When Amazon’s New World game started blowing up users’ GPUs, EVGA ran into a well-known problem, but the company immediately provided a No problem return policy to replace the affected GPU. According to a report from Igor’s LaboratoryNow it seems that EVGA is charging high RMA deposit fees based on the current scalper pricing level, which has caused some criticism. However, EVGA’s participation in this approach has a legitimate reason. It is an opt-in program. If customers do not want to pay a deposit, they can provide their customers with another option (albeit slower) to complete the RMA process.
According to reports, Igor submitted an advanced RMA request to replace the damaged EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra graphics card. The retail price of the graphics card is about 782 Euros (931 Euros including VAT). However, EVGA requires the same deposit as the current scalper pricing for this model: EVGA requires a deposit of 1,728.20 euros instead of the suggested retail price (list price) of 931 euros.
The problem stems from EVGA’s Advanced RMA program, which speeds up the return process after your GPU fails. If your GPU fails, the service itself is very convenient: you pay a deposit as collateral, and EVGA will send you a new GPU immediately before receiving the damaged card. After receiving the damaged GPU, EVGA will refund the deposit in full.
Of course, this is perfect for any EVGA customer in trouble, unless the company requires a huge deposit. Unfortunately, this seems to be the case, as EVGA uses the price of the scalping GPU to calculate the deposit fee. However, this is a reasonable and necessary protection for EVGA, because customers can simply submit a premium RMA and pay a deposit at MSRP pricing, and then strip the card they received from the RMA program-without having to return the original card . Of course, customers will eventually pay the card’s MSRP price, but they seize the opportunity by scalping and may delay legitimate customers from receiving replacement cards in time.
Unfortunately, for customers or EVGA, there does not seem to be a simple answer here. Paying high deposits based on scalper pricing, even if they are refunded, is untenable for some people. However, EVGA must also protect itself from cunning scammers, who will only scalp the RMA card, which may make it impossible for other customers to replace the GPU in time.
EVGA is one of the few companies still offering advanced RMA, which is an important reason to buy equipment from this company. Regardless of the situation, if you don’t want to pay a deposit in advance, you can simply use the standard RMA process, which requires EVGA to receive the card before sending a replacement card.
