Experiences with returns?

[SashaSanguine]

First off, apologies to mods if this is in the wrong board, but after searching the forum it appeared most appropriate.

 

I have recently purchased parts for a new build, and had to RMA some parts (and chose to return one unopened box). These weren't cheap, so I'm out a lot of money while awaiting refunds.

 

My question is how people's refund experiences have been with, specifically, Amazon, Newegg, and B&H.

 

Amazon is where I bought and returned a motherboard and processor that seemed not to work (red CPU light on motherboard no matter what I did). A local repair shop did a diagnostic and narrowed it to the CPU and not the motherboard but I returned both anyway. Amazon sent me a replacement CPU on request but I picked refund on the motherboard because I heard reports of it frying CPUs and that got me anxious given the circumstance.

 

The power supply unit came through Newegg and produced electrical arcing when switched on that I heard may turn into a fire hazard. (and for the like $300 I paid I expect no arcing anyway)

 

I purchased a 4080 Super through B&H but later found a good deal on a 4090 so I chose to return the 4080S in its unopened box. (didn't even open the delivery box) However B&H is closed for Passover until May 1, so I'll be waiting a while but the package appears to have arrived at its destination according to the tracking no.

 

What have other people's experiences been? I have returned items before but only through Amazon and not this expensive before.

[johnt]

Amazon is usually pretty good, like 99% of the time. I've only been questioned once and that was like 8 years ago when I returned two Crown amps.

 

I've made one return at Newegg in about 2017 or 2018. I purchased a used monitor and it had all sorts of issues. The website wanted me to pay for return shipping, but I called them, explained my situation, and the phone rep immediately offered to refund and provide a shipping label. It was my only return.

 

B&H I have no return experience with, but they are a very reliable and honest company. I have purchased many items from them. I am sure they will refund your purchase without issue especially if you haven't opened the product. They are closed when they say they are closed, though. They take their religious holidays very seriously (so does Adorama). So don't expect an immediate processing of your return until they reopen.

 

But honestly. You're not supposed to have this many issues with products lol Somehow receiving a faulty CPU is basically like getting hit with lightning. AMD and Intel are gods at making CPUs. I think Amazon is going to refund you anyway, but it's hard for me to accept this one. Also, a $300 PSU that had arcing issues??? How did you come to this conclusion, and don't tell me it was the arc faults they are installing in newer homes.

[SashaSanguine]

9 minutes ago, johnt said:

Amazon is usually pretty good, like 99% of the time. I've only been questioned once and that was like 8 years ago when I returned two Crown amps.

 

I've made one return at Newegg in about 2017 or 2018. I purchased a used monitor and it had all sorts of issues. The website wanted me to pay for return shipping, but I called them, explained my situation, and the phone rep immediately offered to refund and provide a shipping label. It was my only return.

 

B&H I have no return experience with, but they are a very reliable and honest company. I have purchased many items from them. I am sure they will refund your purchase without issue especially if you haven't opened the product. They are closed when they say they are closed, though. They take their religious holidays very seriously (so does Adorama). So don't expect an immediate processing of your return until they reopen.

 

But honestly. You're not supposed to have this many issues with products lol Somehow receiving a faulty CPU is basically like getting hit with lightning. AMD and Intel are gods at making CPUs. I think Amazon is going to refund you anyway, but it's hard for me to accept this one. Also, a $300 PSU that had arcing issues??? How did you come to this conclusion, and don't tell me it was the arc faults they are installing in newer homes.

See, I thought the exact same thing with the processor, but the repair shop I took it to told me that was the issue after running diagnostics on it. (I don't know exactly what he did, just dropped off the assembled PC) What I know is it actually worked just fine for the first boot. The second boot did not work, because I was attempting to install a new boot drive over my USB thumb stick onto an M2 drive. I changed the boot priority to USB and then when I tried to reboot it didn't post? I didn't do anything unusual afaik, I did basically the same thing I did on my old ASUS boards when I needed a new SSD boot drive.

 

As for the power supply, the arcing happened in and outside my house (which was built in the 70s iirc) so no, it wasn't an arc fault in the house. The repair shop informed me of it. The sound happened while the supply was plugged in and then switched on via I/O. It seemed to function just fine but in lieu of any other explanation regarding the CPU, I RMAed this as well.

[johnt]

13 minutes ago, SashaSanguine said:

The second boot did not work, because I was attempting to install a new boot drive over my USB thumb stick onto an M2 driv

That is super weird about the CPU. Did you try clearing the CMOS, removing the motherboard battery, and all that?

 

The PSU is an interesting one too. But I'll give you that one. These things are somewhat fragile and the shipping companies could care less. I don't doubt this one. PSUs are also built like rocks, especially higher end ones, but there is only so much they can take.

[SashaSanguine]

Just now, johnt said:

That is super weird about the CPU. Did you try clearing the CMOS, removing the motherboard battery, and all that?

