ECS 755-A2: Performance and Value for the Athlon 64

ECS 755-A2: Tech Support and RMA

For your reference, we will repost our latest support evaluation procedure here:

The way our Tech Support evaluation works is first, we anonymously email the manufacturer's tech support address(es), obviously not using our AnandTech mail server to avoid any sort of preferential treatment. Our emails (we can and will send more than one just to make sure we're not getting the staff on an "off" day) all contain fixable problems that we've had with our motherboard. We allow the manufacturer up to 72 (business) hours to respond, and then we will report whether or not they responded within the time allotted, and if they were successful in fixing our problems. In case we don't receive a response before the review is published, any future responses will be added to the review, including the total time it took for the manufacturer to respond to our requests.

The idea here is to encourage manufacturers to improve their technical support as well as provide new criteria upon which to base your motherboard purchasing decisions. As motherboards become more similar everyday, we have to help separate the boys from the men in as many ways as possible. As usual, we're interested in your feedback on this and other parts of our reviews, so please do email us with your comments.

To access ECS Technical Support, you can fill out a Technical Support form on-line at ECS' Support Center. You can also email your request to support@ecsusa.com, and ECS also lists telephone contact numbers at the their web site. ECS replied to our tech support request very quickly. After sending off our online request to ECS' tech support team, we received a response from ECS in just 32 hours. This is a decent response time, and the reply was accurate in diagnosing the problem. From the perspective of a new system builder, we believe the reply would have been very helpful in diagnosing the problem. Additional contact information was also provided to contact ECS if we had any other tech support questions. This type of information can be very helpful in getting quick answers to technical support questions.

ECS' RMA policy and warranty are listed below; their motherboards are covered by a relatively standard 1-year warranty. The 1-year warranty is fairly standard with motherboards, but some other manufacturers offer up to a 3-year warranty on their motherboards, or at least on their premium-priced boards.

ECS RETURN (RMA) POLICY
* ECS Warranty is offered to direct customers with valid ECS invoice only.

Warranty Period
All ECS motherboards are covered by a one (1) year warranty on parts and labor against defects in workmanship and manufacturing. The warranty is effective from the date of ECS' original invoice, unless stated otherwise in writing.

Contacting ECS for Warranty Service
To return products for warranty service you must first obtain a return merchandise authorization ("RMA") number by entering the RMA Request and click the submit button above. A RMA number is valid for 30 days from date of issuance. RMA returns will be thoroughly tested as to all complaints and sent back to customers within 10 working days following receipt of the products by ECS. In the event a defective board cannot be repaired, ECS reserves the right to replace it with like-new refurbished product.

Please Note:

• Do you buy from our authorized distributors?
• If not, we recommend you buy from our authorized distributors to ensure the warranty coverage. We have experienced some websites are selling phase out products, out-of-warranty products, and refurbished products at a below market price. Please be aware that it is to your own risk if you purchased any of the above-mentioned products.
• We, as a Manufacturer, will support products that are under Manufacturer warranty. If products you have are out-of-warranty, phase-out, or damaged and you choose to have us service you, the cost of service is $50 to repair/refurbish and one-way ground freight. Usually product will ship within 10 business days. Please send money to esales@ecsusa.com via www.paypal.com and clearly specify your request on the SUBJECT line and NOTE section including your motherboard serial number. We will email you a RMA# with detail how-to and where-to ship to instruction upon receiving your payment.
• Physical damage, mishandling, mis-use, illegal modifications, no serial number and missing parts will automatically void the warranty. All items MUST be returned properly packaged & protected. Any item(s) returned in envelopes will VOID THE WARRANTY, NO EXCEPTIONS!
• Packaging / Shipping Procedures
• Returned items must be packed properly and safely, preferably in their original box. Shipment of returned items should be prepaid and insured by customers via a carrier of their choice. A packing list together with a copy of the RMA Control Sheet should be attached on the outside of boxes. The RMA number should be clearly marked on the outside of the package.
• ECS will pay for the return of items to the customer via UPS, FedEx or trucking company. Any special delivery required may be available upon request as additional cost. Items damaged in transit are not covered under warranty and ECS is not liable for delays or errors on the part of any carrier. Any item shipped to ECS without RMA numbers printed on the boxes will be returned to senders.
• Please return ALL accessories such as cables, diskettes or manuals to ECS.
• Discrepancies in Shipments
• ECS Customer Service representatives will inform customers if any discrepancy is found in category and/or quantity of items received. All non-ECS products will be sent back to customers without further notice.
• Ship returned products to:
  45401 Research Avenue, Fremont CA 94539.
  Our business hours are 9am-5pm PST, Monday-Friday.
  We are CLOSED Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays.
  ECS reserves the right to change this policy without advance notice.

The ECS RMA policy is clear and easy to follow, but ECS' RMA policy is pretty restrictive compared to other motherboard manufacturers. Basically, ECS only offers Warranty Repair to the Company that purchased the board from ECS, since an original ECS invoice is required. While this is often the method preferred by other motherboard manufacturers, there are usually exceptions for direct RMA replacement by the manufacturer. Keep in mind, it is the only acceptable method for ECS, and you will have to return your board to the vendor from where you bought it for warranty service. Since you are only allowed to RMA a board if you purchase directly from ECS, you need to be careful to ask the vendor who sells you the ECS board how they handle warranty repairs and replacement.

All-in-all, the ECS RMA procedure is much less friendly to the end-user than the excellent Technical Support from ECS. The moral is this: be sure to ask about warranty and return policies when buying an ECS board. While the RMA form asks for the usual information, such as personal info, system specifications, etc., only the direct ECS customer can receive warranty service, at least in the US.