What Are My Sponsors Hiding?

[CALANGO]

Very interesting timing on this video for me.

 

Just today, I got an RMA confirmation and number for a motherboard that stopped working.  I got packing and shipping instructions and it became very obvious very quickly that they want you to use their "ASUS Certified Shipping Label Purchase Form" on their web page which says, "We are proud to offer our flat-rate shipping to ENSURE YOU A COMPETATIVE PRICE".

 

It defaults to a $60 option, with the cheapest option being $25 for GROUND SHIPPING. I don't know if it's UPS or FedEx, but it is SLOW GROUND SHIPPING, when I can pay a flat rate of $14.95 or less for USPS Priority Mail, which will get there MUCH FASTER, usually 2-3 days.

 

Also, if you do purchase a shipping label from them, they won't email you a link to download it until a day later.

 

Their online "chat" function is only available before 5:00 p.m. P.D.T. and it was after 5:00 and so they were closed.

 

Oh, and by the way, THIS IS ASUS!

 

 

[darknessblade]

For Ugreen you could have used a different issue:

 

Using the asus ROG strix X13 and say it does not charge at 100W.

 

This is not a issue with the charger but with the X13. as it does not allow 3rd party charging at 100W.

 

AKA: Idiot customer route

[BlueKnight87]

Eight Sleep. I remember you guys getting a lot of shit from the community when they sponsored the video of you DIY-water-cooling your bed. Next time you do something like this I want to see the sponsors that have caused the most controversy among the LMG fan community included in it.

[Pyritin]

How does a company (ASUS) get ANY stars when you had to TELL THEM what the issue was? They didn't even resolve the issue themselves... Not saying there were any greased palms in the making of this but I see now why Linus drops crap all the time...

[Coffee4939]

I like the idea of this video but I strongly disagree with the execution of it...

It feels to me like you are teaching people that; "fraud is ok and here's how you can get away with it, break items you receive and just ask for a refund. May get to keep the item or get some extras, either way no down side you get your money back most cases."

 

Just seems like you are promoting this sort of behaviour and I wonder how much pressure this sort of 'Above and Beyond' expectation of refunds puts on small businesses and young people with ambitions to start businesses in future.

 

You shouldn't manufacture issues just to speed up filming of your video. It is extremely dishonest. In my eyes if you purchase a product and it arrives undamaged and with no issues then you are dishonouring the trust of your viewers by falsifying issues and for what?

[Justin5691]

I really appreciate the respect that this video demonstrates for the viewer. I’d add that there was a certain level of thoughtfulness put into this that I noticed. Considering that we’re probably going to see the rise of more and more automated customer service platforms, it’s really going to be telling going forward which brands choose keep going that route and which ones want to continue to keep their relationship with consumers after their first or second purchase.

 

Anyone who has been in the restaurant (or related customer facing fields) industry knows that the customer holds you to a higher and higher standard, especially recently. I can only imagine if consumers held all companies to the same standard that they hold their local mom and pop restaurants.

[Silentknyght]

3 hours ago, Coffee4939 said:

I like the idea of this video but I strongly disagree with the execution of it...

It feels to me like you are teaching people that; "fraud is ok and here's how you can get away with it, break items you receive and just ask for a refund. May get to keep the item or get some extras, either way no down side you get your money back most cases."

 

Just seems like you are promoting this sort of behaviour and I wonder how much pressure this sort of 'Above and Beyond' expectation of refunds puts on small businesses and young people with ambitions to start businesses in future.

 

You shouldn't manufacture issues just to speed up filming of your video. It is extremely dishonest. In my eyes if you purchase a product and it arrives undamaged and with no issues then you are dishonouring the trust of your viewers by falsifying issues and for what?

I 100% agree.  The blatant admission of fraud was over the top, and for what, to churn out a Youtube video on a set schedule?  Quality over quantity, LTT.

 

Good idea, but terrible execution.  Take your time and generate real data, don't falsify it.

[nalandial]

@LinusTech Two months ago, you already gave ASUS a warning to improve their customer service or have the relationship put on pause. It was the conclusion of a half hour discussion on WAN show where ASUS released a beta BIOS to fix voltage problems killing CPUs, and people thought their warranty was going to get voided.

