Halp! Damaged Goods

stradian

Hey folks, been lurking for a while but thankfully never needed to call upon your advice, unfortunately that's changed.

To try and keep a long story short, I've bought some computer parts from Aria.co.uk, one of which (a motherboard) is faulty. I purchased the parts almost 3 weeks ago now, but had to wait for the arrival of some more parts yesterday from the same retailer to complete the computer, as such I did not open the first collection of parts to check them.

Now, I'm not sure whether the damage happened before it came into my possession or since I built the computer with it, but a chip on it has burnt. Essentially, whatever the issue is with this part, the computer based upon it doesn't work, the board is damaged and does not function at all.

Anyway, Aria are trying to tell me that as I did not report this damage within 48 hours of receiving the part 3 weeks ago, I am not eligible for a replacement or refund, as per their terms.

I put up a fight, and they eventually told me that I could return the board, at my own cost, and they would inspect it to see if I had caused the damage. Quite how they intend to do that with a burnt chip, I do not know, but they say that if they believe I did not cause the damage, they will forward it to the manufacturer to make the same decision, and to authorise a replacement if appropriate.

Frankly, I don't trust their opinion. I don't know whether they will necessarily tell the entire truth regarding where or how they believe the damage occurred. Even if they are truthful but do believe I caused the damage, I'm out £80 when it wasn't my fault.

What are my options from here? I'm extremely frustrated with their service, or lack of it, they're being extremely uncooperative and hiding behind their very unhelpful rules.

Cheers.

pcombo

What chip is "burnt out" on the motherboard, And have you left it in the box till now.

stradian

It's a USB 3.0 controller chip, and the pins are blackened, it looks very much like the chip has actually physically burnt, a couple of surface mount supporting components appear damaged next to it too. Lacking USB 3.0 ports on the front of my case, I hadn't plugged anything into the header connected to that IC either, so it wasn't a short caused by a faulty case or bad USB device being connected to it.

However, I've just re-read their return policy with a clearer, less angry head, and it would appear that the 48 hours they keep quoting me is for physical damaged caused in transit, which this clearly isn't, the box was undamaged and the hardware inside had no visible breaks, scratches, bends or other imperfections.

Yes, though, it was still in its box until I opened it yesterday to build the machine upon arrival of the other parts, a PSU and graphics card.

bris

It now all depends on whether you can convince them you didn't mess up the build and short out the chip. This might not be an easy task as they will say a new sealed motherboard couldn't possibly ship in this condition, the 3 week delay doesn't help your case with them.
On the plus side SOGA says the first six months are said to be inherant at time of manufacture, however accidental damage would not be covered, they will say this is just that and may be stubborn about it. If they dig their heels in then a small claims action is your only recourse.

pcombo

stradian wrote: »

It's a USB 3.0 controller chip, and the pins are blackened, it looks very much like the chip has actually physically burnt, a couple of surface mount supporting components appear damaged next to it too. Lacking USB 3.0 ports on the front of my case, I hadn't plugged anything into the header connected to that IC either, so it wasn't a short caused by a faulty case or bad USB device being connected to it.

However, I've just re-read their return policy with a clearer, less angry head, and it would appear that the 48 hours they keep quoting me is for physical damaged caused in transit, which this clearly isn't, the box was undamaged and the hardware inside had no visible breaks, scratches, bends or other imperfections.

Yes, though, it was still in its box until I opened it yesterday to build the machine upon arrival of the other parts, a PSU and graphics card.

Did you notice before you ever tried to power.

stradian

I didn't, no, I did glance over the board but I was looking more for damaged capacitors and the like, I didn't inspect each chip. While it might be wise to do so, I didn't run over it with a magnifying glass.

unholyangel

While i know by rights the retailer SHOULD be first port of call and they SHOULD follow SOGA etc, sometimes manufacturers provide better service with less/no hassle.

I would speak to the manufacturer and see what they say. But bear in mind that your contract is with the retailer, not the manufacturer. If the manufacturer do offer to repair/replace, they are under no obligation to do so.

stradian

bris wrote: »

It now all depends on whether you can convince them you didn't mess up the build and short out the chip. This might not be an easy task as they will say a new sealed motherboard couldn't possibly ship in this condition, the 3 week delay doesn't help your case with them.
On the plus side SOGA says the first six months are said to be inherant at time of manufacture, however accidental damage would not be covered, they will say this is just that and may be stubborn about it. If they dig their heels in then a small claims action is your only recourse.

