Top critical review
1.0 out of 5 starsDevice failed after one month of use: Miserable and error-ridden RMA experience.
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2017
The short story: ASUS RMA division/customer warranty support has screwed up three times in my return(s) and still refuses to send me a new in box replacement as reconciliation for their failures. I have yet to receive a functional replacement motherboard one month into the RMA process.
The long story:
My motherboard failed (it no longer went to post when providing power) just barely outside of the return window with Amazon - a little over 30 days of moderate use. I had to initiate an RMA with ASUS to warranty the product. The process works like this: You send the board to a repair center in Indiana, a technician runs diagnostics to see if it can be fixed, and is then either repaired or replaced with a "recertified" (refurbished) replacement to return back to you.
I had to ship the motherboard at my own cost - about $20. It arrived about 5 business days later, and within a few business days upon receipt of the board, the repair status updated in the 'repair status' window of the RMA online tracker that the repair center was waiting on replacement parts. After about 8 business days upon their receipt of my motherboard I was notified a replacement was shipped. 5 business days later I received the "recertified" board.
I want to note that ASUS assures customers that their recertified product is not the same as what other companies might call refurbished. To become an ASUS recertified product, the repaired devices require extensive testing and quality control checks before they are sent to the customer.
I received a motherboard from the ASUS RMA center completely missing the on board WiFi/Bluetooth module. It's a component that is emphasized in the product's included features. Instead, where the WiFi hub should have been, was an empty PCI-e port. I called the repair team and went through three tiers of technical support explaining how ASUS sent me an even more defective product. I was told that I had to initiate a new RMA, and was given an expedited shipping label as compensation for my inconvenience (after I demanded for one). They still refused to send me a new in box product. I asked for an advanced replacement (a ready to ship "recertified" board at the warehouse) but they had no stock to do so.
I asked to be escalated to a higher level supervisor. I spoke to someone who was clearly in the United States (I'm not so sure everyone else I spoke with previously was, even though ASUS claims their customer support line is based in Indiana). We had a very professional and polite conversation. She explained that despite all of ASUS' failures, she had no ability to compensate me with a new in box motherboard. She mentioned that it is not until the *second* time you are given a replacement board from the RMA center that the company can consider a new in box replacement. She was "very surprised" of everything that had happened to me, but also seemed all too familiar with customers having issues with repairs...
I once more shipped a defective product back to the repair center in Indiana. Two business days transpired. While at work I received two emails from the courier notifying me that the repair center rejected my package with the reason being that the business was not open. I called the customer service team and again had to go through three tiers of technicians to determine that the agent who drafted my shipping label provided an address missing pertinent information. They offered to contact courier to update them with the correct address. I said, "Thanks but no thanks - I'll do it myself".
As of this review I'm one month into, now, my second RMA for a product failure I had no control over. ASUS customer service is so embarrassing that it has broken my trust with the company. I have happily used their products for over 15 years, and sought out their product over any other. Now that I have had this experience, and seen their apparent disinterest in keeping my brand loyalty, I see no reason to champion them over the myriad of other attractive options in the future.