 

It's on LMG Clips titled ASUS is in the Doghouse. Quote is the last 20 seconds or so: https://youtu.be/657lFpAA3_s?t=2117

 

edit: poll results for all the people who have had bad customer experience: https://youtu.be/657lFpAA3_s?t=1955

 

Coincidentally this is the same video where you announce secret shopping sponsors.

 

You already warned ASUS: https://youtu.be/657lFpAA3_s?t=213

 

I'm sorry man, any company does not deserve this many warnings. More than once in the video you talked about how you had to intervene on behalf on poor customer experience from the community. I get that they have so many SKUs, operate internationally, and it's extremely challenging, but that's not a valid excuse for a company that has had so long to improve processes. They clearly aren't interested.

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by nalandial
clarification & added examples

[Birblover12]

This whole video I feel like was a mess put simply. Firstly, I can't help but feel that ASUS is getting a "slap on the wrist" for whatever reason, if it wasn't for them literally telling them the issue, I'm certain they would have gone around in circles "escalating" to higher levels of support to only potentially get the issue resolved after weeks or even months of back and forth. Not to mention, wasn't LTT just dog piling on ASUS recently about their Beta BIOS killing CPUS, and the ridiculous warranty garbage they tried to pull? I really feel like they're getting away with it because of the fat check, though that's getting into speculation territory. 

 

That being said, it really does feel like this video wasn't done properly put simply. It feels like the companies are put in a bad light simply because they didn't wait long enough to get accurate data. Like, how does a USB port become ripped apart, or items simply "going poof" in I-Fixits case? Especially that last one, if someone is missing half their order, I'd assume they'd follow up on it pretty quickly, meaning they'd still have the packaging probably. Also, I-Fixit getting shunned because of something that's: user error (packaging being gone), stated clearly on their website, and is designed to protect the company against fraud seems a bit harsh in my book, though to each their own.

 

Not to mention the fact that this will potentially encourage people to lie about not receiving things in return for getting "free stuff", which is totally not okay. They really should have put a disclaimer or warning somewhere about how that kind of thing is, uh, bad.

 

 

To any LMG staff reading: Perhaps in the future take your time with this kinda thing? Forcefully creating "issues" (if you can call them that) that you didn't actually get seems dishonest especially if the product wasn't actually received that way. It would have been MUCH better if you did it like your Secret Shopper PC series where you simply bought the product anonymously, and tested it, and if it works, then great, otherwise no bueno. The Customer Support is it's own issue, but also could be rated completely differently if the problems were produced naturally. 

 

ok rant over lol

 

[Lumenarian]

I wish more companies would do stuff like this to ensure they are advocating for good companies. For so long, I have believe ASUS to be a reputable company with a product that warranted the increase in price. This couldn't be further from reality, and I wish tech reviewers would stop showcasing their products. Start showing other brands like Gigabyte and ASrock. ASUS products are the only products I have ever had to RMA in the 15 years that I've been building systems. After this most recent experience, I will never do business with them again. Here's a chronicle for anyone who cares:

 

06MAR2023 - Purchased ROG Strix x670E-A motherboard from Amazon.

 

15MAR2023 - Motherboard delivered. Can't recall when I actually built the system, but the first thing I noticed was that after the first boot, it became near impossible to get into the bios because it would not provide a video output until Windows 10 loaded up. I thought this was weird, but didn't immediately do anything about it.

 

Week of 17APR2023 (just outside of return window) - spent several hours talking to ASUS tech support online about an issue with the white QLED staying on, indicating an issue with the motherboard's ability to register the GPU (an EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 which worked perfectly fine with my previous 3700x setup). I was instructed to file for a RMA. I attempted to do this multiple times, but the RMA process was broken, and it would not allow me to fill out and submit the form.

 

25APR2023 - Contacted ASUS tech support again. After another hour, they filled out the RMA request for me, and I finally got a RMA number

27APR2023 - Paid $30 to ship the motherboard USPS priority to ASUS.

15MAY2023 - Received a "new" motherboard. Pretty sure it was refurbished since it did not come with retail packaging.

