Author Topic: Lifetime Warranty? (Read 748 times)

rpm · « **on:** November 11, 2003, 04:04:16 AM »

About 8 months ago I needed to upgrade my video so I did some research and chose the VisionTek Xtasy GeForce3 ti200. It had the most bang for the buck and consistantly got great ratings on every source I checked. Recently my framerates began to fall and I would get freeze ups. After asking for help I discover the fans on VisionTek cards are nortorious for going out, and mine was no exception.The card came with a Lifetime Warranty and was only 8 months old so there should have not been any problem...

Seems VisionTek went bankrupt and was bought by Hartford Computer Group. HCGI continues to manufacture Xtasy cards under the VisionTek name, except they have switched to ATI chipsets. The so-called Lifetime Warranty is still offered, just not on the nVidia cards that are STILL in the stores, even tho their website claims they will honor the warranty on these cards.

They say (on their website):
"Hartford is honoring all XTASY retail product warranties to consumers and is working with the trustee-assignee to make sure all outstanding retail consumer rebates are satisfied. They are also providing toll-free technical support on all XTASY retail products purchased from VisionTek’s retailers. "We want consumers to feel good about the VisionTek products they own and we want them to know that there is a major company standing behind them," commented Suzanne Mersch, senior vice president, Hartford Computer Group. "We feel this commitment adds tremendous value for the legions of current XTASY retail product owners and to future VisionTek customers as well."

In reality (from a Customer Service e-mail):
"(HCGI) then purchased the rights to the name VisionTek, but not their debt nor the company itself. HCGI decided to honor the lifetime warranty, under no obligation by law, for a certain undisclosed period of time. That time however has expired and the option that HCGI is providing consumers with the old GeForce-based cards is to upgrade to our Radeon-based cards."

This "Upgrade" option is to sell you a new Raedon with a $30 discount. So for those of you looking for a Video card, avoid ANY Xtasy card with an nVidia chipset.

SOB · « **Reply #1 on:** November 11, 2003, 08:39:40 AM »

Pick up a phone and call them. Don't mention the email, just your problem. If they give you the same lame offer even after quoting their web site get escalated to a supervisor if possible. It's waaaay to easy to blow someone off through email.

rpm · « **Reply #2 on:** November 11, 2003, 08:50:08 AM »

I've tried. Michael Murphy is the CS head at VisionTek, but all I get is his voice mail and he didn't return any of my calls. Guess I'll have to keep climbing up the HCGI corporate ladder till someone will actually talk to me.

214thCavalier · « **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2003, 09:06:30 AM »

How about just trying a replacement fan ?

LePaul · « **Reply #4 on:** November 11, 2003, 09:15:47 AM »

Wow, thanks for the heads up. I have a VisionTek GeForce 4 4600 and I'll shop around for an aftermarket fan....anyone have any good links for such a device?

rpm · « **Reply #5 on:** November 11, 2003, 11:10:04 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by 214thCavalier
How about just trying a replacement fan ?

That would work if the chip has not fried. Unfortunately, my card has passed that point.

DmdNexus · « **Reply #6 on:** November 11, 2003, 12:26:35 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by rpm371
That would work if the chip has not fried. Unfortunately, my card has passed that point.

How much is that company worth?

Class Action suit, baby! False advertising.

capt. apathy · « **Reply #7 on:** November 11, 2003, 01:23:42 PM »

Quote

Class Action suit, baby! False advertising.

I doubt you would have any legal right to a replacement other than just basic decency. (if they truly just bought the name and other assets and not the whole company, debts and all), about the only thing you can do, if you want to push it, is invest the time to be a major pain where ever possable.

do they have any sort of a BBS where you could get an account, and post their lack of interest in settling this satisfactory? don't say anything abusive just state the promise you where given when you bought the card, that they say at their site they will honor it, and then they don't. obviously they would delete your post but you could just get a new account and do it again. you should have their attention in a day or 2.

but as far as any false advertising claims, I think you are screwed. if they took on no liability in the purchase then their promise to honor that guarentee doesn't mean anything, as you already bought the card before they posted this. no money changed hands after the promise, you had already bought the card so you didn't spend any money or make any decisions bassed on this promise. basicly it's not a 'bait and switch', 'cause you already owned the card. and false advertising doesn't apply because you made no purchases after the promise so it basicly had no detrimental effect for you.

it's still a crappy way to do bussiness though. i'd complain loud and often

rpm · « **Reply #8 on:** November 11, 2003, 02:21:30 PM »

Well some progress has been made. I finally got thru to Suzanne Mersch, the VP that made the statement in the press release. In the corporate world, as in life, s**t rolls downhill. VP's hate getting trivial customer service complaints and I now have an RMA.
Whether I will ever see my card (or an equal replacement) after I send it back remains to be seen. I'd still be wary of any Xtasy cards with nVidia chipsets, their BBS is full of similar complaints.

midnight Target · « **Reply #9 on:** November 11, 2003, 04:23:49 PM »

Was gonna say.. keep going up the ladder. Companies HATE upset customers.

SOB · « **Reply #10 on:** November 11, 2003, 04:34:18 PM »

Sweet...better to have a chance with the RMA than to have a dead card cluttering up your computer room. How'd you manage to get through to her? Nice work!