.
However, I was overlooking a vital detail that would ultimately lead to a much less costly solution to the problem; my card was still under its three-year manufacturer’s warranty and, given the circumstances of its fairly, was eligible for an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorisation). Despite having PC components fail in the past, I had never thought to take advantage of RMA, assuming that it was only for new components that did not work on receipt by the customer. Not so. In fact, any component that has failed within its manufacturer’s warranty period may be eligible for RMA and to be repaired or replaced at no cost to the owner.
Many people I have spoken to are unaware of RMA or how it works and have simply been buying new components as and when theirs fail, often paying considerably over the odds from local retailers when a replacement is needed in a hurry. RMA is rarely a quick process and probably won’t result be appropriate for an emergency situation, due to the relatively slow turnaround, but for those able to use backup components, it can be far more cost-effective than forking out for new hardware. For those people, I’ve prepared a short guide to the RMA process to help you get the most out of your hardware warranties.
What is RMA?
RMA stands for “Return Merchandise Authorization”. It is a process which allows customers to return goods that are faulty or defective on receipt, or that have failed within a specified warranty period, to the supplier. Depending on the terms of the warranty and the type of goods involved, the supplier may then return them to the manufacturer. Provided the customer has not deliberately or accidentally voided their warranty, the items involved may be repaired or replaced by the manufacturers free of charge, or a refund may be given by the supplier.
How do I get an RMA?
Usually the first port of call for obtaining an RMA from a supplier is their customer service department. However, many dedicated computer hardware suppliers fast-track RMA requests via specialised webform and, in some cases, entire RMA sub-departments. You will usually be required to provide a description of the problem and to provide details from when the product was first purchased – order numbers and dates of purchase, most often.
Further details of your hardware setup may be needed along with a brief summary of what you were doing at the computer at the time the item failed, in so far is as possible. With this information in place, the supplier will usually authorise an RMA and ask you to return your failed items by post to a specified address.
How much does it cost?
In most cases, any action brought about by an RMA – repair or replacement – will usually be free of charge to the customer. However, end-users are generally expected to pay the postage cost of sending the item back to the supplier. Depending on the terms of the warranty, customers may be obliged to pay a service or repair surcharge but this doesn’t happen terribly often.
Is there anything I should keep in mind when sending my item off?
Where possible, faulty items should be returned in their original packaging. If you have disposed of the packaging, try to find a similarly sized box and ensure that the item is securely packed. Goods visibly damaged in transit may not be eligible for free repair or replacement. If possible, try and pack sensitive components in anti-static bags to further reduce the chances of them being damaged on their way back to the supplier. You may be required to supply any accessories that originally came packaged with your goods, though this varies from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Are there any reasons why an RMA might not be authorised?
As previously stated, improperly packed goods may result in damage in transit, which many suppliers will refuse to accept. Any sign that the failure was caused by direct user intervention may also see an RMA denied once it reaches the manufacturer to be examined. Actions which void the warranty, such as overclocking or dismantling components, are best avoided. Any actions that contravene the manufacturer’s directions for usage – using items in a moist environment or cleaning them using unsuitable substances, perhaps – may also see an item refused free repair or replacement.
Will I receive a refund or will my item be repaired or replaced?
This depends on a number of factors, including the supplier, the manufacturer, the time that has elapsed since purchase and the nature of the goods. Customers are usually entitled to request a refund if an item arrives faulty but later in the warranty period, when the goods have seen several months, or even years, use, a repair or refund is more likely. Repair versus Replacement usually comes down to cost; if it is cheaper to simply send out a new or refurbished item rather than repairing it, many manufacturers will do so. In some cases, new items may not exactly match the returned goods, especially if a particular model is out of production. In these cases, a replacement or equivalent value or functionality may be issued.
How long will it take?
This depends entirely on the supplier and manufacturer. If the supplier is dealing with the entire process, an item can often be turned around in a matter of days. However, if goods must be returned to the manufacturer for examination, it can take weeks or even months, particularly if they have to be sent back to factories in East Asia. In my case, it took around a month between requesting an RMA from the supplier and receiving a replacement.
Is it worth RMAing a faulty component even if I rush out to buy a new one immediately?
Yes. Even if you cannot wait for an RMA to be processed and need to buy a new component immediately, it is still worth seeing if you can get a repair or replacement for free. At the very least, you can keep it as a backup in case of future hardware failure. Alternatively, you may be able to sell the repair/replacement and recoup some of the cost of a brand new component.
My own experience with Overclockers.co.uk was fairly straightforward. The day after my graphics card died, I submitted an RMA request via their specialised webform. A few hours later they accepted my request and supplied me with an address to send my card to and directions for packing. They also checked that the address details they had on file for me were up to date (they weren’t). The next day the card was in the post and the day after I received an email from OCUK informing me that they had received it and that it would be sent on to Asus, the manufacturer. A couple of weeks later I was told to expect a replacement at the end of the month.
Around a month on from sending the card out in the first place, I received a replacement; an ex-display EVGA GeForce 9800 GT, actually a slight upgrade over my old card. The only cost to me was the postage cost on returning the 8800 GT in the first place.
So, while RMA isn’t necessarily the speediest process, it can certainly be effective in getting faulty components repaired or replaced. This means that warranty is something that should be given careful thought when actually buying new items, especially as some manufacturers have begun to cut their standard warranty periods, from three years to just one year in the case of Asus. Even for those who need a replacement item immediately, RMA can eventually offset some of the cost of buying a brand new component or result in a handy spare in case of future disaster. My new 9800 GT will hold the fort for the time being until I can find the spare cash to upgrade to something a bit beefier, at which point it will go into hibernation, ready for any future problems that might arise.