17MAY2023 - Rebuilt my system, booted it up, and had the same problem with the QLED. At this point, the system was at least running, so I gave up on trying to fix this issue.

22JUL2023 - network adapter starts disappearing after going to standby. Requires a full reboot of the system in order to get it to show up again. Tech support isn't available on weekend.

24JUL2023 - contact ASUS tech support again. Talked to a great person who said they would elevate the problem immediately and that I would receive a phone call within the next two days. I received an email that asked for my number and a time to call me, which I provide.

25JUL2023 - Received another email that says they "understand that this is frustrating and we want to assure you that we understand the importance of this issue. We are currently working with our Technical Support Department to determine the best next steps for resolution. You will receive a follow up within 24-48 business hours. We appreciate your patience in advance."

28JUL2023 - Problem has steadily gotten worse, requiring 2-3 reboots in order to get the network adapter to show back up. Still have not received a follow-up email or the phone call promised. I ask ASUS for a refund, and tell them they can have this garbage motherboard back at their expense.

29JUL2023 - ASUS informs me they will not issue a refund, only a repair or replace. They provide a technical repair form, and ask me to fill it out with hardware details. I provide this back to them same day along with a video of the issue. I tell them they can easily provide a refund, they just won't because they don't care about their customers.

30JUL2023 - I receive an email stating "We understand that the replacement you received was not working and you want a refund. We understand that this is frustrating and we want to assure you that we understand the importance of this issue. We are currently working with our Technical Support Department to determine the best next steps for resolution."

31JUL2023 - Problem has gotten worse. I now have to turn off the power supply after the reboot in order to get the network adapter to show up. I ask ASUS if they have a resolution.

01AUG2023 - ASUS "thanks me for my patience" and provides instructions to disable Windows' ability to turn off the power to the network adapter. The only problem is that the problem is even worse, and the computer won't boot. This is where the issue of not being able to get into the BIOS really created a problem, because I had no idea what was going on. It took over 5 hours to finally be able to get into the BIOS and get the computer to boot. All the while, I tell ASUS again to give me my money back so I can buy a functional product.

01AUG2023 - After dealing with this all day, I was finally able to get the computer to boot and disable Windows' ability to turn off the network adapter. This has seemed to resolve the small issue, but I suspect much more is wrong with this motherboard. ASUS sends me instructions on how to proceed with a RMA, AGAIN! They want me to pay to ship them the replacement motherboard so that they can send me a third board of the same model, and wait another month to receive it. Instead, I tell them to send me the replacement board first, which of course they won't do because they don't care about their customers or "understand that this is frustrating and we want to assure you that we understand the importance of this issue."

 

I have paid them $420 for the motherboard, spent $30 in shipping, and have dealt with an incredible amount of problems with two motherboards over a 4-month period. And they want me to do it again. ASUS is a terrible company, with a terrible product, and I will not ever purchase another again. @LinusTech stop doing business with ASUS.

 

[FlyingPotato_is_taken]

On 7/29/2023 at 6:55 AM, Birblover12 said:

Not to mention the fact that this will potentially encourage people to lie about not receiving things in return for getting "free stuff", which is totally not okay. They really should have put a disclaimer or warning somewhere about how that kind of thing is, uh, bad.

That's why you don't talk about it if a company is offering such a solution. Just refer to it as good experience without going into details.

 

Using this as example was a bad decision to begin with in my opinion. There are much better options: Take a bit to the surface grinder or salt water test to elevate wear and test their lifetime warranty claim, e.g. showing pictures of the set and bit in question and not providing an invoice [at first]).

 

I am fine with D-Brand case: LTT willingly destructing the screen protector as they have a unique relationship and that one fit's the tone.

[Eragonnogare]

Seriously, how was their softball handling and blatantly absurd rating for ASUS remotely acceptable? The point of the video was supposed to be them looking for potential issues with their sponsors to try to make sure they're keeping integrity as a company or whatever, but when a sponsor blatantly failed to handle the single easiest issue they presented any of them they spoonfed them the solution, called it "ASUS solving the problem" and gave them 3 stars.