Yeah, but the trouble is, that's just how computer components are. How does anybody prove anything? Things are sometimes faulty, it happens, and yeah, sometimes people may make mistakes or may not be familiar with the process of assembling a computer, but I can't see how anybody could ever really prove one way or the other.

Computer components, even sold seperately and specifically for self-installation into a computer do come with a warranty, so surely anybody could refuse a warranty on the grounds that you messed it up?

unholyangel wrote: »

While i know by rights the retailer SHOULD be first port of call and they SHOULD follow SOGA etc, sometimes manufacturers provide better service with less/no hassle.

I would speak to the manufacturer and see what they say. But bear in mind that your contract is with the retailer, not the manufacturer. If the manufacturer do offer to repair/replace, they are under no obligation to do so.

I have spoken to the manufacturer, the parts retailer did suggest that if I wasn't happy with sending the part back them that I could do so, and the manufacturer does appear to want to assist. I figured I'd check out any options first though, because it does seem a slightly messier process than just sending it back to the retailer.

The whole thing is immensely irritating because I know I wouldn't have had this issue with any other retailer that I've dealt with before. It doesn't sound right to me that they can say "how do we know you didn't break it? Go away.", it seems to defeat the entire warranty system.

bod1467

Aria must have changed since I last used them. (Admittedly this was several years ago). I ordered a 19" CRT monitor which arrived faulty. Raised an online RMA, and they delivered a replacement and collected the faulty one at the same time. Excellent service. (The CRT is still in my loft, and still worked when I boxed it up and put it there).

unholyangel

stradian wrote: »

Yeah, but the trouble is, that's just how computer components are. How does anybody prove anything? Things are sometimes faulty, it happens, and yeah, sometimes people may make mistakes or may not be familiar with the process of assembling a computer, but I can't see how anybody could ever really prove one way or the other.

Computer components, even sold seperately and specifically for self-installation into a computer do come with a warranty, so surely anybody could refuse a warranty on the grounds that you messed it up?



I have spoken to the manufacturer, the parts retailer did suggest that if I wasn't happy with sending the part back them that I could do so, and the manufacturer does appear to want to assist. I figured I'd check out any options first though, because it does seem a slightly messier process than just sending it back to the retailer.

The whole thing is immensely irritating because I know I wouldn't have had this issue with any other retailer that I've dealt with before. It doesn't sound right to me that they can say "how do we know you didn't break it? Go away.", it seems to defeat the entire warranty system.

A warranty is not statutory rights and neither really cover user damage/error. I'm no expert on computer chips but i imagine it would be possible (with the right training/knowledge/equipment) to tell the difference between a chip that has fried because it was faulty and one that has been fried because of user error.

Think of a house fire. Fire investigators can determine where the fire originated and what caused it, whether any fuel was used etc.

You could try calling a few professionals or even asking manufacturers whether it would be possible to determine the cause.

Technically as stated within the first 6 months the fault is deemed inherent and the burden of proof is on the retailer to prove that the fault was the result of misuse etc.

stradian

I had a nice detailed message typed here, but somehow my browser lost it, so I'll just rough out a new one...

I misworded my previous comment, rather than warranty I meant to suggest that the goods must be fit for purpose, which IS a statutory right. The store themselves say that, within 28 days, it counts as "Goods Faulty on Arrival", yet they quote me 48 hours to report damage by the courier. Which this isn't. 3 weeks may be a long time to report an inherent fault, but it's still within their own stated rules.

I'd also point out that computer parts are sold, usually, as bare circuit boards, you install them yourself, and that's just how it is. They're not encased or protected, they're not like a TV where you would have to remove the plastic casing to get inside and fiddle about. Computer stores all sell the parts like this, so why is it right to assume that I probably must have messed it up? Thousands of people buy this stuff every day, and sometimes things don't perform, or are electrically damaged, it happens, nothing's perfect. If this happened every time somebody had a faulty component, nobody would ever buy anything, it would always be the customer's fault. So why are they trying to deny me, as far as I see it, a statutory right to a replacement or refund due to a product not fit for purpose?