 

The PSU is an interesting one too. But I'll give you that one. These things are somewhat fragile and the shipping companies could care less. I don't doubt this one. PSUs are also built like rocks, especially higher end ones, but there is only so much they can take.

Yeah I tried clearing the CMOS, removing the battery, swapping out the RAM, pretty much everything I conceivably could. And fwiw the Be Quiet Dark Power 13 was probably a really good power supply if not for that (and missed opportunity calling it Dark Energy, seriously)

[johnt]

Just now, SashaSanguine said:

Yeah I tried clearing the CMOS, removing the battery, swapping out the RAM, pretty much everything I conceivably could. And fwiw the Be Quiet Dark Power 13 was probably a really good power supply if not for that (and missed opportunity calling it Dark Energy, seriously)

Hopefully your replacements work like they are supposed to. It's been a while since I've had issues with building a PC.

 

The only company I would worry about is Newegg. There was a lot of controversial information brought to life by GN about their return processes. They were supposed to improve but I suspect it's been somewhat questionable still.

[SashaSanguine]

6 minutes ago, johnt said:

Hopefully your replacements work like they are supposed to. It's been a while since I've had issues with building a PC.

 

The only company I would worry about is Newegg. There was a lot of controversial information brought to life by GN about their return processes. They were supposed to improve but I suspect it's been somewhat questionable still.

Same here, I get builder's anxiety each time but I think I have enough experience to avoid catastrophe.

 

As for Newegg tbh even if I get 0 refund I can survive that. The graphics card and CPU are the big returns.

 

An aside: friend suspects the motherboard may have fried the CPU because it started fine out of the box, and reports came out that MSI X670E Tomahawks were frying CPUs with high voltage. Not sure I believe it since there were no burns or bulges on the contacts but I resigned the thing wasn't going to work.

 

 Fwiw the new power supply is here now and I have no arcing noise.

[Stahlmann]

I live in Europe. So I can't say anything about B&H or Newegg. Amazon has always accepted my returns with no questions asked. Most of the time I get a refund as soon as the package is picked up by the courier. I don't even have to wait for them to receive the package.

[TetraSky]

Man, that's a lot of bad luck on a single build.

This is why these days I usually just buy on Amazon. The return policy is WAY better than Newegg and the others. Hassle free 95% of the time.

The remaining 5% is when they take ages to refund you, so you contact them to know what is going on... Then they say to wait X number of business days before contacting them again to finally get refunded.

Unless the price is over $50(w/ shipping) cheaper for the same item, I wouldn't even consider buying elsewhere. Simply not worth the hassle if and when you get a faulty part.

[Lurking]

17 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Man, that's a lot of bad luck on a single build.

This is why these days I usually just buy on Amazon. The return policy is WAY better than Newegg and the others. Hassle free 95% of the time.

The remaining 5% is when they take ages to refund you, so you contact them to know what is going on... Then they say to wait X number of business days before contacting them again to finally get refunded.

Unless the price is over $50(w/ shipping) cheaper for the same item, I wouldn't even consider buying elsewhere. Simply not worth the hassle if and when you get a faulty part.

Are you a prime customer? I'm and never had to wait for a refund. A few hours after dropping off the return at UPS I get the refund back to Amazon account. Maybe it takes longer if they refund to you credit card, though.

 

OP: Looks like lot of bad luck, maybe some botched trouble shooting and changing your mind (that GPU). Usually builds go fine and if more than one part is broken, I would question the trouble shooting process. Or the damaged MB damaged the CPU and PSU or something like that.

 

B&H is great except the holiday thing. I once returned a case that was badly damaged in shipping and it went fine after I sent them pictures of the carnage. 

[TetraSky]

17 minutes ago, Lurking said:

Are you a prime customer?

I am not.

From my experience, it mostly happens with items worth a few hundred bucks. Like a $900 CPU. A $550 monitor...

The cheap stuff is usually refunded the second I bring it to the post office and it is scanned as shipped.

[Lurking]

3 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

I am not.

From my experience, it mostly happens with items worth a few hundred bucks. Like a $900 CPU. A $550 monitor...

The cheap stuff is usually refunded the second I bring it to the post office and it is scanned as shipped.

I assume they want to prevent "ScAmazon" and will the seller verify if you sent back the CPU and not just an empty box. I only have experience with maybe up to $150 returns.

 

We buy a lot from Amazon with only few returns. I assume that and being prime members make them have faith in us

[SashaSanguine]

So an update to this thread.

 

I received my full refund for the power supply from Newegg a few days ago. Amazon and B&H appear to have received my parts and I'm waiting for the refunds to appear. Amazon is going to probably be refunding me for yet another motherboard/CPU though. I took the PC to a shop because I couldn't believe this happened twice.

 

At this rate I'm about ready to go Team Blue if I don't get this machine working soon. But at least refunds haven't been painful.