[yoc]

1 minute ago, Eragonnogare said:

Seriously, how was their softball handling and blatantly absurd rating for ASUS remotely acceptable? The point of the video was supposed to be them looking for potential issues with their sponsors to try to make sure they're keeping integrity as a company or whatever, but when a sponsor blatantly failed to handle the single easiest issue they presented any of them they spoonfed them the solution, called it "ASUS solving the problem" and gave them 3 stars.

I will be looking into this because of the recently raised concerns. Thanks for letting us know.

[LMGcommunity]

On 7/26/2023 at 12:16 PM, GMCreative said:

This whole video sure does feel disingenuous.

 

On 7/26/2023 at 12:34 PM, FlyingPotato_is_taken said:

Asus as bad as I remember them.

 

On 7/26/2023 at 12:53 PM, swimtome said:

I'm going to join the Asus bandwagon.

 

On 7/26/2023 at 1:33 PM, SW_Rose said:

I've also had a bad experience with Asus.

 

On 7/26/2023 at 2:31 PM, dcpdev said:

Usually I at least see some sensible argument about how things are handled at LMG, but this... 

 

I just can't wrap my head around it. Asus was confronted with an simple issue.

 

On 7/26/2023 at 2:55 PM, randy123 said:

Because ASUS is the primary sponsor of LTT.

 

On 7/26/2023 at 3:47 PM, EvilTelephone said:

The ASUS rating made this whole video completely untrustworthy in my opinion.

 

On 7/26/2023 at 4:15 PM, Kaythree said:

I don’t usually use the term buffoonery when it comes to LTT videos but boy was that ASUS score UTTER BUFFOONERY, like Prime cut choice buffoonery.

 

On 7/26/2023 at 11:42 PM, Spotty said:

Linus must have used the Amazon star rating system. /s

 

On 7/27/2023 at 7:36 AM, Pyritin said:

How does a company (ASUS) get ANY stars when you had to TELL THEM what the issue was?

 

On 7/28/2023 at 7:40 PM, nalandial said:

Two months ago, you already gave ASUS a warning to improve their customer service

 

 

On 7/28/2023 at 9:55 PM, Birblover12 said:

This whole video I feel like was a mess put simply. Firstly, I can't help but feel that ASUS is getting a "slap on the wrist" for whatever reason

 

 

23 hours ago, Eragonnogare said:

Seriously, how was their softball handling and blatantly absurd rating for ASUS remotely acceptable?

This will be something that I will re-escalate with the team during this week of adjustments. I'll let you know if anything comes of it. It never felt correct, and this would be the perfect time to either adjust the rating or elaborate further on why we gave the rating that we did.

[Birblover12]

8 hours ago, LMGcommunity said:

This will be something that I will re-escalate with the team during this week of adjustments. I'll let you know if anything comes of it. It never felt correct, and this would be the perfect time to either adjust the rating or elaborate further on why we gave the rating that we did.

Awesome that it's getting looked into, was kinda concerned that it was totally overlooked when Linus was just bashing ASUS's business practices just weeks before lol.

[swimtome]

On 8/17/2023 at 1:05 PM, LMGcommunity said:

<MANY QUOTES>

 

This will be something that I will re-escalate with the team during this week of adjustments. I'll let you know if anything comes of it. It never felt correct, and this would be the perfect time to either adjust the rating or elaborate further on why we gave the rating that we did.

I know Linus talked about it on WAN show, wondering if there were any other updates. Especially with people's many complaints about ASUS customer service vs tech support.

 

And just for the record (And everyone probably knows this, I just dont recall Linus specifically mentioning it on WAN) another issue with the rating was everyone else had to deal with potential returns / customer service.  Asus only got asked a question, no RMA type issue.

[LMGcommunity]

5 minutes ago, swimtome said:

I know Linus talked about it on WAN show, wondering if there were any other updates. Especially with people's many complaints about ASUS customer service vs tech support.

 

And just for the record (And everyone probably knows this, I just dont recall Linus specifically mentioning it on WAN) another issue with the rating was everyone else had to deal with potential returns / customer service.  Asus only got asked a question, no RMA type issue.

We have something in the works for this.